Bishop Hill Sir Paul's new politicking
May 13, 2015 Bureaucrats EU Royal Society With his time at the helm of the Royal Society winding down over the rest of the year, Sir Paul Nurse must have been starting to wonder how he could continue his work as a political agitator once he no longer had access to the Royal Society's pulpit. News today reveals that he may be exploring new niches:
A high level group of scientists is to be recruited to provide independent advice to the European Commission.
The panel will supersede the role of chief scientific advisor that was controversially abolished last year by new EC President Jean-Claude Juncker.
The commission wants also to strengthen its relationship with the national academies across Europe.
Sir Paul is going to be advising Mr Juncker on the recruitment of this group of scientists, so it will be interesting to see (a) if he ends up on the panel himself and (b) if its ranks are filled with the doomsters and millennarians whose company Sir Paul seems to find so congenial.
Reader Comments (22)
Excellent news.
well, it should be a yawn that Nursey is scampering about looking for a fresh sinecure - but it seems v. unlikely that he's doing this unprompted and that it's certain the climate crooks are looking for a gallery of "sages" that they can point to when it rains, snows, the sun shines etc., etc.
Our establishments are riddled with activist self seeking pieces of work eh?
He shouldn't have the opportunity to do this simply as a result of his exalted status which is unrelated in real terms to his actual work as a scientist - it's just wrong.
Good to know that transparency in recruitment to highly paid, influential positions in the EU is so opaque.
It must be a mystery to the EU elite, as to why they have lost trust, since no one was ever asked to vote on it.
Eurostasi United have Gubigaria's full support, which says a lot
OK, his Horizon show was not a highlight in the history of the Royal Society. But he is still British.
And it is, in principle good that we have influence on the European scale.
Science is not a democracy. Nor is the EU.
Time to leave.
Vote OUT and then Vote UKIP for sane energy policy
"A high level group of scientists is to be recruited to provide independent advice to the European Commission."
Why do I always get very suspicious when I read things like this? To my knowledge the last thing the EU ever wants is "independent" advice!
Juncker is a humble man: he always uses the same Mont Blanc pen, and hasnt switched to a a smartphone yet.
He doesnt see the point as he has no coverage on his yacht most of the time. Ah those humble men..
I do not see the slightest point in policy makers, even if they are dumbo toads like the above one, to be "advised" by "scientists".
Scientists are not men who can advise on action and investments, for that you need industrialists and engineers only.
A scientist is someone who can inform you on the ongoing controversies in physical theories and the like that shuld define his job.
I do not understand why "sir" Paul Nurse is beencalled a scientist?? He is a lefty bureaucrat rat who barely understands genetics, only has done some pippetry when he was a junior ar se licking red rat, and only knows about propaganda. He most certainly never was a scientist and certainly isnt one now. Unless Goebbelsian propaganda is n and fixing one checkbox balloting is now a science??
M Courtney, it is embarrassing that Nurse is British! The consolation, is that no one can accuse me of being a swivel eyed loon, based on his nationality or skin colour.
People from the Indian sub continent have expressed some rather unpleasant views about a chap called Pachauri, which I would not repeat.
Equality, is in the eye of the accuser.
ps, thanks for staying here! GC
This is just PR, the high level group of scientists have already been selected by Greenpeas and wwoof.
Lack of transparency is the big danger here, as we see in the comedy IPCC version of climate science.
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@M Courtney
...And it is, in principle good that we have influence on the European scale....
Er... no, we don't. Neither, indeed, do most of the other country's citizens.
The only people allowed to join the European Undertaking are those whose views are fully in accord with it - that is written into the job descriptions, and enforced with penalties if required. You may have a Brit, an Italian and a German working on a European committee - they will all be strong supporters of the European Ideal, and quite prepared to subordinate national interest to it.
Under these circumstances it makes no sense to say that British, Italians or German interests are properly represented on that committee. The only interests represented are those of the European Commission.,..
"...are filled with the doomsters and millenarians whose company Sir Paul seems to find so congenial...."
No prizes for selecting this option, I suppose, Bish?
"Doomsters and millennarians "?
Given David Archibald's view that we are about to be swept away by 'climate jihadis' , and the rapturous reception afforded Outstanding Evangeligcal Climate Scientst award winner Dr. Roy Spencer by Dominionist and End Time television stations in America, that would seem a dangerously broad category .
Perhaps the GWPF should consider adding Sir Paul to their RS lineup.
vvussell, global warmists have already swept most science, maths and history aside, I am sure Sir Paul Nurse would find a lot of science history and maths to brush under the carpet at GWPF, just as he did at the Royal Society. Best bit of messed up contract cleaning since the Watergate break-in
Well the cynic in me says he was told he would get this sinecure if he toed the catastrophe line at the Royal Society.
Sickening..
leo smith, the cynic in me says you are absolutely right.
I expect his air miles and salary will go up with this unwarranted recognition for services to nonexistent global warming.
Alan
>the last thing the EU ever wants is "independent" advice!
If you don't already, check the regular 'EU-phemisms' cartoon in Private Eye.
Could Sir Paul be a secret UKIP plant who is going to help to discredit the EU?
Roger Pielke Jr seems to find Sir Paul's new job "problematic" too.
http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.se/2015/05/thoughts-on-new-science-advisory.html
Nature reports:
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The panel members will be selected by a small search committee of three or four individuals, said Moedas. He compared the selection process to that involved in choosing the board members of the European Research Council, which funds basic research: “The only criterion will be research excellence,” he said. Up to €6 million would be available to national academies to support collaborations with the commission, he added.
http://www.nature.com/news/european-commission-unveils-long-awaited-science-advice-plans-1.17557
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One disbursement replaced by a dozen.
"Scientific advice must be central to EU policy making, otherwise you run the risk of having important decisions being unduly influenced by those with mixed motives," said Prof Sir Paul Nurse, from the Royal Society. WITH A STRAIGHT FACE.