The Administration of Climate Denial

Ever noticed how much of climate denial is just cross-posed talking points? For example take this article, 'The Great Barrier Reef and the prophets of doom' posted to Bristol Indymedia on the 7th January, which is just a re-post of an article posted at On Line Opinion on the 8th May 2007. You see it a lot - big reposed articles, repeating the same gumff over and over. What is interesting is that an entire ecosystem of denial is coming to light - a concentrated process of administration to push denialist talking points onto the world. It is these points and names you see recycled time and time again for all the myths of denialism.

At the top of the food-chain is Senator Inhofe. An oil industry funded Republican congressman, who oddly is a Young Earth Creationist, who argues that evolution is a lie and the world was created about 6000 years ago as the Bible says. This is the man denialists trust to champion 'science'.

Now Inhofe employs Marc Morano to 'full time' to deny global warming. Morano is a right-wing attack man. Notable campaigns include the 'Swift Boats' attack on 2004 Democratic hopeful John Kerry. Now Inhofe employs Morano on his pet project, the 'U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works'. This is just a thinly veiled attack tool that aggregates any old shit that can possibly be seen as attacking the consensuses of global warming. You can see it in action here as a denialist uses it as a source to falsely claim that James Hansen, a NASA scientist is under attack.

Other things Morano maintains is the laughable fake list of 650 scientists who deny global warming. Notable because there is not anywhere near 650 scientists on the list, and only a tiny handful who are in a climate related discipline. It also includes people who have asked to be removed and Inhofe's people have refused. In short, its not a credible list but a propaganda tool for denialists.

Now an email list has been obtained that shows how Morano's web interlinks with the mainstay of denailism to create an echo chamber that consistently provides denialists with fake ammo for attack. What is very interesting is that the list of 'scientists' on Morano's email list consists of 19 people (not 650 at all!). Of the 19, 5 are retired - only 14 are still practicing scientists. Of the 19 almost all are linked to right-wing ideological think-tanks that are/have been funded by the oil companies and have a hatred of any form of regulation, especially around pollution.

The denialists claim there is a conspiracy - without ever really explaining how it might work. They are right (sort of) - there is a conspiracy; it's it runs the other way - it is organized by the right and some very powerful vested interests to muddy the waters over global warming to keep profit flowing.