About
This weblog is a gathering place for people with a common interest in science and the natural environment. We like to take an evidence-based approach to issues, provide a venue where there is freedom to question the experts, and sometimes even break news.
Here is a testimonial of sorts from Wes George:
“Congratulations Jen for creating the best enviro community blog, if not on the planet, then certainly in the Southern Hemisphere. This small free marketplace of ideas that Jen has created is an environment where concepts wrestle fiercely, while silent but curious minds, (surely the vast majority of visitors here) naturally select the fittest for survival. Although, we rhetorical gladiators know not which they choose to amplify or dismiss.
“Jen seems to believe, far more than most of us, that every voice should be heard without censor and in the mayhem that follows insight can naturally, if unpredictably, rise out of the chaos. Interestingly, this is precisely the opposite approach of sites, like www.realclimate.org , where no matter whose computer I use or what alias, my posts are routinely censored as heresy to the orthodoxy they promote. Many others are also excluded from debate on these sites, which are reduced to mere billboards for their masters’ folly. One wonders why their hypotheses need to be protected from open debate. Is a hypothesis protected from free debate science or something less– dogma or just cant?
“Of course, Jen promotes a [particular] worldview, all individuals by definition possess a unique worldview. Yet unlike many, she subjects her views to the acid bath of hearty online dissent. The resulting discourse, while sometimes maddening, is an exemplar of Enlightenment values–rational debate, honest consideration of opposing points of view and the experience of personal growth through the willingness to modifying one’s worldview as new evidence presents itself. I can only hope that her robustly adaptive sanity is contagious.
“Memes are created and destroyed here. Or perhaps more correctly, virtual butterflies flap their wings here, what comes of it lies beyond the reach of any forecast, if not imagination.” [End of quote]
In July 2008 the mainstream Australian media recognised this blog as a haven for climate change skeptics including mention on Australian ABC Television’s Lateline program.
It is even popular with students. Here is a comment from Alex Day in the UK:
“Do you know that your Blog is being used on our GCSE Examination paper! Thanks for making our English lessons so much more interesting!!”
The content of www.jennifermarohasy.com/blog is archived twice a year in the National Library, Canberra, Australia.
Also, with climate change a popular issue some posts on this topic have been picked up by the mainstream media including in the US. For example, after Jennifer Marohasy attended the ‘2008 International Conference on Climate Change’ in New York in March 2008 she was interviewed by Michael Duffy from Australia’s ABC Radio National and discussed the last 10 years of temperature data and also output from NASA Aqua Satellite. This interview was then the focus of an opinion piece by Christopher Pearson in the national newspaper The Australian (Climate facts to warm to, Christopher Pearson, March 22, 2008) which was subsequently picked up by Fox News (Cooling Effect, Brit Hume, March 24, 2008).
Christopher Horner references this blog in his new book ‘Red Hot Lies: How Global Warming Alarmists Use Threats, Fraud, and Deception to Keep You Misinformed’ in particular that www.jennifermarohasy.com/blog broke the story detailing how the BBC changed the title and text of a story following pressure from activist Jo Abbess on April 7, 2008. After the leaked email exchange was posted the story was run by many UK and US bloggers and then various news outlets including CNN’s Glen Beck Show.
You can read more about Jennifer Marohasy and find links to some of the above stories here . Blog rules are here.
Jennifer snorkling at Buyat Bay in Indonesia in April 2007.
If you have a good story and/or breaking news send it to jennifermarohasy [at] jennifermarohasy.com. Jennifer should respond acknowledging receipt within 24 hours, but she may then edit the piece and send it back to you… and the piece may not end up being published for a few days or even a week because Jennifer does other things and usually only posts one piece each day. If you are concerned she has not responded you can always phone her on mobile Australia 041 887 32 22 or international 61 41 887 32 22 .