Jennifer Marohasy

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Another One Bites The Dust

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VA State Climatologist skeptical of global warming loses job after clash with Governor: ‘I was told that I could not speak in public’

Excerpt: Gov. Kaine had warned Michaels not to use his official title in discussing his views.

“I resigned as Virginia state climatologist because I was told that I could not speak in public on my area of expertise, global warming, as state climatologist,” Michaels said in a statement this week provided by the libertarian Cato Institute, where he has been a fellow since 1992. “It was impossible to maintain academic freedom with this speech restriction.”

Less Visibility in Store After Boss’s Departure

Global Warming Views Drew Criticism

By Jackie Spinner Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 29, 2007; Page B03

Maybe Patrick Michaels should apply to Soros for funding to protect free speech!?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. SJT says

    The “State Climatologist” scam was good while it lasted. Find an abandoned, withered institution with a good sounding name, take it over with your denialist mates, and instant credibility. That’s all it was ever about.

  2. rog says

    The office of state climatologist was run by the university climatology dept and is not a govt appointment.

  4. Woody says

    Anything that discredits silencing tactics of global warming alarmists is only boring to the alarmists. Independent thinkers like to receive information such as this, and the alarmists would howl if the situation were reversed.

  6. SJT says

    Which university runs it? Each state has several universities, so which one gets to pick it? The one that puts it’s hand up and says ‘me’. It’s a role and a title that sounds impressive but means absolutely nothing. A bunch of deniers saw their chance, and went for it.

  8. SJT says

    If you speak for NASA, it’s because you have gone through a rigourous interview process and/or worked your way up to the job. You have published peer reviewed science, etc.

    When you speak as State Climatologist, it sounds to the public that there’s a similar deal, but in actual fact it doesn’t mean squat. The denier state climatologists are a fraud from the start, because they set out to deceive people with the authority with which they are speaking. He can say what ever he wants to the public, but let him be honest about just what authority he is speaking with.

  10. rog says

    According to the blurb the NCDC supports a three tiered program; national, regional and state (ie State Climatologist)

    There are 6 regional climate centres and the south east (SERCC) is located within the Dept of Geography at the University of North Carolina. The Virginia State Climatology Office was part of the SERCC as is Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands

    And according to NOAA the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office is located at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).

    Sounds like an academic bunfight.

  11. Woody says

    I’ve seen left-wing alarmists give accolades to editorial cartoon writers for their brilliant insights into global warming. I suspect that a State Climatologist has to have a little more training on climate issues than someone who can draw cute cartoons, yet the left seems to claim otherwise.

  12. SJT says

    Woody

    he is a liar. I wondered who was behind that claim in “State of Fear”. Now I know, Michaels. Read Luke’s links.

  13. mccall says

    Mr Rabett — Josh Halpern the chemist, turned laughable thermodynamics/climate pretender is your prosecutor? You obviously don’t know much about the subject if this source is a reference for you.

    Think for yourselves little ones — quoting this mistake prone hack without thinking just strains your nose as the ring in it gets yanked.

  15. Eli Rabett says

    Just to be clear here, I have always been in favor of the State Climatologist Program, and have always said that it should be a fully funded program run by NOAA. What we got now is a bunch of folk jackassing a program by scratching up support when and where they could find it. In this case, as could easily have been predicted, when UVa was forced to pony up the funding, they said no thanks, see you later. This has a lot more to do with the sorry state of base science funding in the US than with Pat Michaels.

    If you want to see my views on this you can in comments 14, 24, 29, 34, 47, 52, 60 and 64 on RP Sr.’s blog (now just an archive)
    climatesci.colorado.edu/2007/06/23/more-on-the-suppresion-of-climate-change-views/

    Quote: However, there are many places where the State Climatologist was simply appointed by a university Department Chair, often someone who managed to scare up the funding. Very often there are ad hoc arrangements. To the extent that State Climatologists represent themselves as speaking for an agency of the state on a policy matter they are bound by the policy of the state.

    Another Quote: As for the State Climatology program IEHO it was a bad mistake for NOAA to have defunded it in the seventies. AASC would be a very good thing if, together with NOAA, it results in a unified data reporting system leaving enough room for special state interests.

    You know, practically no one there, including RPSr. was at all interested in fully funding the State Climatology offices except yours truly.

    As a side comment, some formatting would be useful here