Four Plugs and a Funeral

I note that dozens of people continue to come here, although there’s nothing new to see. Apologies. There are several reasons for this.
One: I’ve been busy.
Two: I’m waiting for the result of my representation to the Press Complaints Commission about Nuccitelli’s two articles at Guardian Environment defending Lewandowsky and Cook against us “bullies”. It’s a minor skirmish in the climate wars, but one which concerns me directly. My correspondence with the PCC has been amicable and constructive, and I’m hoping to be able to provide a full report here later this month.
Three: I’m experiencing a certain lassitude, and I note that I’m not the only one. Getting Lewandowsky and Cook’s paper “Recursive Fury” retracted counts as a significant victory in this tiny corner of the climate sceptic internet. I can claim some of the glory for getting the paper retracted with the other – far more important – bloggers who were named in the paper – Steve McIntyre, Anthony Watts, and Joanne Nova. We all complained (and so did others, and if they want to out themselves here, please feel free). Our complaints were heard by the publishers, and Lewandowsky has retired, licking his wounds. (And I, a socialist defender of state institutions like the BBC, am forced to reflect on the relative efficacity of pressure on state and private institutions – but that’s a discussion for another time.)
After a certain modest success, I feel like giving up. I note that something similar happened at
http://ccgi.newbery1.plus.com/~newbery1/blog/
after Tony Newbery’s success in publicising the scandal of the BBC’s climate seminar involving 28 “scientific experts” who turned out to be 28 mates of the organiser of the seminar, none of them active scientific experts, as was revealed by Maurizio Morabito at his blog,
http://omnologos.com/read-this-about-twentyeightgate-28gate/
Both Tony and Maurizio seemed to lose interest in the subject soon after their successful revelations of the BBC’s lies. OK, the revelation that the BBC was ready to employ a posse of barristers to defend their lies would discourage the most fervent activist.
There’s a psychological effect at work here I think which would explain the failure of many revolutionary movements. It’s expressed well by Gertrude Stein, who was a revolutionary in her own way, in her writings and in her support for her artistic colleagues, when she said: “When you you get there, there’s no there there.”
That’s not an observation likely to encourage activism.
Until I start to blog again, I’d like to mention a couple of colleagues who haven’t been discouraged.
Alex Cull continues to publish transcripts of media material on climate subjects at
https://sites.google.com/site/mytranscriptbox/home
I’ve given him a few helping hands, and until recently I’d been disappointed that others haven’t done the same. Recently Fay Kelly Tuncay and tlitb1 (aka The Leopard in the Basement) have provided transcripts, indicating the beginning of a co-operative movement.
Alex also blogs at http://alexjc38.wordpress.com
on “more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” Go there.
A more recent blog is Paul Matthew’s at
http://ipccreport.wordpress.com/
aimed at countering the Ministry of Truth which has become the IPCC. The most recent article

Robin Guenier responds to Jonathan Rowson

recounts Robin Guenier’s reply to a paper by the RSA. OK, you know nothing about Robin Guenier or the RSA. Prepare to be surprised.
At HarmlessSky I learnt of the death of one of that blog’s most faithful commenters. Farewell Max, and thanks for many a perceptive comment. This is the nature of internet interactions. No doubt we’ll one day create an adequate response. In the meantime, those who have not known Max can get to know him via
http://ccgi.newbery1.plus.com/blog/?p=723