Professor Ian Plimer ~ what a skeptic looks like

Professor Ian Plimer wrote "Heaven and Earth" debunking current climatologist's "consensus."

He’s a professor, we can trust him.
But what kind of professor writes books about climatology? A heavily invested Mining Geologist? Hmmm ... of course, so why shouldn’t he write about climatology portraying himself as an impartial expert? Not just any impartial expert, but the impartial expert poised to expose the seamy underbelly of the global climatology community. No matter, if his book reports science honestly it belongs. But, we the people, do have a right to expect him to portray that science accurately!

Geology Professor Plimer’s book “Heaven and Earth” promises the people the real low down on climate science. As it turns out his book has been seriously critiqued and turns out to have a great many flaws and gross errors. Trouble is Plimer has craftily massaged his book into a political battle cry, appealing to his audience of scared and angry faithful, resentful of science and all too ready to embrace Plimer’s reassuring balm. It is so well written for these folks that anyone daring to question it can immediately be dismissed - no controversy. Just willfully ignoring the evidence.

Guess it has been quite a circus in Australia, even your holiness Cardinal George Pell jumped onto the bandwagon decrying global warming as a lie. Going so far as to try to influence the legislature. This in turn seemed to engage the Director of Meteorology of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Dr. Greg Ayers (a real climatologist), to demand to be heard before the Australian Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, and have his testimony entered into the record.
{for the story click here}
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I submit that Professor Plimer is an excellent example of the AGW “skeptical” scientist, with passionate ideological beliefs and deep monetary interests. More interested in presenting smooth polemics than in seeking to understand and learn from the full body of evidence available.
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Bio:
Professor Plimer has long-standing roles as a non-executive director with Australia-based mining companies Ivanhoe Australia and CBH Resources, which mainly dig up silver, gold, lead, copper, zinc and other minerals. Professor Plimer is shown in company reports to have earned about $270,000 from Ivanhoe in the last two years. He earned more than $300,000 from CBH Resources over the same period. He is also a director of UK-listed Kefi Minerals, where he recently disposed of 2,400,000 shares worth about $350,000. He has recently taken on the role as chairman of an unlisted tin mining company, called TNT Limited.
Professor Plimer is also a director of Ormil Energy, which is currently engaged in a $3.2 million commitment to investigate coal seam gas and coal mine gas in the Sydney basin, pending government approvals.”

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Graham Readfearn ~ 24 February 2011
See Heavenly Belief in Science Fiction
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How does Ian Plimer’s “Heaven and Earth” look under close examination?
Well, as a work of political craftsmanship, it is a pretty nice example.
Unfortunately, as a source for accurate climatology information it falls on its face.
Here is a detailed critique, page numbers and all:
The science is missing from Ian Plimer's "Heaven and Earth"
April 23, 2009 ~ Tim Lambert
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also,
Still moving Heaven and Earth to get answers from Plimer

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also,
Plimer questions Monbiot

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also,
Plimer’s homework assignment

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Thank you Scott Mandia for getting the word out.
Global Warming: Man or Myth?

Ayers vs. Errors: Defending Climate Science