Courtney, Richard S
reverend?<div>a fake hack?
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</div><div>http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney</div><div>
</div><div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, 'Helvetica Neue', helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.38999998569488525px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="field-items" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 1.8em; font-weight: 300;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img alt="richard-courtney" border="0" height="110" src="http://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/richard-courtney.jpg" width="114" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;" /></strong></h2><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.5em; line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 2.2em; font-weight: 300;">Richard S. Courtney</h1><h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 1.8em; font-weight: 300;"> Credentials</h2><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">BA</span>, Open.</li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">DipPhil, Cambridge.</li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Diploma (Bath).</li></ul><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[1]</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Richard_S.Courtney" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">According to SourceWatch</a> there has been some confusion as to whether Richard S. Courtney holds an academic degree. In some cases he is referred to without any academic degree <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s2" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[2]</a>, <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[3]</a>. In other cases he has been described as “Dr. Richard S. Courtney,” <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[4]</a>, <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s5" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[5]</a> or “Richard S. Courtney, Ph.D.” <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s6" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[6]</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">A DipPhil is a diploma in philosophy, and <a href="http://rabett.blogspot.com/2008/02/on-astounding-diplphil-courtney.html" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">should not be confused with a Doctorate</a>. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s7" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[7]</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">Interestingly, Courtney's profile states that “Richard avoids confusion about him in his scientific and religious activities by rarely citing his academic achievements.”</p><h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 1.8em; font-weight: 300;"> Background</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">Richard S. Courtney is the Technical Editor for <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">CoalTrans International</em>, a journal of the international coal trading industry.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">In the early 1990s Courtney was a Senior Material Scientist of the National Coal Board (also known as British Coal) and a Science and Technology spokesman of the British Association of Colliery Management.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/heartland-institute" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">The Heartland Institute</a> describes Courtney as “an independent consultant on matters concerning energy and the environment,” and a “technical advisor” to several <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">UK</span><span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">MP</span>s.<a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s8" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"> [8]</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">Courtney is a <a href="http://www.multi-science.co.uk/ee.htm" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">member</a> of the the editorial board of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Energy_and_Environment" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Energy <span class="amp" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">&</span> Environment</em></a>, a journal known for publishing the papers of climate change skeptics. He was also a founding member of the now-defunct <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=European_Science_and_Environment_Forum" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">European Science and Environment Forum (<span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">ESEF</span>)</a>. <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">ESEF</span> was part of the “sound science” movement and had connections to the tobacco industry.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">According to one profile: “Richard is a respected authority on energy issues, especially clean coal technology. He has been the Senior Materials Scientist of the <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">UK</span>’s Coal Research Establishment, has served as a Technical Advisor to the European Coal and Steel Community (<span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">ECSC</span>), possesses several patents, and has published papers in many journals including Nature, Microscopy and Filtration. He is the author of the chapter on coal in Kempes Engineers Yearbook.”</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">He is also “an Accredited Methodist Preacher,” and a founding Member of the Christ and the Cosmos Initiative “that explores the interactions of religious and scientific ideas.”<a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[1]</a></p><h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 1.8em; font-weight: 300;">Stance on Climate Change</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">Courtney is a signatory to the Manhattan Declaration on Climate Change which <a href="http://www.climatescienceinternational.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=54" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">asserts</a>that “human-caused climate change is not a global crisis,” that “(<span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">CO</span>2) is not a pollutant but rather a necessity for all life,” that industrial carbon dioxide emissions do not affect climate change, and that “warmer weather is generally less harmful to life on Earth than colder.”</p><h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 1.8em; font-weight: 300;">Key Quotes</h2><blockquote style="margin: 15px 30px; padding: 15px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 153, 153); background: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">“The warming period from ~1970 to ~2000 was sandwiched between the cooling periods of ~1940 to ~1970 and ~2000 to the present. The changes between these warming and cooling periods coincide with phase reversals of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (<span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">AMO</span>) and, therefore, it seems that the present lack of warming is likely to continue for the next two decades.”<a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s9" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[9]</a></p></blockquote><h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 1.8em; font-weight: 300;">Key Deeds</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">June 15, 2010</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Courtney's name <a href="http://www.climatescienceinternational.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=289" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">appears</a> on the International Climate Science Coalitions's “<a href="http://www.climatescienceinternational.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=287" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Climate Scientists' Register</a>.”<a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s10" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"> [10]</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">March 30, 2009</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">Courtney's signature is <a href="http://www.cato.org/special/climatechange/alternate_version.html" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">displayed</a> alongside a full-page ad funded by the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Cato_Institute" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">CATO</span> institute</a>that <a href="http://planetsave.com/2009/04/06/cato-institute-ad-calls-climate-change-grossly-overstated/" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">appeared</a> in numerous newspapers including the <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Washington Post</em>, the <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">New York Times</em> and the <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Chicago Tribune</em> in 2009.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">The advertisement criticizes President Obama's declaration that “few challenges facing America and the world are more urgent than combating climate change,” stating that “with all due respect Mr. President, that is not true.” It goes on to describe how “there has been no net global warming for over a decade,” and that the dangers related to global warming are “grossly overstated.” <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s11" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[11]</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">March, 2009</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Courtney was a speaker at the 2009 International Conference on climate Change where he <a href="http://www.viddler.com/explore/heartland/videos/74/" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">presented </a>the research findings of fellow climate change skeptic <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/zbigniew-jaworowski" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Zbigniew Jaworowski</a>. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s12" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[12]</a><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />The conference is hosted by the industry-funded <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/heartland-institute" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Heartland Institute</a> and focuses on “research that contradicts claims that Earth’s moderate warming during the twentieth century primarily was man-made and has reached crisis proportions.”<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">March 2 - 4, 2008.</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Courtney was a signatory of the <a href="http://www.climatescienceinternational.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=48&Itemid=1" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Manhattan Declaration on Climate Change</a> which was presented to all attendees of Heartland Institute's <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2008-international-conference-on-climate-change" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">2008 International Conference on Climate Change</a>. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s13" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[13]</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">The declaration recommends “that world leaders reject the views expressed by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.”</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">June, 2003</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">Courtney was a signatory to an <a href="http://www.john-daly.com/guests/openletter.htm" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">open letter to Paul Martin</a> opposing the Kyoto Protocol.<a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[4]</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">June, 2000</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">Courtney represented <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">ESEF</span> in a <a href="http://www.sepp.org/Archive/NewSEPP/COP6.htm" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">briefing</a> co-sponsored by the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Cooler_Heads_Coalition" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Cooler Heads Coalition</a> in 2000 called “Climate Is not Warming - Has not Warmed in 60 Years” where he <a href="http://www.grida.no/publications/other/ipcc_tar/?src=/climate/ipcc_tar/wg1/559.htm" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">claimed</a> to be an <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">IPCC</span> “expert reviewer” and stated a lack of measured global warming. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s14" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[14]</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">The four-member panel at the briefing consisted of Richard Courtney, <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/harry-n-a-priem" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Harry <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">N.A.</span> Priem</a>(Netherlands), <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/s-fred-singer" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">S. Fred Singer</a> (<span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">USA</span>), and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Gerd-Rainer_Weber" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Gerd-Rainer Weber</a> (Germany).</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">November, 1995</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">Courtney was one of the first people to sign the 1995 “<a href="http://www.sovereignty.net/p/clim/leipzig97.htm" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Leipzig Declaration</a>,” a project of<a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/no-apology-is-owed-dr-s-fred-singer-and-none-will-be-forthcoming" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Fred Singer's</a> Science and Environmental Policy Project and a group called the European Academy of Environmental Affairs. The declaration stated that “there does not exist today a general scientific consensus about the importance of greenhouse warming from rising levels of carbon dioxide.” <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s15" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[15]</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Leipzig_Declaration" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">According to Sourcewatch</a>, when a Danish journalist attempted to contact the 33 European scientists listed on the petition, 12 denied signing the petition and some had not even heard of the Leipzig Declaration. Of those that did admit to signing the letter, one was a doctor and another was an expert on flying insects. The declaration was then revised and Richard Courtney's name, among others, was removed. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s16" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[16]</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">It is interesting to note that a similar tactic was used in the <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/1067" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Oregon Institute's petition</a>that DeSmog reported on earlier in our research of the letter of 60 scientists to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Fred Singer and his organization and the George C. Marshall Institute were also deeply involved in the Oregon Petition.</p><h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 1.8em; font-weight: 300;"> Affiliations</h2><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.coaltransinternational.com/" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">CoalTrans International</strong></a> — Past <a href="http://pandora.nla.gov.au/parchive/2001/S2001-Mar-8/www.newaus.com.au/news134court.html" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">technical editor</a>. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s17" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[17]</a></li></ul><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://bacmteam.org.uk/public/history.php" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">British Association of Colliery Management</a></strong> — Past <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14419485.400-coal-is-cool.html" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">spokesperson</a>. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s18" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[18]</a></li></ul><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=European_Science_and_Environment_Forum" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The European Science and Environment Forum</strong> <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(<span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">ESEF</span>)</strong></a> — <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20090326070214/http://www.sepp.org/Archive/NewSEPP/LttrtoPaulMartin.html" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Founding Member.</a> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">ESEF</span>is now defunct. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s19" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[19]</a></li></ul><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Committee_for_a_Constructive_Tomorrow" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (<span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">CFACT</span>)</a> </strong>—<a href="http://www.cfact.org/about/1551/CFACT-Board-of-Advisors" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"> Advisory Board Member</a>. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[20]</a></li></ul><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Energy_and_Environment" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Energy and Environment</strong></em><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </strong></a>— Member, Editorial Board. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s8" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[8]</a></li></ul><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Heartland_Institute" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Heartland Institute </strong></a>— “<a href="http://heartland.org/mr-richard-courtney" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Expert</a>.” <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney#s21" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">[21]</a></li></ul><h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 1.8em; font-weight: 300;"> Publications</h2><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">According to a search of 22,000 publications, Courtney has not published any research in the area of climate change.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">He has written <a href="http://www.iln.labournet.org.uk/leaflets/brassed_off/coals_future_in_europe.html" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">opinion papers</a> expressing his concern over the loss of jobs in the coal industry as a result of the <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">UK</span>'s movement towards renewable energy. He has published one article in the journal <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Energy_and_Environment" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Energy and Environment</em></a>, which has previously been criticized for its peer review process.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sample Publications:</strong></p><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“<a href="http://multi-science.metapress.com/content/x441kn134161w224/" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">CRYSTAL</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">BALLS</span>, <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">VIRTUAL</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">REALITIES</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">AND</span> '<span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">STORYLINES</span>'</a>,” <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Energy <span class="amp" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">&</span> Environment</em>, Vol 12, Number 4 (July 2001).</li></ul><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“Wind Farms Provide Negligible Useful Electricity” (<a href="http://danhalt.homestead.com/files/Wind_farms_provide_negligible_useful_electricity.pdf" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">PDF</span></a>), Center for Science and Public Policy, March, 2006.</li></ul><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“Biofuels: a solution worse than the problem they try to address?” (<a href="http://ruby.fgcu.edu/courses/twimberley/EnviroPol/EnviroPhilo/biofuel_issues.pdf" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">PDF</span></a>), The Science and Public Policy Institute, March 12, 2008.</li></ul><h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-size: 1.8em; font-weight: 300;"> Resources</h2><ol style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em;"><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s1" id="s1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Richard S. Courtney. “Wind Farms Provide Negligible Useful Electricity” (</a><a href="http://www.ff.org/centers/csspp/pdf/20060331_wind.pdf" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">PDF</span></a>), Center for Science and Public Policy, March 2006. Republished by Frontiers of Freedom.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s2" id="s2" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“Facts versus Factions: the use and abuse of subjectivity in scientific research” (</a><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20051104003016/http://www.scienceforum.net/pdfs/Matthews.pdf" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">PDF</span></a>), <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">ESEF</span> Working Paper, February 1998.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s3" id="s3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20040925101826/http://www.eco.freedom.org/el/20040802/courtney.shtml" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">The threat of climate change</a>,” <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">eco-logic Powerhouse</em>, August 2004. Archived September 25, 2004.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s4" id="s4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://www.john-daly.com/guests/openletter.htm" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Protocol lacks 'credible science'</a>,”<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> Financial Post</em>, Wednesday, June 4, 2003. Republished by John-Daly.com.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s5" id="s5" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/3925725296/302-5009062-2066402" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Treibhaus-Kontroverse und Ozon-Problem: Symposium der Europäischen Akademie für Umweltfragen Leipzig 9.-10</a>.” November 1995,” Amazon.de.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s6" id="s6" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20060520221556/http://www.scientific-alliance.com/news_archives/climate/scepticalclimatescience.htm" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Sceptical climate science discussion group celebrates 1st year:<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Sceptical Climate Science Discussion Group</a>,” The Scientific Alliance, November 22, 2002. Archived May 20, 2006.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s7" id="s7" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://rabett.blogspot.com/2008/02/on-astounding-diplphil-courtney.html" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">On the astounding DipPhil Courtney</a>,” <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Rabett Run</em>, February 3, 2008.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s8" id="s8" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://climateconference.heartland.org/richard-s-courtney/" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Richard S. Courtney</a>,” climateconference.heartland.org (Website of the Heartland Institute's 6th International Conference on Climate Change). Accessed December 3, 2011.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s9" id="s9" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://http//thinkprogress.org/romm/2009/04/15/203948/ipcc-2014-fifth-assessment-irrelevant/#comment-39812" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Has the <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">IPCC</span> rendered itself irrelevant?</a>”, <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Climate Progress</em>, April 15, 2009. See comment #41 by “Richard S Courtney.”</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s10" id="s10" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://www.climatescienceinternational.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=289" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">The Climate Scientists' Register Endorsers</a>,” International Climate Science Coalition. Accessed December 3, 2011.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s11" id="s11" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://www.cato.org/special/climatechange/" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Climate Change Reality</a>,” The Cato Institute.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s12" id="s12" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://www.viddler.com/explore/heartland/videos/74/" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Richard S. Courtney, DipPhil</a>,” viddler.com video (uploaded by the Heartland Institute), accessed December 4, 2011.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s13" id="s13" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://www.climatescienceinternational.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=48&Itemid=1" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">ENDORSERS</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">OF</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">THE</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">DECLARATION</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">PRESENT</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">AT</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">THE</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">CONFERENCE</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">IN</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">NEW</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">YORK</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">CITY</span></a>,” International Climate Science Coalition.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s14" id="s14" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20070215190304/http://www.sepp.org/Archive/NewSEPP/COP6.htm" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">CLIMATE</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">IS</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">NOT</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">WARMING</span> - <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">HAS</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">NOT</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">WARMED</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">IN</span> 60 <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">YEARS</span>: A Briefing by the Science <span class="amp" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">&</span> Environmental Policy Project at <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">COP</span>-6</a>,” The Science and Environmental Policy Project, Nov 21, 2000. Archived February 15, 2007.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s15" id="s15" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://www.sovereignty.net/p/clim/leipzig97.htm" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">The Leipzig Declaration</a>,” (Original version), <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sovereignty.net</em>. Accessed December 3, 2011.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s16" id="s16" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Richard_S.Courtney" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Richard S. Courtney</a>,” SourceWatch.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s17" id="s17" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Richard S. Courtney. “</a><a href="http://pandora.nla.gov.au/parchive/2001/S2001-Mar-8/www.newaus.com.au/news134court.html" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">'Renewable' energy technologies can't hack it in the market place,</a>” <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The New Australian</em>, No. 134 (September 20-26, 1999).</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s18" id="s18" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14419485.400-coal-is-cool.html" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Coal is cool</a>,” <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">New Scientist</em> (Opinion Section), October 22, 1994. <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20070510113342/http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14419485.400-coal-is-cool.html" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Archived May 10, 2007</a>.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20090326070214/http://www.sepp.org/Archive/NewSEPP/LttrtoPaulMartin.html" name="s19" id="s19" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Open letter to Paul Martin</a>. <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Financial Post</em>, June 4, 2003. Republished by the Science and Environmental Policy Project. Archived March 26, 2009.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s20" id="s20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://www.cfact.org/about/1551/CFACT-Board-of-Advisors" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">CFACT</span> Board of Advisors</a>,” Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow. Accessed March 2, 2012.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"><a name="s21" id="s21" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">“</a><a href="http://heartland.org/mr-richard-courtney" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Heartland Experts: Mr. Richard Courtney</a>,” The Heartland Institute. Accessed March 2, 2012.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">“<a href="http://watchingthedeniers.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/the-continuing-misadventures-of-richard-s-courtney-non-scientist/" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">The continuing misadventures of Richard S. Courtney: (non) scientist</a>,” <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Watching the Deniers</em>, November 3, 2010.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">“<a href="http://omniclimate.wordpress.com/2009/06/15/richard-s-courtney-temperatures-climate-models-and-the-human-brain/" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Richard S Courtney: Temperatures, Climate Models…And The Human Brain</a>,” <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Unbearable Nackedness of <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">CLIMATE</span> <span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">CHANGE</span></em>, June 15, 2009.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">“<a href="http://rabett.blogspot.com/2008/02/richard-courtney-neither-lives-in-nor.html" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Richard Courtney neither lives in, nor visits, nor passes through, nor flies over a small village a block or two from Epsom</a>,”<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> Rabett Run</em>, February 13, 2008.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">“<a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmsctech/memo/climatedata/uc0102.htm" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Memorandum submitted by richard S. Courtney (<span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">CRU</span> 01)</a>,” <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">www.parliament.uk</a>, January, 2010.</p></li><li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;">“Limits to existing quantitative understanding of past, present and future changes to atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration” (<a href="http://tech-know.eu/uploads/Courtney_NY2008.pdf" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;"><span class="caps" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 0.9em;">PDF</span></a>), Presentation by Richard S Courtney to the Climate Conference held In New York, on 2 to 4 March 2008.</p></li></ol></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-13 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, 'Helvetica Neue', helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.38999998569488525px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="field-label" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: bold;">Organizations: </div><div class="field-items" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/taxonomy/term/1628" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Exxonmobil</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/taxonomy/term/1660" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">George C Marshall Institute</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-14 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, 'Helvetica Neue', helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.38999998569488525px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="field-label" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: bold;">Tags: </div><div class="field-items" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/tags/george-c-marshall-institute" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">george c marshall institute</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/tags/exxon-mobil" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Exxon Mobil</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/661" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">richard s courtney</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/662" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">coal</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/663" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">TASSC</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/913" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">global warming</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/939" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">climate change</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/2540" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">desmogblog</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/2560" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">global warming blog</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/2654" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">denial industry</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/3068" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">climate change denier</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/4046" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">global warming research</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/4047" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">climate misinformation</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5721" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">smogger</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/6886" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">climate change skeptic</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/7705" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">climate denialism</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/7706" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">denial database</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-5 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, 'Helvetica Neue', helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0.38999998569488525px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="field-label" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: bold;">People: </div><div class="field-items" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="field-item even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/people/fred-singer" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(51, 153, 204); text-decoration: none;">Fred Singer</a></div></div></div></div><div></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">This blog is about exposing the tactics of the denial movement: how they mislead the public and inject claims into the debate intended to confuse. Perhaps the worst thing they do is abuse the trust of their own “foot soldiers”, the ordinary individuals attempting to understand the science. </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">As I’ve noted before, in the battle of the experts – between “pro-warming” and “no-warming” the denial movement frequently inflates the “expertise” of it experts. </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">Which brings me to the fascinating case of Richard S. Courtney, the noted climate sceptic, British coal PR spokesperson and non-scientist. </font></p><h3 style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">My encounters with Courtney: the denialist white knight?</font></h3><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">While conducting my little foray into the discussion Jo Nova’s blog Mr. Courtney made a quick and sudden appearance into the debate following my posting of actual peer reviewed research. Courtney swoops in at post 35: </font></p><blockquote style="border-left-width: 10px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(54, 188, 171); padding: 10px; text-align: justify; line-height: 22.75px; background: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><p><font face="Times New Roman">…As you have quoted, Kuo et al. determined that atmospheric carbon dioxide and global temperature cohere such that changes to carbon dioxide concentration <strong>follow</strong> changes to global temperature by 5 months. Several subsequent studies have confirmed this finding but have shown that the lag varies from 5 to 8 months depending on latitude. </font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman">You presented this Abstract (without a reference) as evidence that carbon dioxide concentration affects temperature. But <strong>the paper provides evidence of the opposite of what you claim</strong>: it proves that temperature affects carbon dioxide. </font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman">I wonder where you get your information; RealClimate, perhaps? </font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman">Richard </font></p></blockquote><div style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">He makes future posts, and many members are ecstatic feeling Courtney has dealt climate science a devastating blow. </font></div><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">Huzzah! The evil alarmist science is dismissed! Huzzah! </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">Typical of the responses is what I got on my own blog: </font></p><blockquote style="border-left-width: 10px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(54, 188, 171); padding: 10px; text-align: justify; line-height: 22.75px; background: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><p><font face="Times New Roman">Did you not <strong>bother to read Richard S Courtneys</strong> post #75 before you posted your tripe at your blog? <strong>He IS a scientist. He HAS contributed to the</strong> <strong>IPCC</strong>. He IS qualified to comment about climate science and he, along with many others just like him SAY THE SCIENCE IS NOT WELL ESTABLISHED. </font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman">Now, what does Dunning-Kruger have to say about lemmings? </font></p></blockquote><p style="line-height: 22.75px;"><font face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Courtney has a great deal of authority here, and uses it well in his attempts to “quash” real science emerging into the debate. </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">Note the claims: Richard <em>is</em> a scientist, Richard <em>was</em> a IPCC reviewer. Sounds impressive? Trouble is, none of those claims are true. So dear readers, I present to you Mr. Courtney’s actual qualifications as noted not just by “alarmist” blogs but coming from Mr. Courtney himself. </font></p><h3 style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Educational qualifications: there’s no science there</font></h3><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">Courtney’s educational qualifications are not in climate science. Often he is referred to as a “scientist”, or as “Dr. Courtney” and even “Richard S. Courtney PhD”. However, as far as anyone can tell Courtney does not have any scientific qualifications. As <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Richard_S.Courtney" target="blank" sl-processed="1">SourceWatch notes</a>: </font></p><blockquote style="border-left-width: 10px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(54, 188, 171); padding: 10px; text-align: justify; line-height: 22.75px; background: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><p><font face="Times New Roman">Courtney is often referred to without any academic degree, even if others are on the same page, like the ESEF member list of 1998 where he is not listed as ‘Academic Member’ but as ‘Business Member’. Even in a recent publication of Richard Courtney (August 2004) no degree is mentioned. There are however a few exceptions on Internet where he is mentioned as ‘Dr. Richard S. Courtney’ or ‘Richard S. Courtney, Ph.D. </font></p></blockquote><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">The blog Rabett Run however manages to pin down his <a href="http://rabett.blogspot.com/2008/02/on-astounding-diplphil-courtney.html" target="blank" sl-processed="1">actual qualifications as part of a similar exchange</a> I witnessed on the Jo Nova boards: failing to alert readers that he does not hold a doctorate: </font></p><blockquote style="border-left-width: 10px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(54, 188, 171); padding: 10px; text-align: justify; line-height: 22.75px; background: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><p><font face="Times New Roman">…Courtney, who somehow forgets to tell everyone that he does not hold a doctorate… </font></p></blockquote><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">As can be noted by replies to my own blog and the discussion on Jo Nova’s blog, Courtney is often referred to as a scientist. It is very clear he is not. The post has now grown to >130 entries, and Courtney is quite active in the continuing discussion. However, at no point does he say “You know guys, I appreciate your trust in me, but I’m not actually a scientist…” </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">No, he lets those claims be repeated again, and again. Of course there are plenty of other examples on the Internet where Mr. Courtney has been caught out doing the same thing. Indeed, as Rabett Run shows Courtney is happy to allow people think he is qualified in the area. </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">Lucky, Mr. Courtney is able to clarify the situation himself in one of his own publications, <a href="http://watchingthedeniers.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/the-continuing-misadventures-of-richard-s-courtney-non-scientist/Wind%20Farms%20Provide%20Negligible%20Useful%20Electricity" target="blank" sl-processed="1">Wind Farms Provide Negligible Useful Electricity</a> : </font></p><blockquote style="border-left-width: 10px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(54, 188, 171); padding: 10px; text-align: justify; line-height: 22.75px; background: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><p><font face="Times New Roman">Richard avoids confusion about him in his scientific and religious activities by rarely citing his academic achievements, but his material science qualifications include a DipPhil (Cambridge), a BA (Open) and a Diploma (Bath). </font></p></blockquote><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">A DipPhil is a Diploma of Philosophy. As Rabett Run notes: </font></p><blockquote style="border-left-width: 10px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(54, 188, 171); padding: 10px; text-align: justify; line-height: 22.75px; background: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><p><font face="Times New Roman">A DipPhil is not a Doctor of Philosophy, but a <b>Diploma in Philosophy.</b> The University of Cambridge offers one year postgraduate courses leading to Diplomas, but not in Philosophy, at least not now however there are other, less distinguished universities in Cambridge such as Anglia Ruskin.(corrected 2/5, Angelia weeps). It would be nice knowing what field and what University those Diploma’s came from. </font></p></blockquote><h3 style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Links to denialist “think tanks”</font></h3><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">Courtney is a “founding member” of the European Science and Environment Forum (ESEF), a think tank that not has not only published materials on climate denial, but studies attempting to discredit any link between second hand smoke and adverse health effects. </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">It would seem that any science is fair target if it conflicts with the powerful coal and tobacco industries. DeSmogBlog has a <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/richard-s-courtney" target="blank" sl-processed="1">full profile on Courtney: </a> </font></p><blockquote style="border-left-width: 10px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(54, 188, 171); padding: 10px; text-align: justify; line-height: 22.75px; background: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><p><font face="Times New Roman">Courtney was a technical editor for CoalTrans International, which describes itself as the “web’s most comprehensive resource” on the coal industry. He was also a spokesperson for the British Association of Colliery Management, a coal industry union in the United Kingdom, and has written opinion papers expressing his concern over the loss of jobs in the coal industry as a result of the UK’s movement towards renewable energy. </font></p></blockquote><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">As can be noted, Courtney is not a scientist. His professional experience is in the fields of media and public relations. </font></p><h3 style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Expert reviewer for the IPCC? </font></h3><p style="line-height: 22.75px;"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Much as is made of Courtney being and “expert peer reviewer” for the IPCC 1997 report. It’s certainly sounds impressive, until you realise that </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">anyone can be an “expert reviewer”. All you have to do is ask for a copy of the draft report prior to publication, the catch is you can’t comment publicly on the draft</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. As </span><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/whats-an-ipcc-expert-reviewer" target="blank" sl-processed="1" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">DeSmogBlog notes</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">: </span></font></p><blockquote style="border-left-width: 10px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(54, 188, 171); padding: 10px; text-align: justify; line-height: 22.75px; background: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><p><font face="Times New Roman">A lot of climate change deniers like to tout the fact that they were an “Expert Reviewer” for the last Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and a few DeSmog readers have been asking what exactly if takes to become an “Expert Reviewer.” Well, thanks to our friend Tim Lambert at Deltoid Blog it turns out that an “Expert Reviewer” really isn’t as exciting and not nearly as prestigous as it sounds. Tim writes: </font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman">“Expert reviewer for the IPCC” doesn’t mean that they asked him to review material — all it means is that he asked to see the draft report. <b>The only real requirement to be a reviewer is to sign an agreement not to publicly comment on the draft.” </b></font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman">I have confirmed this with one of the authors of the updated IPPC report. </font></p></blockquote><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">Now, both myself and others suspect that many of these denialists who claim to be “expert reviewers” are misleading the public. It sounds impressive, but really all they’ve done is read the draft. </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">In order to facilitate transparency, the IPCC distributes drafts for discussion of it’s reports. The denial movement has exploited this in order to puff up the credentials of their experts (<a href="http://watchingthedeniers.wordpress.com/2010/03/05/denialist-tactics-exposed-inflate-the-credentials-of-your-experts%e2%80%a6and-tell-lies/" target="blank" sl-processed="1">a tactic I’ve already discussed here</a>). </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px;"><font face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">You can consult the <a href="http://www.grida.no/publications/other/ipcc_tar/?src=/climate/ipcc_tar/wg1/559.htm" target="blank" sl-processed="1">list of expert reviewers for that report here</a>, but as the reader will note the list of names and organisations not not only includes a R. Courtney, but Shell Australia, Exxon, 3M and the American Petroleum Institute. </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">Now, if Courtney was involved in drafting the report, or was an editor then I’d be curious to know. If he contributed peer reviewed research, I’d love to know. In fact, <em>many </em>people are curious (pace Rabbett Run on their blog). </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">This is again another common tactic of the denialist movement: inflate the qualifications of it’s “experts” in order to impress the lay audience. </font></p><h3 style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">The denial movement and “truthiness”</font></h3><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">The denial movement has a parasitic relationship with science. It recognises that many people place a great deal of trust in scientists, and that calling oneself a scientists lends a lot of credibility. People place their trust in experts, because they recognise the limitations of their capabilities. As one poster in the forum notes: </font></p><blockquote style="border-left-width: 10px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(54, 188, 171); padding: 10px; text-align: justify; line-height: 22.75px; background: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><p><font face="Times New Roman">I can understand Richard’s reasoning, <strong>but I don’t have the knowledge or means to test it</strong>. <strong>Yet I trust it, (subject to the dictates of true scepticism!) because I can see that it takes the form of falsifiable argument and observed data.</strong> Furthermore, his analyses have been published, and therefore available to falsification, for some time, and I have seen no attempt, successful or otherwise, to do so. </font></p></blockquote><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">This is a perfect example of how the denial movement abuses the trust of it’s own constituents. It allows them to believe their experts <em>are</em> genuine experts, when in reality they hide behind impressive sounding titles and puffed up qualifications. </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">The denial movement produces literature that looks and sounds a lot like science, but is simply<a href="http://www.skepdic.com/pseudosc.html" target="_blank" sl-processed="1">pseudo-scientific</a>. Indeed their tactics mimic those of Intelligent Design, creationism and alternative medicine. </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">Deniers want to tear down the science, but <em>heavens</em> they are desperate to ride on it’s coat tails in order to gain legitimacy. </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">Self proclaimed climate change sceptics claim to be genuine sceptics, and hate the term “denier”. Nova herself felt sufficiently piqued to reply to my post on the Dunning-Kruger effect to say: </font></p><blockquote style="border-left-width: 10px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(54, 188, 171); padding: 10px; text-align: justify; line-height: 22.75px; background: rgb(238, 238, 238);"><p><font face="Times New Roman">Mike’s Dunning-Krugar effect blog was the most entertaining piece of self-satire I’ve read in a while. Thank you Mike. (I mean that genuinely, I really did enjoy it). It’s like we’re a species of beetles that keen junior budding philosopher and sociologist wants to study. I appreciate his politeness and curiosity. I only wish he didn’t keep calling us “denier”-beetles — incorrectly thinking it is a subspecies label when really it’s the wrong species, genera and kingdom. </font></p></blockquote><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">I believe many genuine sceptics, who are passionate advocates of science are being mislead by the peddlers of misinformation and spin. Courtney is no scientist. Courtney is a PR hack. </font></p><h3 style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Message to the “ordinary” climate sceptics</font></h3><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">My belief is that the trust of ordinary people is being abused. As I’ve noted, these people are not stupid. These people are passionately interested in science, and are struggling with mountains of conflicting evidence. Like all of us, they need trusted experts to help guide them through the debate. </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">My advice, be a <em>true sceptic</em>. </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">Question the authority of people like Richard S. Courtney. Ask about his educational qualifications. Demand that he provide a list of his publications and that he explain his links to think tanks and the coal industry. Put your faith to the test: is he, or is he not a scientist? </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">The term denier is not intended to apply to all those questioning climate science, especially the ordinary individuals being mislead. The term denier applies to those individuals such as Courtney who are paid public relations professionals lacking scientific qualifications <em>whose job it is</em> to muddy the debate and mislead. </font></p><p style="line-height: 22.75px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman">The not only deny, but mislead. Perhaps the correct name for them is “The Misleaders”.</font></p></div><div><font face="Times New Roman">===</font></div></div>