Josh Mad Men: The Prequel - Josh 226
Jun 9, 2013 James Hansen Josh
A slightly different cartoon today as it is a parody of a lovely illustration by artist Steve Brodner for an article in This American Life The American Prospect (see update below). The article is wide of the mark and Anthony, who feature's in Steve's image, and I decided to create something that expressed another view point. You can read Anthony's post here and Steve's own blog post about the original article here.
Here is Steve's illustration:
;)
And here is the title panel:
;)
Here is our riposte:
;)
Click any of the images to enlarge.
My huge thanks to Anthony who provided essential feedback and ideas over the weekend to get the cartoon right. Anthony also provided some references, see below. (Update: He also spotted a typo in the panel, that and the URL now fixed)
Lastly, I have already had some interest in producing a poster, so let me know if there are any other takers.
References to names:
Al Carbon Billionaire Gore: Al Gore could become world's first carbon billionaire - UK Telegraph, Nov 3, 2009
Gavin Real Climate Disappoints Schmidt: One could even ask whether the effort that we have put into RealClimate has been in vain. The legend of the Titanic - RealClimate, 3 May 2012
James Death Train Hansen: Coal-fired power stations are death factories. Close them "The trains carrying coal to power plants are death trains." - UK Guardian, 14 February 2009
Mikey One Tree Hockey Stick Mann: Climategate reveals 'the most influential tree in the world' -UK Telegraph, 05 Dec 2009
Stephan It's a conspiracy Lewandowsky: 10 conspiracy theorists makes a moon landing paper for Stephan Lewandowsky JoNova, September 6th, 2012
Peter The Thief Gleick: Breaking, Gleick Confesses, WUWT, Feb 20, 2012
Eric The Red Antarctic Steig: O’Donnell et al 2010 Refutes Steig et al 2009, ClimateAudit, Dec 2, 2010
Scott Super Mandia: Climate Craziness of the Week: Supermandia, WUWT, October 31, 2011
Kevin It's a travesty there's no wamin' Trenberth: The fact is that we can't account for the lack of warming at the moment and it is a travesty that we can't. Climategate Emails, Wed, 14 Oct 2009
Josh
Over on WUWT Ric Werne's comments that Steve Broder's illsutration was not for 'This American Life' (a radio station):
"Brodner’s cartoon was done in hopes of getting it published at THE AMERICAN PROSPECT. The cartoon exists at Brodner’s blog and various skeptical site who are having fun with it, I don’t see it at http://prospect.org/ yet."
Reader Comments (22)
Well done Josh!
"Anything you can do I can do better,
I can do anything better than you..."
Nice riposte Josh. Interesting to see the alarmist original feeds all the conspiracy theorist tropes, distilled in one handy image, a fantasy image of scowling evil men in smoke filled rooms.
Whereas yours just shows what is happening now at the AGU meeting (love the reefer) ;)
Wot no CRU?
Surely Keith "One Tree Yamal" Briffa or Phil "Excel challenged" Jones deserve a mention?
And beypnd the CRU there's William "Stoat the Wikipedia Censor" Connolley and the Grantham Inst's Bob Ward (not sure of a nickname)
The original piece looks awfully close to libel.
The phrase, “… and all are connected to conservative organisations funded by fossil fuel interests like Koch industries and the American petroleum Institute."
The words, “all are" is definitive and is a direct accusation of a fact that can be proved false.
I'm not a believer in litigation, but I think in this case it would really be worth considering. To lose in a US court of law, and permanently have the ‘big-oil funded’ trope nailed as the lie it is would be worth it. Also, millions of dollars of fine would be good for focusing the mind.
Just brilliant! The 'madness' of the alarmist crowd.
"multi-million dollar public-relations campaign replete with 'experts'", eh?
Does he mean the Outside Organisation and UEA, by any chance?
I must say quite obviously sceptics look much better and brighter than alarmists.
@ Stuck-Record 10:33
I did post a comment querying the ethics of the piece but, of course, it's been awaiting moderation for ages and still hasn't appeared. (I was jolly polite too!!)
There is a rival version, the Green men of climate alarmism (from someone called "Go Home" at WUWT). This version does include Phil J.
I'm not sure whether reasoned argument would have the slightest effect but some of you people might like to try.....
http://liberalconspiracy.org/2013/06/10/how-the-debate-on-climate-change-went-wrong-and-how-we-can-turn-it-around/
I have already had some interest in producing a poster, so let me know if there are any other takers.
Yes, indeed. 2 copies please.
I want one.
Absolutely perfect right down to the smoking windmills.
What's that in Gleick's hand? A rolled up faked memo?
Josh! You're a very, very naughty boy!
Paul Matthews: It looks like a joint to me. Does Josh know something we don't?
No, its a roll your own fake media memo.
Very good! Is it too late to add John Cook, with a reference either here http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/10/11/on-skepticalscience-–-rewriting-history/ or here http://www.bishop-hill.net/blog/2011/9/20/cooking-the-books.html ? (or maybe to one of the deconstructions of his recent "97%" paper)
Nice one, Josh - you've come up trumps again, as usual!
Behind the Iron Curtain, in the dark days before 1989, it was humour that kept people's moral up. I believe that in the fight against the AGW cult we have not used humour nowhere near enough to lampoon these pro-AGW men and women who are in receipt of billions of dollars / pounds / euros of grants and subsidies and research funds and yet hypocritically accuse volunteers (who dare point out that the emperor has no clothes) to be in the pay of "big oil" or the Koch brothers.
Well done Josh, keep up the good work.
Looks like Steve Brodner forward-dated his blog url again to avoid people seeing the original at his site via prior postings of his previous url links. His new url says 6/13: http://stevebrodner.com/2013/06/13/the-mad-men-of-climate-denial/
Might be worthy of a John "SkS" Cook cartoon about the perils of rewriting blog history material....
Catching up here ....
Although the Brodner link does not work, as Russell C observes, once you are at the site the 'recent comments' (as of just now) has a link to the page in question.
Having a quick browse around it strikes me that, ignoring his politics and messages, some of the art works well and some just doesn't - at least not for me.
He does come across as keen on having his opinions and some anger. I assume the latter is his motivation.