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« Remember when Nature was a science journal? | Main | Anti-everything Joss the boss »
Wednesday
Oct142015

Top French weatherman suspended for forbidden views

France's top weatherman, Philippe Verdier has been suspended from work for publishing a book about climate change which suggests that the IPCC might be just a tad unreliable and more than a little politicised.

In his book, the author, who rejects the term "climate sceptic", notes "the many happy and positive consequences of global warming." It also highlights scientific uncertainty... [he] speaks of "manipulated science", "blinded media", "mercantile NGOs" and "religions in search of new creeds."

It will be Île du Diable for him then.

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Reader Comments (78)

jolly farmer
Have you tried the Book Depository, they used to do free worldwide delivery, not sure if they still do..

Oct 15, 2015 at 12:34 PM | Unregistered CommenterMessenger

Messenger, they do not have it.

The video is on the publisher's site: www.ring.fr

Here are the sellers:

http://www.interforum.fr/Affiliations/accueil.do?refLivre=9791091447362&refEditeur=41

The FNAC has it second-hand for €45 !

Oct 15, 2015 at 1:03 PM | Unregistered Commenterjolly farmer

COP21 can not possibly come up with a binding agreement on CO2 reductions because of Russia, China and India amongst others. However the real business goes on in the background where AGENDA 21 and AGENDA 2030 were born. They discuss Sustainability targets and Biodiversity targets and Climate Change is now defined as part of Sustainability don't you know? Well no you would not know because they do not mention it and you are not supposed to know ^.^

Oct 15, 2015 at 2:10 PM | Registered CommenterDung

Dung, all of this fuel, food, water, heating, electricity etc etc to talk behind the scenes, about the stuff not on the public agenda, but on the secret agenda, mainly making fuel, food, water, heating, electricity etc, etc, more expensive for those who have it, and less attainable for those that don't.

Conspiracy theorists would never dream of making up something so stupid, when it is all being paid for by taxpayers.

Malthus never forecast that malthusians would be wiped out by an angry mob of taxpayers, fed up with their constant whingeing, as yet another of their predictions of disaster turned out to be another disastrous prediction.

Oct 15, 2015 at 3:47 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

BBC Radio 2 News has just mentioned the sacking of a French weatherman for writing a book mentioning how climate science gets people to live in fear.

Wow!

Oct 15, 2015 at 4:09 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

Well, the Froggies really don't want me to get this one. It's not on Kindle, for starters, and I get this, when I try to order a paper copy via Amazon:

"Désolés, cet article ne peut pas être expédié à l'adresse que vous avez sélectionnée. Plus d'informations. Vous pouvez modifier l'adresse de livraison ou supprimer l'article de votre commande. Vous pouvez également voir si l'article est disponible à l'expédition sur votre adresse auprès d'un autre vendeur."

OK, not every bookshop is geared up to delivering to foreign addresses, although my part of England isn't all that far from France and I've received books from Peru before now. The bookshop does have a display of postal costs, depending upon whether they are destined for France/Monaco, or further afield, so delivery to Britain is clearly not ruled out for every book. Just this one.

Oct 15, 2015 at 5:18 PM | Unregistered CommenterOwen Morgan

Delers has this:
"For good measure, he [Philippe Verdier] has also written an open letter to French president Francois Hollande attacking the forthcoming climate talks in Paris:

“I scarcely hear in your words any sincerity, any intention of acting truly for the environment in a manner measured and constructive…

“In two months, France welcomes the COP21, the conference of nations united for the climate. Your political strategy team has told you that it will all come to nothing, like the 20 before it. Then why continue to pretend to be saving the planet?

You, president of the Republic, you cannot support the ultra-politicized scientists of the GEIC [IPCC], the corporate lobbyists, the NGO environmental groups, nor the self-proclaimed apostles of the new religion of climate.”

http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/10/15/frances-top-tv-weatherman-suspended-expressing-wrong-views-climate-change/

Here is the original report:
http://tvmag.lefigaro.fr/le-scan-tele/polemiques/2015/10/02/28003-20151002ARTFIG00308-philippe-verdier-adresse-une-lettre-ouverte-cinglante-a-francois-hollande.php

Oct 15, 2015 at 5:55 PM | Registered CommenterRobert Christopher

Is he getting any French TV/Radio coverage? Even German? Or US?

What the IPCC really really don't need now is, is for political leaders, especially in Europe and USA, coming in for political ridicule, over their deluded trust in climate science, in the weeks before Paris.

Paris could all go so disastrously wrong, and make nearly everyone's Christmas a very happy one.

Oct 15, 2015 at 7:02 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

After being summoned for a lecture about climate and instructions about what to say on TV by Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius - Mr Verdier said:

“If a minister decides he is Mr Weatherman, then Mr Weatherman can also express himself on the subject in a lucid manner.

:-)

Oct 15, 2015 at 9:30 PM | Registered Commentertomo

golf Charlie,

In Germany and France, the government controls the broadcast media.

Even where not, politically correct compliance is the order of the day.

Situation in Denmark is very bad.

They are useless, ignorant t*ssers. Main part of the job.

(Sorry, your Grace. Another reference to mental onanism. Please do not copy national astronomic treasure Ken Rice on this. Heaven forfend.)

And as for Mr Nice Guy, Dr Richard Betts......

Oct 15, 2015 at 10:19 PM | Unregistered Commenterjolly farmer

jolly farmer
How quick is delivery to a French address? I am in France and have grand parenting-duties in the East Midlands leaving on Wednesday (Tuesday post). Or if you can wait until Christmas I'll be back then if you want a copy. Could "smuggle" in a copy and post it to you.

Oct 15, 2015 at 10:43 PM | Unregistered CommenterSandyS

Elsewhere on the BBC after hearing about this on R2 while driving this afternoon (I nearly crashed the car)...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-eu-34543588

A very balanced piece from the beeb's Paris correspondent

Oct 15, 2015 at 10:56 PM | Unregistered CommenterAlec J

How would he have fared under the BBC?

Oct 15, 2015 at 11:55 PM | Unregistered CommenterIan

jolly farmer, the German people are not going to be too impressed if VW look to cut jobs. Peugeot Citroen and Renault have also done well from making diesel engines that perform nicely.

The French and German Governments are not in good positions to defend against the anger of their populations at the moment, and the EU does depend on French and German financial support.

If it turns out that French and German car manufacturers helped the EU draw up the legislation about diesel emissions, which they then abused to their own advantage, there may be further lost sleep, and occasional outbursts of strongly expressed opinions, about the pointlessness of climate science, in the run-up to Paris.

Oct 16, 2015 at 12:50 AM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

Dung @ 2.10pm

Agree Dung. Paris will not produce what they want --it will produce the usual, eloquently worded PR statement for the gullible MSM , at the end of it. But there will not be a useful agreement and I think the "big wigs" know it.

This makes good reading.

http://www.euractiv.com/sections/climate-environment/sanctions-and-punishment-barred-cop21-vocabulary-318407

WUWT covered it as well.

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/10/13/climate-negotiators-give-up-on-enforceable-paris-deal/

Oct 16, 2015 at 4:03 AM | Unregistered CommenterRoss

Rob Oct 15, 2015 at 12:45 AM says:
"Talk about a smoking gun. And - basically - blowing the whistle has got him fired. I wonder where the Guardian will stand on this whistle blower?"

The Guardian now covers the story - just.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/15/philippe-verdier-french-weatherman-question-climate-change

It gives no opinion and it is not open for comment. I presume The Guardian cannot decide whether to praise the suspension of yet another climate denier (they must be digging deep to find some big oil connection), or to condemn the oppression of free speech.

The Le Monde 'debunk' is a classic example of re-interpreting and miss-representing what he said
http://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2015/10/12/climat-les-mises-en-cause-erronees-de-philippe-verdier_4787865_4355770.html

For example, Verdier challenges the accuracy and the reliability of climate models to predict climate over the next century. Le Monde responds by showing the models are excellent at hind casting. They can account for volcanos, El Ninos, etc. Le Monde says: "if they are able to correctly predict past trends, there is no reason to believe they can't predict the future evoloution of the climate". and "the general evolution of climate in Europe and the world for decades to come is in no doubt." - and that's after earlier saying the scientists are very clear and open about the uncertainties!

Oct 16, 2015 at 7:50 AM | Unregistered Commenteroakwood

There' a petition in favour of Verdier to sign (with translation in English) at
https://www.change.org/p/remy-pfimlin-président-de-france-télévisions-pour-que-philippe-verdier-soit-confirmé-dans-son-emploi-à-france-télévisions

Please sign. The fact of this making waves internationally might influence the bosses at France Television.

Oct 16, 2015 at 11:52 AM | Registered Commentergeoffchambers

SandyS,

Thanks for the offer, but they quote 4-7 days.

I have asked the publisher

david@ring.fr

and there is a local book chain on the list, and one of their shops has it.

A first edition might be a sought-after item.

You could drop the publisher a line, to encourage him to call the printer and a translator.

Oct 16, 2015 at 1:21 PM | Unregistered Commenterjolly farmer

golf Charlie,

I have a VW 2.0 from 2004, so probably before the software tweak. Failed the MOT last year, needed half an hour of Italian tuning. Automobile Club measured the power at 164 PS, no idea about the NOx.

Oct 16, 2015 at 1:29 PM | Unregistered Commenterjolly farmer

jolly farmer, my petrol VW is older than yours, but I am happy with it! Before its last MOT it was driven in 3rd gear at the legal limit for 20 minutes, and passed. I am not sure where the term Italian Tune-Up originated, but my experience with diesel engines is mainly around sailing yachts, where the normal pattern of usage involves start-up and run time of less than 30 mins at lowish revs.

I presume you have some knowledge of agricultural usage of diesels, and wonder whether you ever give them a blast under load for 20 minutes or so, to get them hot enough to burn some of the accumulated 'coke' out of them?

Oct 16, 2015 at 2:11 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

Signed up Geoff :)

Oct 16, 2015 at 2:37 PM | Registered CommenterDung

golf Charlie,

Once the tractors were started, you would quite often be using them all day. No need to waste fuel. Just make sure you park on a good slope, especially in winter.

We had some rare old vehicles. The small Bedford lorry that cost a fiver was very useful at harvest time. First passenger vehicle I remember was a petrol Land Rover, doors held on with binder twine.

The row back from diesel will be fun to watch.

Oct 16, 2015 at 5:04 PM | Unregistered Commenterjolly farmer

There is a link to a BBC World interview on Verdier's Twitter feed. Unusually, he is given a chance to make his case.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p035dk68

Oct 16, 2015 at 5:14 PM | Unregistered Commenterstun

stun - thanks for the link.

pretty standard BBC stuff from the interviewer.

Monsieur Météo getting back on air before COP21 in time to cover it (as he'd planned to do with his employers) seems quite unlikely- but it'll be interesting to see if Monsieur Fabius blinks....

Oct 16, 2015 at 6:33 PM | Registered Commentertomo

Meanwhile, the French President has been doing an Obama in Iceland, i.e. getting his photo taken in front of a glacier. They are both obtuse and unimpressive leaders, and both were presumably advised that good photos would help them in their political travails. Climate being the last refuge of the scoundrel these days. Or is it the first?

I think more than photos might be required to add substance to their stances on climate. For that, miracles would be required.

Oct 16, 2015 at 10:25 PM | Registered CommenterJohn Shade

Le Monde says: "if they are able to correctly predict past trends, there is no reason to believe they can't predict the future evoloution of the climate". ......
Oct 16, 2015 at 7:50 AM oakwood

Being able to predict past trends means only that they can reproduce the training data. If they could not even do that, it would be a joke. It is the fallacy known as "testing on the training data".

My lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet can predict perfectly the data it has been fed with but it is useless at predicting anything that might happen in the future.

Oct 16, 2015 at 10:41 PM | Registered CommenterMartin A

thanks for the link Geoff - Signed up & hope it helps Philippe push back against his/these silencers

Oct 17, 2015 at 9:20 PM | Unregistered Commenterdougieh

Truth to power has always been a risky business!

Nov 12, 2015 at 3:41 AM | Unregistered CommenterBrian H

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