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« Salby in London | Main | A cap on hunger »
Tuesday
Feb242015

Patchy resigns

News is breaking that Rajendra Pachauri has resigned as head of the IPCC.

The head of the United Nations climate change panel (IPCC), Rajendra Pachauri, has stepped down amid sexual harassment allegations.

A spokesman for Mr Pachauri informed the IPCC that he resigned from his position with immediate effect.

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Reader Comments (79)

At least he got out while he still has his looks

Feb 24, 2015 at 3:26 PM | Unregistered CommenterEternalOptimist

He would be a hard act to follow, if it were not for the vapour trails from his jetsetting lifestyle.

His successor may have to promise not to write anything quite so hot and steamy as the last IPCC report, and other fiction he has authored. This is a pity for Greenpeace, as they have already finished their Conclusion and Recommendations for Policymakers, based on their own reports that have yet to be written.

References in his police statements to the rear preview process, may simply have been typographical errors, and no one has ever questioned before his hands-on management style.

Feb 24, 2015 at 3:26 PM | Unregistered CommenterGolf Charlie

Patchy's long overdue downfall from the IPCC will have terrible repercussions for us all in the English speaking world - he will now have more to time to write a follow up to his first novel.

Feb 24, 2015 at 3:29 PM | Registered Commenterlapogus

I see this as bad news. They may actually replace him with someone competent.

But probably not.

Feb 24, 2015 at 3:35 PM | Unregistered CommenterJonathan Abbott

Just some of Dr Pachauri very steamy writings.Roger Harrabin get an eyefull of this.

"She then led him into the bedroom,"

"She removed her gown, slipped off her nightie and slid under the quilt on his bed... Sanjay put his arms around her and kissed her, first with quick caresses and then the kisses becoming longer and more passionate.

"May slipped his clothes off one by one, removing her lips from his for no more than a second or two.

"Afterwards she held him close. 'Sandy, I've learned something for the first time today. You are absolutely superb after meditation. Why don't we make love every time immediately after you have meditated?'."

Sanjay and friends queuing to have sexual encounters with Sajni, an impoverished but willing local: "Sanjay saw a shapely dark-skinned girl lying on Vinay's bed. He was overcome by a lust that he had never known before ... He removed his clothes and began to feel Sajni's body, caressing her voluptuous breasts."

"the excitement got the better of him, before he could even get started".
A friend of Susan is taken to a motel by Sanjay but only after he has fondled her breasts – "which he just could not let go of" – inadvertently sounding the car horn at the same time"


Calm down jamspid, but phoar Jack Savage i feel like im a sex crazed poodle.Down Boy!
Dr Pachauri certainly spanks E L James and " Fifty Shades of Gray" in term of erotic literature.
Hollywood might even make his novel into a movie and Dr Pachauri can fly 1st class all over the world to attending the glittering opening night film premiers.

Not surprised they call him patchy, damp patch more like.And his secretary she still didn't fancy him.

Feb 24, 2015 at 3:38 PM | Unregistered Commenterjamspid

BritInMontreal: "Lubos Motl says his replacement is Ismail El Gizouli. Anybody know anything about him?"
Per this IPCC press release, he's vice-chair. Here's his CV at IPCC

Feb 24, 2015 at 3:42 PM | Registered CommenterHaroldW

When they come to make the film of the fiasco that is IPCC, perhaps they could cast Bill Cosby to play the part Rajendra Pachauri.

Feb 24, 2015 at 3:45 PM | Unregistered CommenterAnoneumouse

The question now is "who knew about this", "when did they know about this", "why was there an attempt to cover up this story", "why was nothing done sooner" and ... what else are we not being told about by the IPCC?

Feb 24, 2015 at 3:53 PM | Registered CommenterMikeHaseler

@Jonathan Abbott
There are two declared candidates:
Thomas Stocker, current chair of WG1
Jean-Paul van Ypersele, current vice-chair

There are four potential candidates:
Chris Field, current chair of WG2
Ottmar Edenhofer, current chair of WG3
Hoesung Lee, current vice-chair
Nebosja Nakicenovic

Edenhofer made a mess of WG3, and Nakicenovic is not know among the diplomats. Stocker and v Ypersele split the European vote, while Field is American. That puts Lee in the lead: A faceless career diplomat.

Feb 24, 2015 at 3:57 PM | Unregistered CommenterRichard Tol

Jonathan Abbott: "I see this as bad news. They may actually replace him with someone competent."

The allies had precisely the same dilemma with Hitler. Was he more use to the allied war effort alive or dead?

However, don't worry about getting anyone competent. This position is now a poisoned chalice. Anyone who takes it will only see the credibility of the whole IPCC fall as worldwide the public's anger at this scam grows.

Only a complete idiot with an egotistical streak would want to accept.

So, perhaps Michael Mann?

Feb 24, 2015 at 3:57 PM | Registered CommenterMikeHaseler

@HaroldW, 3.42. Thanks for that, I'd never heard of him. Has he been keeping a low profile?

Feb 24, 2015 at 3:58 PM | Unregistered CommenterBritInMontreal

Richard Tol: "Jean-Paul van Ypersele, current vice-chair"

That will make it all official :)

Feb 24, 2015 at 3:59 PM | Registered CommenterMikeHaseler

Kate Marvel has nominated the Dowager Countess for IPCC Chair.

Feb 24, 2015 at 4:31 PM | Unregistered CommenterRichard Tol

@MikeHaseler Unfortunately he's not proven guilt ye
The problems with prejudging in public has 2 problems :
1. He can claim he cant get a fair trial
2. In the event that he is found to have been fitted up the skeptics reputation becomes damaged

Feb 24, 2015 at 4:42 PM | Registered Commenterstewgreen

Pachauri was a Vice Chairman before getting the main job from Robert Watson, it seems he misunderstood the Vice bit,

Feb 24, 2015 at 4:43 PM | Registered Commenterdennisa

Mike Haseler IPCC Poisoned Chalice.

Who are you recommending? Blair? Brown? Mandelson? They are all available, if the money can match their lifestyle expectations.

Feb 24, 2015 at 4:44 PM | Unregistered CommenterGolf Charlie

Stewgreen
1. I am sure he can fix any fair trial issues
2. If he is found to have been fitted up, big-oil funded deniers, will be found guilty by the Grauniad, without a shadow of proof, or twist of irony.

Feb 24, 2015 at 5:08 PM | Unregistered CommenterGolf Charlie

I wanna know if he'll be keeping his REVAi passion wagon.

Feb 24, 2015 at 5:14 PM | Unregistered CommenterMartyn

BritInMontreal -
I'd never heard of the gentleman before either.

By the way, I found this article from a few months ago, which talks of possible successors to Pachauri.

I must confess to some arithmetical confusion. Pachauri was elected to his second term in Sept. 2008, and terms have been described as 6 years in length. However, the IPCC's press release talks of his term having been due to expire in Oct. 2015.

Feb 24, 2015 at 5:14 PM | Registered CommenterHaroldW

Roger Harrabin, today:

The chair has to spend much of his life in mid-air, flitting between capitals, whilst suffering relentless attacks...

Roger Harrabin in 2010:
https://sites.google.com/site/mytranscriptbox/home/20100923_r4

I've spoken to Professor Sir Brian Hoskins from the Royal Society, an eminent climate scientist, Mike Hulme, climate scientist, leaders of environment bodies, all say the same. And what they're saying is Professor Pachauri, in their opinion, ought to resign to save the embarrassment of confrontation with India.

Not just opposition from "campaigners challenging climate science", then.

By the way, did anyone else read it initially as "flirting between capitals"?

Feb 24, 2015 at 5:17 PM | Unregistered CommenterAlex Cull

HaroldW the mathematical discrepancies you identify, are comfortably within IPCC margins of error, whereby any error, lies in the eye of the beholder, and also lies in the face, of accepted scientific practices.

Feb 24, 2015 at 5:26 PM | Unregistered CommenterGolf Charlie

One mistake in all those years and he has to resign!

Feb 24, 2015 at 5:27 PM | Unregistered CommenterMartyn

Meteorologists report that a persistent depression has moved on from India, following incidents of localised high pressure. A chill wind has blown through, followed by scattered showers of gratitude.

In the north, they also advise that the glacial meltwaters, flow unabated, carrying the charred remains of voodoo dolls, and IPCC science to a watery grave. Meanwhile the position of the coastline remains unchanged.

Despite the good news, climate scientists continue to forecast doom and gloom for centuries to come, without any evidence at all, and fritter away billions of pounds, of other peoples cash, on computer games, while millions starve.

The IPCC, you know it makes no sense, of science.

Feb 24, 2015 at 6:03 PM | Unregistered CommenterGolf Charlie

Golf Charlie:

'Who are you recommending..? Blair? Brown? Mandelson?..'

Well - you can add Rifkind to that list now - particularly as he has SOOOO much spare time, apparently..
'I read; I take long walks....'

I thought these guys were overworked and underpaid....

Feb 24, 2015 at 6:09 PM | Unregistered Commentersherlock1

Surely Mike Mann has exactly the same qualities of humility and integrity to make an excellent replacement for ChooChoo

Feb 24, 2015 at 6:51 PM | Unregistered CommenterLatimer Alder

Harold W, he was due to retire last year but apparently they begged him to stay on a bit longer. Not sure why. Maybe the approved succession path had not yet been completely cleared.

Turned out not to be such a great decision.

Feb 24, 2015 at 8:47 PM | Registered Commenterjohanna

For years, the IPCC has made claims, and predictions based on "overwhelming evidence", and nothing has happened.

I expect he is hoping for a similar result, based on similar confidence levels.

Feb 24, 2015 at 11:20 PM | Unregistered CommenterGolf Charlie

johanna, I think they needed him to stay on long enough, to resolve tricky issues before they all get plastered, in Paris.

Greenpeace has already written the Conference Conclusions, but tricky questions remain, such as the colour of the napkins, and how many millions in "aid money" each delegate should be billing for, just by attending.

These delegates have to think of their grandchildrens inheritance, and so each one will need a personal team of financial advisers, with expert knowledge of tax avoidance, in offshore banks, not vulnerable to sea level rise.

These delegates want to secure their financial futures before christmas, without exposing themselves to workplace stress.

Feb 24, 2015 at 11:44 PM | Unregistered CommenterGolf Charlie

Does correlation imply causation? ;-)

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/02/27/greenpeace-india-apologizes-over-handling-of-sexual-harassment-claim

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sexual-harassment-case-pm-modi-accepts-rk-pachauri-s-resignation/article1-1321707.aspx

http://www.businessinsider.com/two-more-women-accuse-al-gore-of-assault-2010-7

Mar 1, 2015 at 11:36 PM | Unregistered CommenterJack Maloney

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