New Zealand Climate Science Coalition
Encyclopedia
The New Zealand Climate Science Coalition is an organisation based in New Zealand which has the aim of refuting what it believes are unfounded claims about anthropogenic global warming
.
, whose stated aim is to “represent accurately, and without prejudice, facts regarding climate change
; to provide considered opinion on matters related to both natural and human-caused climate effects; and to comment on the economic and socio-political consequences of climate change”.
The Coalition was formed in April 2006 by the group because of their shared concern “at the misleading information being disseminated about climate change and so-called anthropogenic (man-made) global warming”. They hold the position that “climate science is not settled, that the world is not on the brink of a man-made global warming catastrophe”.
The New Zealand Climate Science Coalition provides links to a range of material and commentary with significance to the scientific and public debate over climate change issues via its website.
.
The founding members were:
on climate change because the public were “being given incomplete, inaccurate and biased information about the effects of increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere” when “global warming caused by man-made emissions of greenhouse gases...cannot be substantiated”. The Government refused on the grounds that the majority of climate scientists in the world agree that there is no longer any doubt that climate is changing due to human activity.
In April 2007, the Coalition described the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
as “dangerous unscientific nonsense” and “lacking in scientific rigour”.
In March 2008, the New Zealand Listener
reported that Owen McShane and Bryan Leyland and the Coalition were lobbying business journalists to cover their questioning of climate change science in order to create an illusion of greater disagreement over the science than actually exists.
In July 2008, the Coalition issued a press release that stated that the premise that “the globe is warming” was “a lie”. The release also described the Royal Society of New Zealand
's statement on climate change as “an orchestrated litany of lies”.
In August 2010, the Coalition announced it had commenced legal action against the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
, asking the High Court
to invalidate its official temperature record, to prevent it using the temperature record when advising Government and to require the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research to produce a "full and accurate" temperature record.
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
.
Beginnings
The New Zealand Climate Science Coalition is a group of scientists, mainly from New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, whose stated aim is to “represent accurately, and without prejudice, facts regarding climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
; to provide considered opinion on matters related to both natural and human-caused climate effects; and to comment on the economic and socio-political consequences of climate change”.
The Coalition was formed in April 2006 by the group because of their shared concern “at the misleading information being disseminated about climate change and so-called anthropogenic (man-made) global warming”. They hold the position that “climate science is not settled, that the world is not on the brink of a man-made global warming catastrophe”.
The New Zealand Climate Science Coalition provides links to a range of material and commentary with significance to the scientific and public debate over climate change issues via its website.
Membership
The chairman of the group is Jack Welch, a former Navy Rear AdmiralRear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
.
The founding members were:
- Coal chemist Vincent R. GrayVincent R. GrayVincent R. Gray is a New Zealand-based chemist, and a founder of the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition. He has a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Cambridge University after studies on incendiaty bomb fluids made from aluminium soaps, He has had a long scientific career in the UK, France,...
- Geologist Robert M. CarterRobert M. CarterRobert M. "Bob" Carter is an adjunct research professor in the Marine Geophysical Laboratory at James Cook University, Queensland, and the University of Adelaide, South Australia. He is a geologist specializing in palaeontology, stratigraphy, marine geology, and environmental science...
and researcher at the Marine Geophysical Laboratory at James Cook UniversityJames Cook UniversityJames Cook University is a public university based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The university has two Australian campuses, located in Townsville and Cairns respectively, and an international campus in Singapore. JCU is the second oldest university in Queensland—proclaimed in 1970—and the...
in Australia - Environmental campaigner David BellamyDavid BellamyDavid James Bellamy OBE is a British author, broadcaster, environmental campaigner and botanist. He has lived in County Durham since 1960.-Career:...
- Augie AuerAugie AuerAugust H. "Augie" Auer Jr was an atmospheric scientist and meteorologist in New Zealand.As a boy growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, Auer was reportedly fascinated by weather. After a freak winter storm caused havoc in his home town, he decided to become a meteorologist...
(deceased), atmospheric scientist and meteorologist - Gerrit J. van der Lingen a geologist and paleoclimatologist
- Warwick Hughes
- Roger Dewhurst, consulting hydrogeologist
- Len Walker
Events
In July 2006, the Coalition called on the New Zealand government to institute a Royal CommissionRoyal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
on climate change because the public were “being given incomplete, inaccurate and biased information about the effects of increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere” when “global warming caused by man-made emissions of greenhouse gases...cannot be substantiated”. The Government refused on the grounds that the majority of climate scientists in the world agree that there is no longer any doubt that climate is changing due to human activity.
In April 2007, the Coalition described the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
IPCC Fourth Assessment Report
Climate Change 2007, the Fourth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , is the fourth in a series of reports intended to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information concerning climate change, its potential effects, and options for...
as “dangerous unscientific nonsense” and “lacking in scientific rigour”.
In March 2008, the New Zealand Listener
New Zealand Listener
The New Zealand Listener is a New Zealand magazine. First published in 1939 and edited by Oliver Duff and the Monte Holcroft it originally had a monopoly on the publication of of upcoming television and radio programmes. In the 1980s it lost its monopoly on the publication of upcoming television...
reported that Owen McShane and Bryan Leyland and the Coalition were lobbying business journalists to cover their questioning of climate change science in order to create an illusion of greater disagreement over the science than actually exists.
In July 2008, the Coalition issued a press release that stated that the premise that “the globe is warming” was “a lie”. The release also described the Royal Society of New Zealand
Royal Society of New Zealand
The Royal Society of New Zealand , known as the New Zealand Institute before 1933, was established in 1867 to co-ordinate and assist the activities of a number of regional research societies including the Auckland Institute, the Wellington Philosophical Society, the Philosophical Institute of...
's statement on climate change as “an orchestrated litany of lies”.
In August 2010, the Coalition announced it had commenced legal action against the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research or NIWA , is a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand. Established in 1992, NIWA conducts commercial and non-commercial research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental sciences...
, asking the High Court
High Court of New Zealand
The High Court of New Zealand is a superior court of New Zealand. It was established in 1841 and known as the Supreme Court of New Zealand until 1980....
to invalidate its official temperature record, to prevent it using the temperature record when advising Government and to require the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research to produce a "full and accurate" temperature record.