"Fisking" Climate Change Arguments: The Deniers Get Creative

authordefault
on

Amy Ridenour’s newly redesigned National Centre for Public Policy Research blog (very stylish Amy; I like the gravitas suggested by yellowed book pages), features a great non sequiturial attack on the Independent  for adding to its already exhaustive coverage of the climate change issue.

The best part of Amy’s outburst is her use of the newly coined word fisk, about which Wikipedia says this:

“The term Fisking, or to Fisk, is a rightwing blogosphere term describing criticism that highlights perceived errors or other problems in a statement, article, or essay. It should be noted that these “errors” do not necessarily refer to factual inaccuracies, but more often to perceived inaccuracies in the analysis of presented facts.

“Indeed, “Fisking” may appear, to those who do not share the viewpoint of the fisker, to be merely taking small parts of an article out of context and putting the worst possible interpretation on them, without regard to the connections between individual points.”

If that’s not enough, both Ridenour’s post and the whole Wikipedia article are worth a look. Wiki, especially, explores the etymology of fisk, paying appropriate homage to the journalist Robert Fisk, whose award-winning reporting originally earned the wrath the Ridenour’s fellow travellers.

Related Posts

on

The deal would place 40 percent of California’s idle wells in the hands of one operator. Campaigners warn this poses an "immense" risk to the state — which new rules could help to mitigate, depending on how regulators act.

The deal would place 40 percent of California’s idle wells in the hands of one operator. Campaigners warn this poses an "immense" risk to the state — which new rules could help to mitigate, depending on how regulators act.
Opinion
on

Corporations are using sport to sell the high-carbon products that are killing our winters, and now we can put a figure on the damage their money does.

Corporations are using sport to sell the high-carbon products that are killing our winters, and now we can put a figure on the damage their money does.
on

Inside the conspiracy to take down wind and solar power.

Inside the conspiracy to take down wind and solar power.
on

A new report estimates the public cost of underwriting U.S. plastics industry growth and the environmental violations that followed.

A new report estimates the public cost of underwriting U.S. plastics industry growth and the environmental violations that followed.