Source: [1]
William Kininmonth is a retired meteorologist and headed Australia's national climate center for 12 years.
Kininmonth is the director of an organization called the "Australasian Climate Research Institute." Kinimonth's "Climate Research Institute" appears to be run out of his home in Australia, as the mailing address for the Institute is the same as Kinimonth's residence.
"In a spirited defence of his integrity, Tim Flannery (Insight, 8/10) repeats his misunderstanding of how the climate system works: Greenhouse gases emit more radiation than they absorb and their direct impact is to cool the atmosphere. More greenhouse gases will not cause the atmosphere to warm, as Flannery states in his book." [2]
"Reducing emissions of CO2, as proposed under the Kyoto Protocol, will not avert climate change." [3]
"Fundamental science has always identified that it is quixotic to attempt regulation of climate through management of carbon dioxide emissions. The pity is that community leaders have been beguiled by the mystery of powerful computers and have failed to critically assess the predictions within the context of Earth's history." [14]
See a complete list of Kininmonth's quotes at Skeptical Science.
January 27, 2012
Kininmonth is a signatory to a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed titled "No Need to Panic About Global Warming." [11]
A total of sixteen "scientists" are signatories including Claude Allègre, J. Scott Armstrong, Jan Breslow, William Happer, Richard Lindzen, James McGrath, Rodney Nichols, Burt Rutan, Harrison H. Schmitt, Nir Shaviv, Edward David, Michael Kelly, Henk Tennekes, Roger Cohen, and Antonino Zichichi.
Media transparency, who found that the article had misrepresented the position of Yale economist William Nordhaus, also reported on the opinion piece. Skeptical Science did a comprehensive examination of the signatories. [12], [13]
May 16 -18, 2010
Kininmonth was a speaker (PDF) at the Heartland Institute's annual International Conference on Climate Change (2010).
His speech was titled "Natural Responses Limiting Anthropogenic Climate Forcing." [15]
March 8 - 10, 2009
Presenter at Heartland Institute's 2009 International Conference on Climate Change. [4]
DeSmogBlog investigated sponsors behind the conference and found that they had collectively received over $47 million from oil companies and right-wing foundations.
April, 2006
Kininmonth was one of the signatories of a 2006 open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper titled "Open Kyoto to Debate" which denied the existence of man-made global warming and encouraged inaction on climate policy. [5]
February, 2007
Kininmonth was on the "writing team" for the Fraser Institute's 2007 independent summary for policymakers (ISPM).
The ISPM's conclusion is that "there will remain an unavoidable element of uncertainty as to the extent that humans are contributing to future climate change, and indeed whether or not such change is a good or bad thing." [6]
Other authors included well known global warming skeptics such as Joseph D'aleo, Madhav Khandekar, Christopher Essex, Wibjorn Karlen, Ian Clark, and Tad Murty.
December 13th, 2007
Kininmonth signed an open letter to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon that describes global warming as a natural phenomenon.
The letter describes carbon dioxide as a "non-polluting gas that is essential to plant photosynthesis," and claims that the IPCC's reports are "inadequate as justification" for implementing climate change policy. [7]
Australasian Climate Research Institute — Director.
Australian Climate Science Coalition (ACSC) — Member, "Scientific Advisory Panel." [8]
Lavoisier Group — Contributor.
International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC) — Member, ICSC "Scientific Advisory Board." [9]
Science and Public Policy Institute (SPPI) — "Science Adviser." [1]
According to a search of 22,000 academic journals, Kininmonth has not published any research in a peer-reviewed journal on the subject of climate change.
There is one study published in 1972 by "Kininmon, WR" on the subject of rain-grown rice in Northern Australia.
In November 2004, the Lavoisier Group helped launch Kilimonth's book Climate Change; a natural hazard.
"SPPI Personnel 2012," Science and Public Policy Institute. Accessed January, 2012.
"Flannery is wrong on climate change," (Letters), The Age, October 10, 2005.
William Kininmonth. "CLIMATE CHANGE: A Natural Hazard" (PDF), lavoisier.com.au. Archived July 16, 2003.
"Heartland Institute/International Conference on Climate Change (2009)," SourceWatch Entry.
Open Kyoto to debate," National Post, April 11, 2006.
"Independent Summary for Policymakers: IPCC Fourth Assessment Report" (PDF), The Fraser Institute, March 2, 2007.
"Open Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations," December 13, 2007. Reprinted by the Science and Public Policy Institute.
"About Us," The Australian Climate Science Coalition. Accessed January, 2012.
"WHO WE ARE," International Climate Science Coalition. Accessed January, 2012.
"Heartland Experts: William Kininmonth," The Heartland Institute. Accessed January, 2012.
"No Need to Panic About Global Warming," Wall Street Journal, January 27, 2012. . Archived by WebCite February 2, 2012.
"The Journal Hires Dentists To Do Heart Surgery," Media Transparency, January 30, 2012.
"The Latest Denialist Plea for Climate Change Inaction," Skeptical Science, January 31, 2012.
William Kininmonth. "Cold facts dispel theories on warming," The Australian, April 29, 2009.
"4th International Conference on Climate Change" (PDF), The Heartland Institute. Retrieved February 2, 2012 from University of Hartford web server.
"William Kininmonth," SourceWatch Entry.
"Deniers: Scientists: William Kininmonth," ExxonSecrets Wiki.
Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.
There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.
This post is the second of a two part series. Read the first installment, Unreported Emissions From Natural Gas Blow Up BC's Climate Action Plan.
Methane leaks from British Columbia's natural gas industry are likely at least 7 times greater than official numbers increasing the entire provinces' carbon footprint by nearly 25%. That's like putting 3 million more vehicles on BC's roads.
As...
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