German “Climate Scientist” Georg Hoffmann Says Skeptics Close To Psychopathology

First off, don’t take what this buffoon of a scientist Hoffmann says too seriously. He just serves as an example to illustrate what these self-anointed “elite climate scientists” think of people who don’t believe their junk science and believe in democracy. Some background:

Georg Hoffmann is a German nuclear physicist and worked on climate models at the Max Planck Institute in Hamburg. He then worked in Paris at the LSCE (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement) on various aspects of paleo-climatology, specialising in climate reconstructions over the last 1000 years. And last I’ve heard, he then got shipped out to some position out in the desert. Except for his rants at Scienceblog, a Google search turns up very little about any real accomplishments.

At the German Scienceblogs blogsite, Hoffmann, in his typical disdainful haughtiness, once again goes after the climate skeptics, this time using the nutty Glenn Beck in an attempt to put all skeptics in Beck’s boat. This is not the first time Hoffmann indulges in juvenile behaviour, see here. In his latest post he labels Beck as “crazy” – like Hannibal Lechter-crazy.

But first, Hoffmann tells us that skepticism “is a dangerous thing”, starting off his post with:

The so commendable ‘I don’t believe that offhand scepticism is a very dangerous thing. Skeptics of this or that easily become conspiracy theorists who are known to be only a step away from psychopathology. Being a climate skeptic is in no way a condition to put someone on this precarious level of increasing confusion, but let us say: It helps.”

In Hoffmann’s view, skeptics have the potential to become crazy, like Hannibal Lector, or Jack Nicholson in the Shining. Yes, we are probably a greater threat to society than nuclear power plants, and so Angela Merkel should shut us down too because of the unacceptable risk we pose.

Remember, Hoffmann is just one of the many Malthusian charlatans in Europe preaching a gospel produced by crystal balls and flakey climate models, who even claim they can mystically foresee the coming climate Armageddon – even 200 years into the future. (This Armageddon is of course unavoidable, unless of course we submit ourselves to their “masterplans”). These religious climate prophesiers tell us Biblical-proportion rubbish like:

– sea levels will rise meters and meters!
– species will die off like flies!
– ocean acidification will kill marine life!
– Himalayan glaciers are going to disappear by 2030!
– the Medieval Warm Period didn’t really exist!
– global temperatures likely will rise 8°C by year 2200, or more!
– coal plants are global warming death trains!
– global warming causes cooling! And so on.

Indeed it makes us wonder who really is just a step away from “psychopathology”.

Thinking he’s really clever and witty, Hoffmann rants on about Beck’s kooky antics, reminding us that the nutty Beck is a skeptic (and so skeptics are like Beck). Finally Hoffmann, who like Schellnhuber, just cannot conceal his disdain democracy, finishes with:

And everyone, everyone is allowed to vote, Beck is allowed to vote, and those who listen to him and think his analysis is interesting, they too are allowed to vote. So humanity, here is the question I ask you: Are we ready for the 21st century?”

That’s right you arrogant, intolerant agitator – WE CAN ALL VOTE.  The world is only in trouble if people listen and believe the crap you and your ilk put out. We saw what happens when a few elite masterminds with the same calibre of arrogance you display think they know what is best for everybody else.

My advice is that you start behaving like a scientist and get back to your work and do something for a change. Authoring childish provocations as you do is a disgrace to your profession. Skeptics have the democratic right to speak out and to do so without your bullying tactics.

32 responses to “German “Climate Scientist” Georg Hoffmann Says Skeptics Close To Psychopathology”

  1. Time Traveller

    Pierre – Hmm..

    There seems to be an increasing level of warmist intolerance and hysteria about. It must be why they seem to have no time to do any actual science these days. Do you think their madness might be caused by devoting their lives to a lost cause?

    Incidentally, the world’s problems are caused by vegetarians:
    http://adventuresintimetravel.com/2011/04/11/vegetarians-are-destroying-the-environment/
    Anybody who doesn’t agree with me should be shot.. or something.

    Regards
    J

  2. Edward

    AGW cannot be empirically proven, so they thrash around seeking corroborative ‘evidence’ – in palaeo climate etc, on finding that even this search proves the realists correct and thus, a fruitless pursuit and knowing in their heart of hearts that the postulation [AGW] is a dead duck, they in turn reset their sites on softer targets.

    What is left but Ad hominem attacks?

    Just another case of more; ‘Tales from Hoffmann’.

  3. Edward

    AGW has not been proven, it is an impossibility to prove much in a chaotic and dynamic system -it was a figment of a creative imagination to attempt to prove: that man is causing warming of the earth’s atmosphere.

    But we all know this is [AGW] all about politics and never was concerned with empirical experimentation and cogent analysis.

    Thus, the adherents of the [AGW] orthodoxy have spread their pursuit of the ‘holy grail of AGW’ into other branches and disciplines, e.g., palaeoclimatology.
    When they discover, studies in palaeoclimatology only serve to further prove the realists case, ie, that man is not responsible and that the warming is natural, then they have had to reset their targets and ‘armaments’.

    The alarmists have to seek new and softer targets, ad hominem attacks and scurrilous accusations nicely fit their new agenda.

    It is just another case of more; ‘Tales from Hoffmann’.

  4. mindert eiting

    Psychopathological or not, but James Delingpole keeps his right of free speech:

    http://opinion.financialpost.com/2011/04/10/lawrence-solomon-climategate-u-loses-bid-to-stifle-critic/

  5. DirkH

    Well, Hoffmann can be happy. In Europe, the EU commission votes for you. 😉

  6. Ed Caryl

    Regarding Glen Beck, the left is very frightened of him, because he is on to their tactics. He is spending four hours a day, three on radio and one on TV (Fox News) with the 3rd highest ratings in his time slot, exposing all their machinations. He’s crazy like a fox. He is backed by a large team of very thorough researchers, and is very, very seldom wrong on his facts. George Soros and Maurice Strong will do anything to shut him down.

  7. Lex

    Beck is controlled opposition, the tactic backfired now they are destroying him.
    For non-partisan reliable news try the Alex Jones Show, Infowars com
    On the article, I bet this little eco-scum would use electroshock therapy on skeptics.

  8. Ulrich Elkmann

    So – people who disagree with “the consensus” are not really criminal – they are sick, deluded, ergo not responsible for their views, but in dire need of professional help – and of course society must be spared the ravings of madmen. I wonder where we have seen this kind of thing before?
    . It makes one wonder also which kind of utterly scientific treatment he has in mind: Freudian talking cures (since Freud’s theories of the mind are already recognized as being as pseudoscientific as Climate Alarmimism is proving to be), Jungian (with its ties to totalitarian regimes), Arthur Janov’s Primal Screaming (the one method cinsistently doing most harm), or plain old lobotomy?

  9. Ulrich Elkmann

    Sorry the link after my first sentence got Lost in Transmission. It was “Wikipedia – Political abuse of psychiatry in the Soviet Union”.

    1. mindert eiting

      Ulrich: I think that Hoffmann doesn’t know anything of psychopathology. He just tried to say that his opponents are mad. This is not usual in academic discourse, and therefore he took the psychiatric tour. Recently, an important dissertation appeared about abuse of psychiatry in the SU. I have forgotten the name of the author (but can find it back). I also forgot the name of a Finnish eco-fascist, who really wants that his opponents are treated in concentration camps. A dangerous creep, comparable with the old weeping Suzuki (see Lubos Motl’s site a few days ago).

      1. DirkH

        The Finn is called Linkola.
        Artikel ueber Linkola, 80jaehriger Oekofaschist:
        http://www.prisonplanet.com/global-warming-alarmist-calls-for-eco-gulags-to-re-educate-climate-deniers.html

        One of the comments there was:

        Quacksilver Reply:
        September 20th, 2010 at 11:26 am
        The irony here is that Linkola himself has diabetes making him “unfit to live” according to his own standards.
        But he’s been at it for decades already – so, it’s not really news as such – however, the fact that he mentions the Finnish Stalinists (aka Taistoists)
        there is interesting.
        Satu Hassi – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satu_Hassi – “used to be” one of them – but she then became a key figure in the Green Party here in Finland and even
        the “Minister of Environment and Development Co-Operation”.
        Currently she is a member of the EU parliament and a member of the Board of Directors of the Worldwatch Institute, which BTW was founded with seedmoney
        from the Rockefellers…
        So, if you’d ask me – I’d say it’s Hassi – the she-wolf in the sheep’s clothes – who’s the more dangerous one of the two.

    2. mindert eiting

      Ulrich: I think that Hoffmann doesn’t know anything of psychopathology. He only wanted to say that his opponents are mad, using psychiatric jargon. I know that recently a dissertation appeared about abuse of psychiatry in the SU, but I have forgotten the name of the author. Similarly, I forgot the name of a Finnish eco-fascist, who really wants that deniers and sceptics are treated in concentration camps. He is a not-yet dangerous creep. More dangerous is the old weeping Suzuki, because he has a lot of money and wants to win a war before he dies. See Lubos Motl’s site for his deathbed phantasies.

  10. GregO

    Vote? Darn right I vote.

    I also write my senators and congressman and contribute to political groups and campaigns – I am especially vocal about limiting the EPA’s powers to regulate CO2 (!). Any of my local politicians breathes so much as a word about disasters from man-made CO2 and I energetically support their opponents.

    It pays off. We threw out the last congressman in this latest election and his replacement has bee aggressively fighting the warmistas at EPA.

  11. Jimbo

    Never trust a scientists whose livelihood and that of his family depends on continued global warming. If AGW is shown to be false then he is going to look very silly indeed. That time is nearing each day.

  12. Edward

    AGW has not been proven, it will never be proven, it is not possible.

    It was a figment of a creative imagination but has grown a life of it’s own and now is the central tenet of a whole belief system and all this, is based on a politically fabricated lie. AGW and ‘science was never concerned with empiricism, experimentation and cogent analysis of carefully notated results.

    Thus, the adherents of the [AGW] orthodoxy have spread their pursuit of the ‘holy grail of AGW’ into other branches and disciplines, e.g., palaeoclimatology.
    Therefore, unfortunately they pollute other branches of science in their vain quest.

    Rather ironically, when alarmists discover, studies in palaeoclimatology only serve to further prove the realists case, ie, that man is not responsible and that the warming is natural, then they have had to reset their targets and ‘armaments’.

    The alarmists have to seek new and softer targets, ad hominem attacks and scurrilous accusations nicely fit into their new agenda.

    It is just another case of more; ‘Tales from Hoffmann’.

  13. GregO

    The democratic system can be made to work. Wrote a bunch of emails on this one:

    http://www.thegwpf.org/international-news/2780-us-house-of-representatives-votes-to-kill-epa-climate-regulations.html

    1. Roland

      The democratic process in Germany differs in many ways from the USA…

      While it is possible to influence the single members of parliament it is much less effective than in the US. That is because only half of the delegates are chosen by direct votes – the other half is chosen by the different political parties. That is the reason that you have two votes when you cast your vote for the Bundestag. One vote is for the party and they decide internally who will sit in the Bundestag on their behalf. And one vote is for a direct representative who does has to actually do all the meet and greet and other stuff to get your vote… he might even listen to you… (But he also is part of a party – independents nearly always loose)

      So in theory to influence the body politic you need to talk to the party that won the local seat and to the party candidate who won the seat…

      Really not the same at all…

      After all you can talk to a single candidate and tell them what you feel about this and that. But can you find the people that are interested in your local vote in a national political machine that are also interested in your pov?

      Well the founding fathers had a dislike for political parties if I remember correctly.

  14. DirkH

    Hoffmanns writing could well be a text by Beck. Look at his rethorical figures. “So i ask you, mankind, are we ready for the 21st century?”

  15. mindert eiting

    In psychopathology we often need our intuition, a feeling of cold shivers, and I do not get them from Hoffmann. Half a year ago I read something about a Finnish eco-fascist, whose name I have forgotten, a real creep who wants that all sceptics are treated in concentration camps. Did you know that also Charles Manson became an eco-warrior in the prison where he has to live? Similar feelings of cold shivers I get with people like Suzuki and Mann. Perhaps a gallery of eco-psychopaths would be useful because we easily forget who they are.

  16. Etaoin Shrdlu

    You may not care for Beck’s style and approach but be well advised that he is NOT nutty, and has done far, far more than the entire “MSN” in letting the American people know who all Obama’s (Commis) Czar’s really are and what they are doing TO us . And he is the only reporter that keeps us up to date on the myriad activities and front groups of George Soros, someone who seems to fit right in with the likes of S.chellnhuber and Hoffmann

  17. mindert eiting

    I still think that one of the most mentally healthy people on this planet is Charles Manson, who became in his prison an eco-warrior after seeing Al Gore’s movie.

    See: http://www.prisonplanet.com/charles-manson-global-warming-prophet.html

  18. DennisA

    Unfortunately there is a massively intertwined network and people like Soros and Strong often feature. Global warming IS seen as the vehicle for global wealth redistribution via the UN and the massive integration of NGO’s into the UN was a strategy that Strong started in 1972. UN personnel have been involved in carbon trading, we have the London School of Economics Grantham Institute and its carbon traders, such as Stern and Fankhauser, the latter being on the UK climate change committee. WWF-US and Environmental Defense are on the management board at LSE Grantham and Imperial College Grantham.

    Schellnhuber was involved in establishing the UK Tyndall Centre with Mike Hulme and was a key figure in the ramping up that took place in 2005 with the Conference on Dangerous Climate Change at the Met Office in Exeter, commissioned by Tony Blair. Pachauri is on NGO boards with Soros and Gore and other main players. Pachauri, Oxburgh, Lord Browne, and other influential players are on the climate advisory board of Deutsche Bank. The US National Academies panel on America’s Climate Choices has the highly paid CEO’s of WWF-US, Environmental Defense and the Pew Centre as members

    Try reading these papers at SPPI, they are extensively researched and show how big the networks are and how the same people show up time after time. Whether you call it a conspiracy or not, this is all real and documented by reference to their own websites.

    http://sppiblog.org/news/a-nest-of-carbon-vipers
    http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/high_level_climate_finance.html
    http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/un_progress_governance_via_climate_change.html
    http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/controlling_the_science.html

  19. R. de Haan

    Georg Hoffman knows we are right.
    Otherwise he would dare to make a single step on the Arctic ice.

  20. R. de Haan

    By the way, nice picture.
    Look like a pretty lunatic scientist to me.

  21. Edward

    AGW has not been proven, it will never be proven, it is not possible.

    It was a figment of a creative imagination but has grown a life of it’s own and now is the central tenet of a whole belief system and all this, is based on a politically fabricated lie. AGW and ‘science was never concerned with empiricism, experimentation and cogent analysis of carefully notated results.

    Thus, the adherents of the [AGW] orthodoxy have spread their pursuit of the ‘holy grail of AGW’ into other branches and disciplines, e.g., palaeoclimatology.
    Therefore, unfortunately they pollute other branches of science in their vain quest.

    Rather ironically, when alarmists discover, studies in palaeoclimatology only serve to further prove the realists case, ie, that man is not responsible and that the warming is natural, then they have had to reset their targets and ‘armaments’.

    The alarmists have to seek new and softer targets, ad hominem attacks and scurrilous accusations nicely fit into their new agenda.

    It is just another case of more: ‘Tales from Hoffmann’.

  22. Green Sand

    “Europe faces drought and flood burden: climate scientist”

    “Climate change will pose two major water challenges in Europe: increasing water stress in southern Europe and increasing floods elsewhere,” he added during a workshop organised by the UN Economic Commission on Europe.”

    Heads I win, tails you lose?

    http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h3whsEeOLiATPqy1I7Zfvzp4qvlg?docId=CNG.10d3a9e29c2cbf7d2da3ebd746b3a9f1.641

    1. DirkH

      So he predicts that Southern Europe will be dry? Let me guess; in summer? Maybe he can impress people who have never visited Portugal, Italy, Greece or Turkey in summer like i did. I know, it’s only anecdotal evidence when you’ve seen it with your own eyes.

      Next thing they’ll predict that the sun rises in the East (with a high likelyhood).

  23. Brian G Valentine

    As I have written before, such people are very common among those who have contributed little (or capable of contributing either), so they attempt to gain recognition by condemning others for not believing things their own weak minds have become convinced of.

    Amplify his nonsense 100 dB and he’s still a nobody with nothing to say.

    He knows it

  24. kai

    pierre, i am really happy about your judgement of georg hoffmann and his followers (quite ubiqitous in germany). there is a strong anti-democratic trend in germany as regards climate politics. people from the pik potsdam (schellnhuber, rahmstorfs, friends of georg hoffmann) advocate an authoritative change of the german demcracy to a state of wise dictatorship by climate scientists.

    i strongly hope that the united states stop financing the ipcc, that nasa fires jim hansen from the giss, that the next american president washes the brains of european co2 idiotic political leaders like merkel etc.

    the US is once again in history the great hope for european citizens to prevent europe’s fall-back to fascism and dictatorship.

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