Dr. Hans Labohm On Scepticism In Europe: “The Tide Is Turning…Very Much Alive And Kicking”

Dr. Hans H.J. Labohm has written an overview, soon to appear in Energy and Environment Journal titled: Climate Scepticism in Europe.

Dr. Hans Labohm says climate science scepticism is “very much alive and kicking” in Europe.

The opening sentences set the tone in no uncertain terms. He calls the notion of dangerous manmade global warming a “delusion”, a science that has been plagued by “cherry–picking, spin-doctoring and scare–mongering by the United Nations’ IPCC and other climate alarmists.”

In his analysis, Dr. Labohm analyzes the sceptic movement in various European countries and believes that “the tide seems to be turning” and that it has “gained considerable ground”. But the obstacles in Europe are still huge, as almost “all political parties are toeing the global warming line”.  Labohm writes that “sceptical views – even from well-known scientists with impeccable credentials – tend to be ignored and/or actively suppressed by governments, academia and the media.” However, it appears that the obstacles can be overcome. Labohm adds, citing a variety of recent public opinion surveys:

Over the last few years a disconnect has been growing between public opinion and official climate policy. Despite massive climate change propaganda, less and less people seem to be concerned about the putative threat of an imminent climate catastrophe.”

Labohm begins his look at Europe by first focusing on Russia, where he says Russian scientists aren’t at all timid about expressing their scepticism. Some Russian scientists openly say that a little ice age is imminent in the coming decades, and adds that “it was no surprise that the Russians have announced to drop out of Kyoto”.

Sweden also has a small but very vocal group of sceptics including: Göran Ahlgren, Jonny Fagerström, Per Welander, Tage Andersson, Per-Olof, Eriksson, Sten Kaijser, Wibjörn Karlén, Ingemar Nordin, Åke Ortmark, Carl-Gustaf Ribbing, Peter Stilbs, Maggie Thauersköld and Fred Goldberg. Another harsh critic of global warming science is Axel Mörner. In Denmark there are renowned researchers Bjørn Lomborg, Henrik Svensmark and Eigil Friis-Christensen.

Labohm then looks at the German speaking part of Europe, where he writes that in Switzerland two associations are active in opposing AGW. One association is the Swiss branch of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change, NIPCC Suisse, which makes use of the research work of the NIPCC and its associates under Fred Singer.” Other influential associations in the German speaking area include the Initiative Against the Climate Scam, IKLIS.8, the European Institute for Climate and Energy (EIKE), which “plays a central role” and “runs an excellent website and has organised successful climate conferences”.

Labohm’s report also looks at the development of Germany’s two most prominent and visible sceptics: Prof. Fritz Vahrenholt (green activist) and Dr. Sebastian Lüning (geologist) who published their “bombshell book ‘Die Kalte Sonne’ (The Cold Sun’)”, which was extensively covered by renowned media such as Bild, Die Welt, and Der Spiegel.

Moreover, the warmists recently took one to the chin, as Stefan Rahmstorf, who lavishly uses “ad hominem attacks and insinuations that his opponents lack qualifications and/or are being paid by industry”, lost a court case against science journalist Irene Meichsner, who had sued Rahmstorf “for spreading false accusations of inaccurate reporting”.

France also has vocal skeptics with Claude Allègre (former minister of education), Vincent Courtillot and Jean-Louis Le Mouël. Labohm also writes that in Great Britain “climate scepticism is very much alive and kicking”, thanks to the massive efforts of Lord Monckton, Benny Peiser, Martin Durkin and Andrew Montford, to name a few.

Fortunately, the climate science debate is not hopelessly polarized everywhere. Take the Netherlands for example. Labohm writes:

In my own country, The Netherlands, the relationship between protagonists and antagonists of the AGW hypothesis has markedly improved over the last few years. In line with the Dutch tradition of consensus-seeking (‘polder culture’), it has been possible to establish something close to a real dialogue between the two camps, which is pretty unique in the world. Climate scepticism has even received official recognition, thus undermining the information monopoly of climate alarmists.”

At the end of the analysis, Labohm tells us why European diplomacy is creating “a convenient alibi to pull out of the Kyoto process at some point in the future, without losing face”. You’ll have to read his overview when it is published to find out why. So don’t expect much out of Doha.

Finally, Labohm also calls Europe’s emissions trading system (ETS) a failure: “Europe’s experience with ETS is dismal. The system is expensive and prone to massive fraud. Moreover it did not stop the increase in Europe’s CO2 emissions”.

Overall, the Energy and Environment report by Labohm is 7 pages chock-full with analyses of the skeptic movement in Europe. Best of all, it provides vast encouragement and motivation to those seeking to continue pushing the debate on climate science. The battle is definitely downhill.

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Dr. Hans H.J. Labohm is an independent economist and author specialised in climate issues. He is former dpt. Foreign Policy Planning Advisor at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, former dpt. Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the OECD, former Senior Visiting Fellow and Advisor to the Board of the Netherlands Institute of International Relations (Clingendael) and former (critical) expert reviewer of the IPCC. Together with Dick Thoenes and Simon Rozendaal, he wrote: ‘Man–Made Global Warming: Unravelling a Dogma’, MultiScience Publishing Company, 2004.

 

10 responses to “Dr. Hans Labohm On Scepticism In Europe: “The Tide Is Turning…Very Much Alive And Kicking””

  1. DirkH

    While Dutch warmists might have a polder culture, German warmists, headquartered in Potsdam near Berlin, have a Bunker mentality.

    Germany has a relatively early and cold start of winter. On Monday the 3rd of December I saw snow on the Kassel mountains and on the Rhön; today, 7th of Dec, afain snow on the Rhön and in Braunschweig.

    To compare: The winter 3 years ago which was the first of two extremely cold and snow-rich winters (La Nina winters) (at least extremely cold compared to the mild winters of the warming 80ies and 90ies, some of which had no snow at all, meaning they barely went below zero or not at all) started at about the 20th of December. (I remember because I slipped off the road; no damage done)

  2. Dr. Hans Labohm On Scepticism In Europe: “The Tide Is Turning…Very Much Alive And Kicking” | Cranky Old Crow

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  3. Rog Tallbloke

    Thanks for this report. It is encouraging so see that all around Europe the good sense of ordinary people and sceptical climate bloggers is taking effect in forcing a real debate.

    Also worth a mention:
    In Italy, Michele Casati PhD and his daltonsminima blog
    In Spain, Tim Cullen, a talkshop contributor and guest author
    In Norway, http://klimaforskning.com/
    In Portugal http://terrorismoclimatico.blogspot.com.br/

    The debate is entering a new phase, where the media is waking up to the reality of colder times ahead.

    1. DirkH

      You’re dreaming, Roger. Just for fun I just googled “Klimawandel” (climate change) in the german google news page and found tons and tons of breathless reports about Doha, and here’s a GEM from Dec 05th by “conservative” Die Welt interviewing one Dennis Meadow of Club Of Rome/Limits To Growth fame who assures us that “Climate Change Is Unstoppable” (he means CO2AGW of course).
      http://www.welt.de/wissenschaft/umwelt/article111821972/Experte-sieht-Klimawandel-voranschreiten.html

      (Most) German journalists would rather cut off their leg than stopping believing in CO2AGW and all its sweet effortless headlines.

    2. DirkH
      1. DirkH

        The easiest and most effortless way to deliver an article is for a German journalist to take some warmist press release, interview or fairytale and send it to his editor.

        He can take the rest of the day off or do his private business on company time.

        They love it to bits.

  4. Bruce

    Wish the same could be said over here across the pond. The alarmists, politicians, eco-nuts, and green profiteers do their best not to acknowledge any sort of debate. They love the term “settled science,” where if one actually understands true science, the truth is that nothing is ever settled, and all is open to review and criticism at all times.

  5. Weekly Climate and Energy News Roundup | Watts Up With That?
  6. Brian H

    Faced with the choice of spending a great deal and getting nothing versus spending a little and getting a lot, even Europeans may be induced to make a sane choice.

    Nah, it’ll never happen.

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