Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Climate skeptic Tim Ball
Accused of falsifying data on climate change, Canadian scientist Andrew Weaver is suing fellow expert Tim Ball, an outspoken skeptic of the issue, for defamation.
Weaver, a researcher at the University of Victoria and former editor of Journal of Climate, claims that Ball, a former professor of climatology at the University of Winnipeg, disparaged him in an article published by the conservative website, Canada Free Press. In “Corruption of Climate Science Has Created 30 Lost Years,” Ball wrote that Weaver had made up data while working on the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The lawsuit accuses Ball of saying that Weaver “cheated the Canadian taxpayer by accepting public funding for climate science research although he has little or no knowledge about climate science and is incapable of conducting useful research,” and that he “bribed university students with research funds so they would participate in useless computer modeling studies…”
The article was removed from the Canada Free Press site, which published a long retraction and apology to Weaver.
Weaver previously sued Canada’s National Post newspaper for libel in April 2010 after it published stories “accusing him of cherry-picking scientific data to support his research,” wrote Courthouse News Service.
The scientist also has made headlines for criticizing the UN climate change panel, saying it has been tainted by political advocacy. Weaver also demanded that the panel’s chairman resign, in an effort to steer the body back towards a course of neutrality.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Climatologist Claims Denier Defamed Him (by Darryl Greer, Courthouse News Service)
Notice of Civil Claim (Supreme Court of British Columbia) (pdf)
Canadian Scientist Says UN's Global Warming Panel 'Crossing the Line' (by Richard Foot, Canwest News Service)
Climate Scientist Sues Skeptic for Libel (by John Collins Rudolf, New York Times)
Comments