Climate Science Denialist Lord Monckton's IPCC "Appointment" That Wasn't

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IT‘S DIFFICULT to really know where to start in describing Lord Christopher Monckton, one of the planet’s most outspoken deniers of the risks of human-caused climateย change.

You could say he’s the leader of the Scotland branch of a fringe UK political party, forย example.

Or describe him as the chief policy adviser to the Science and Public Policy Institute, a climate science-mangling organisation in the US which doesn’t disclose its funders.

But earlier this week, Lord Monckton gave himself anotherย title.

In an opinion column about how climate change had nothing to do with the deadly superstorm Sandy, Lord Monckton wrote how he was โ€œan appointed expert reviewer for the forthcoming โ€œFifth Assessment Reportโ€ to be published by the United Nationsโ€™ Intergovernmental Panel on Climateย Change.โ€

Now that’s pretty impressive stuff. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change gathers and summarises the world’s research on climateย change.

I wondered how one might be โ€œappointedโ€ as an โ€œexpert reviewerโ€, so I asked the secretariat at the IPCC about theย process.

Here’s what they told me (myย bolding).

Anyone can register as an expert reviewer on the open online registration systems set up by the working groups. All registrants that provide the information requested and confirm their scientific expertise via a self-declaration of expertise are accepted for participation in the review. They are invited to list publications, but that is not a requirement and the section canย be left blank when registering. There is no appointment.

Hang on. No appointment? But Lord Monckton just.. but he says that he.. right there, he just said he was appointed, all officialย like.

Now there are some appointed spots within the IPCC report-writing process. Lead Authors and Contributing Lead Authors are approved by the IPCC bureau, as are Review Editors. Contibuting Authors are generally invited by the Leadย Authors.

But reading the response from the IPCC, it sounds as though even I could get a gig as an โ€œexpert reviewerโ€. It would make a cracking addition to most people’s CV.ย 

Anyone out there who might be thinking about applying for a job that you just know in your heart of hearts you’re not qualified to do, might want to think about asking Lord Christopher Monckton for a bit ofย guidance.

Because when it comes to puffing out your CV, the non-Member of the House of Lords is highlyย skilled.

His modus operandi (aside from speaking Latin in interviews) appears to be that the more spectacular the claim, the less likely people are to disbelieve you.ย Like climate change science being a plot to โ€œshut down the westโ€, forย example.

So here, just a small handful of some of Monckton’s greatestย hits.

For lists of this stuff as long as one ofย Robert Wadlow‘s arms, visitย Monckton Myths,ย Barry Bickmore’s Monckton Rap Sheetย or look at Peter Hadfield’s Monckton Bunkum video series (watch the first oneย below).

Perhaps there’ll be more to add to these lists next year when Lord Monckton returns to Australia in February 2013 for another speaking tour. His 2011 visit was marred in controversy after he branded a prominent Australian government climate policy advisor a Nazi, prompting venues across Australia to cancel.

There’s some confusion about who is organising the tour. There areย reports that the fringe political group the Democratic Labor Party, who’s single Federal Senator is the anti-abortion climate sceptic John Madigan, are paying for hisย visit.

But the โ€œLord Monckton Foundationโ€ has claimed it is organising the visit. Regardless, I really can’tย wait.ย 

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