Barry Brill

Barry Brill

Credentials

Background

Barry Brill is a New Zealand barrister and solicitor and the former NZ Minister of Science & Technology and Minister of Energy. He is currently chairman of the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition.

The New Zealand Climate Science Coalition is a group founded by a group of climate skeptics including Vincent Gray, Gerrit van der Lingen, August Auer, Bob Carter, Warwick Hughes, and Owen McShane. The NZCSC accused NIWA of manipulating climate data to exaggerate the global warming trend in New Zealand.4Tim Lambert. “New Zealand Climate Science Coalition caught lying about temperature trends,” Deltoid, November 26, 2009. Archived January 25, 2012. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6f7n3vqQk But NZCSC lost its High Court challenge and was lambasted by the judge.

According to his resume (PDF), he has served as the director of Perocorp Exploration Co of NZ Ltd 1982-86, NZ Broadcasting Corporation 1970-72, Wellington Hospital Board 1974-77, Wellington Savings Bank 1976-81, Open Polytech of New Zealand Inc 1999-03, and is currently director of the Manukau Institute of Technology Inc. (since 2003).

He also has associations with New Zealand energy and petroleum companies, having been on the boards of Power New Zealand Ltd and Electricity Supply Association of NZ. He has been a director of Electricity Market Co Ltd, Pacific Energy Ltd, and Petrocorp Exploration (NZ) Ltd.

Stance on Climate Change

“There are many peer-reviewed scientific studies indicating that we should blame the 1980-98 warming blip on natural cycles, clouds, oceanic cooling, cosmic rays, sunspots and other solar influences. […] It may turn out that there is no world climate, only many local climates — and, like the weather, they may prove to be forever chaotic and unpredictable.”5Facts don’t support climate campaigners.” Barry Brill. The Bisborne Herald. February 26, 2010.

Key Quotes

“The official temperature record is wrong. The instrumental raw data correctly show that New Zealand average temperatures have remained remarkably steady at 12.6°C +/- 0.5°C for a century and a half. NIWA’s doctoring of that data is indefensible.”6Crisis in New Zealand climatology.” May 15, 2010. Quadrant Online.

Key Deeds

July 7–9, 2014

Barry Brill was a speaker at the Heartland Institute’s Ninth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC9) in Las Vegas, Nevada. 7Return of Climate Denial-a-Palooza: Heartland Institute Hitches Anti-Science Wagon to Vegas FreedomFest,” DeSmog, July 7, 2014. Archived July 14, 2014. Brill’s speech was titled “Paris 2015 Will Out-Flunk Copenhagen 2009”:8Barry Brill, ICCC9 (Panel 12),” International Conferences on Climate Change. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/e3gQi

DeSmog has done in-depth research on the other speakers and sponsors from Heartland’s ICCC9, which can be found here.

June 2011

Barry Brill was a speaker at the Heartland Institute‘s Sixth International Conference on Climate Change.9Sixth International Conference on Climate Change” (PDF), The Heartland Institute. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

October 1, 2010

Barry Brill was a speaker at the Heartland Institute’s Fifth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC5) in Sydney, Australia:10Barry Brill, ICCC5,” International Conferences on Climate Change. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/I6rqA

ICCC5 was a “seminar on climate change” that took place following the Pacific Rim Policy Exchange. It was billed as “two days of workshops and brainstorming with free market advocates from the Pacific Rim.”11Pac Rim Policy Exchange Day 2,” Pacrimpolicyexchange.com. Archived July 15, 2008. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Qt1mS

July 16-17 2010

Barry Brill spoke at a “Clearing the Air climate change forum” organized by the New Zealand Christian Network (visionnetwork) and Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland.

Brill argued that we should be prepared to adapt to (rather than attempt to prevent) climate change, saying that “Farmers have adapted all over the world in all ways to changes in climate. The Dutch people have reacted to sea levels that got too high. And we can adapt.”12Climate change audio extracts,” New Zealand Christian Network, August 25, 2010. Archived March 10, 2011.

Affiliations

Past Chairman/president:13“SUBMISSION on The Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill” (PDF), New Zealand Parliament, October 13, 2009. Archived May 8, 2010. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

  • Power New Zealand Ltd (1992-97).
  • E Electricity Supply Association of NZ.
  • NZ Manufacturers Federation Inc (1988-91).
  • Buy New Zealand Made Ltd (1989-95).
  • Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern) (1999-2001).
  • Business New Zealand (Vice president, 2001- 04).

Past Director:14“SUBMISSION on The Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill” (PDF), New Zealand Parliament, October 13, 2009. Archived May 8, 2010. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

  • Electricity Market Co Ltd (1994-97).
  • Pacific Energy Ltd (1992-97).
  • Petrocorp Exploration (NZ) Ltd.
  • Waitaki International Ltd (1985-90).
  • Advanced Foods of NZ Ltd (1985-90).
  • Hawkes Bay Farmers Meat Co Ltd (1986-90).
  • Protech Engineering Ltd (1986-90).
  • Supercool Industries Ltd (1986-99).
  • Martha Hill Gold Mine JV (1987-90).
  • Allflex Holdings Ltd (1988-89).
  • Export Institute of NZ Inc (1984-87).
  • Australia-New Zealand Business Council Inc (1984-89).
  • Japan-New Zealand Business Council Inc (1988-92).
  • NZ Employers Federation Inc (1997-2001).
  • NZ Manufacturers Federation Inc (1997-2001).
  • NZ Business and Industry Advisory Council Inc (1997 – 2005).

Leader:15“SUBMISSION on The Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill” (PDF), New Zealand Parliament, October 13, 2009. Archived May 8, 2010. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

  • NZ Gas Mission to UK (1980).
  • Industry Mission to Pacific (1995).

Publications

According to a search of Google Scholar, Barry Brill has not published in a peer-reviewed journal on any subject.

He does not appear to have expert credibility on the subject of climate.

Other Resources

Resources

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