The scientific consensus that climate change is caused by human activity reached 100 percent this year. All 11,602 studies published on the issue in the first seven months of 2019 reflected this reality, according to a study published last week in the Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society (h/t Ed Maibach.)
Also published last Wednesday? This story by Graham Readfearn, wherein Rupert Murdoch is asked why NewsCorp “gives climate deniers… so much airtime in Australia?” In response, Murdoch assured stockholders that “there are no climate change deniers around” NewsCorp, and then rattled off some stats about reducing the company’s carbon footprint.
Phew! What a relief to know that Murdoch’s multi-continental media machine gives no platform to climate deniers. Oh, what’s that? We should maybe take a look and see if perhaps Murdoch is in denial about the rampant denial in his news outlets?
Hmm, actually, yes; it seems just two days after Murdoch’s assurance, his Australian ran a lovely op-ed by Ian Plimer that claims “there are no carbon emissions” and “it has never been shown that human emissions of carbon dioxide drive global warming.” Doesn’t get much more denier-y than that!
ClimateFeedback had its actual experts look at the piece. As it turns out, carbon emissions are real, and are driving climate change, despite Plimer’s denials. Shocking, we know.
Reviewer Mark Richardson notes that “some of these false statements have been obviously wrong for years.” Willem Huiskamp, another expert, offers a possible explanation for what he describes as Plimer’s “absurd collection of non-sequiturs, distortions, and outright falsehoods that have been thoroughly debunked over the past decade,” asserting that “this is obvious propaganda from someone with close financial ties to the fossil fuel industry.”
Expert Katrin Meissner said that “the Australian should be ashamed of itself” and asked “What’s next? An opinion piece on the flat Earth theory?” And reviewer Twila Moon summarized it as “a laundry list of falsehoods, misleading examples, and facts taken out of context. It is appalling that such a blatantly false article can be published in any credible news outlet today.”
But that’s where she’s wrong! It was published by Murdoch media, not a credible news outlet.
