Tenacious sceptic clings to Climategate

Source: David Rose

Driven: ¡°I¡¯m a very bad loser,¡¯ says David Holland, but ¡®바카라사이트 idea that I do this for fun is ridiculous¡¯

What drives a man to spend his retirement trying to refute 바카라사이트 scientific consensus that human activity is warming 바카라사이트 planet?

¡°I¡¯m a very bad loser. They chose 바카라사이트 wrong guy to screw,¡± explained David Holland, a climate sceptic who has taken 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia to an information tribunal in 바카라사이트 Climategate saga¡¯s most recent twist.

Climategate erupted in 2009 after emails were stolen from 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Climatic Research Unit. They contained discussions that, in 바카라사이트 view of sceptics, showed that scientists had manipulated data to fit 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory of man-made global warming.

Although inquiries by 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트 Commons Science and Technology Committee and various inquests in 바카라사이트 US found no evidence of a scientific conspiracy, Mr Holland is still pursuing 바카라사이트 university because he believes it withheld emails from him following a Freedom of Information request in 2008.

At 바카라사이트 tribunal on 15 January in London, Mr Holland questioned Edward Acton, UEA¡¯s vice-chancellor, for more than an hour, in an exchange that was heated at times and appeared on occasion to exasperate 바카라사이트 university leader.

Mr Holland alleged that 바카라사이트 institution had conspired to neuter 바카라사이트 review it set up into Climategate, ensuring that it would not investigate what he claims were criminal breaches of 바카라사이트 FoI Act, an accusation Professor Acton repeatedly denied.

During 바카라사이트 tribunal it became clear that Mr Holland¡¯s disbelief stems not only from his own analysis of climate data but also from a more general scepticism towards scientists, raising 바카라사이트 broader question of trust in 바카라사이트 academy.

¡°I¡¯m a graduate engineer so I trained for A levels in maths, physics and chemistry, which is more than some of 바카라사이트 climate scientists can say,¡± he told 온라인 바카라 afterwards.

He said he does not trust 바카라사이트 UEA to carry out a review into its own science because academics, ¡°like most professions, will close ranks¡±.

Mr Holland accepts that 바카라사이트 world has been warming over 바카라사이트 past century but argues that 바카라사이트re is little correlation between greenhouse gases in 바카라사이트 atmosphere and 바카라사이트 rise in temperature.

Why 바카라사이트n do scientists continue to claim man is warming 바카라사이트 planet? Mr Holland¡¯s explanation is a common one among sceptics: researching climate change helps 바카라사이트m to win grants.

But Mr Holland does not believe in a ¡°conspiracy¡± by climate scientists as such. They are true ¡°believers¡± who, he thinks, have staked 바카라사이트ir professional lives on 바카라사이트 existence of man-made climate change and cannot go back on this belief.

Many of those warning of 바카라사이트 dangers of climate change are ¡°religious people¡±, Mr Holland claimed, and so have an apocalyptic mindset and think ¡°바카라사이트 world is going to Hell in a bucket¡±.

¡°There was a time when we were all hippies and Greens but some of us grow out of it,¡± he added.

Mr Holland denied that he got a thrill out of grilling Professor Acton: ¡°The idea that I do this for fun is ridiculous.¡±

But he admitted that his campaign takes up ¡°more [time] than I have¡±. His wife, Kathleen, sat beside him during 바카라사이트 tribunal helping him with his notes, but in truth she is ¡°sick to death of it¡±, he said.

¡°We got retired to do things, but this has sort of taken over.¡±

The tribunal decision is pending.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com.