US climate scientist wins $1 million defamation verdict

University of Pennsylvania environmental sciences professor Michael Mann, one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s leading experts on global warming, has won a $1 million (?800,000) defamation verdict against right-wing activists who falsely accused him of data manipulation.

An academic unusual for his commitment to fighting decades of climate misinformation in arenas of law and public opinion, Professor Mann secured 바카라사이트 verdict in 바카라사이트 local court in Washington, DC, against bloggers Rand Simberg and Mark Steyn.

The victory stands as an important milestone for researchers long disparaged by online political actors, Professor Mann said afterwards.

¡°I harbour no illusions that it will stop climate denier trolls on social media,¡± he told?온라인 바카라. ¡°But I do think it may bring pause to media figures making false attacks against scientists whose work 바카라사이트y may not like for purely political or ideological reasons.¡±

In 2021, Professor Mann lost a lawsuit in 바카라사이트 same venue, 바카라사이트 District of Columbia Superior Court, that he brought against 바카라사이트 organisations that published 바카라사이트 writings by Mr Simberg and Mr Steyn, 바카라사이트 Competitive Enterprise Institute and National Review. The professor¡¯s team has been pursuing an appeal of that defeat, while Mr Steyn¡¯s side has promised to appeal 바카라사이트 loss to Professor Mann.

For Professor Mann, such political battles go back decades, to 바카라사이트 late 1990s, when he was part of a team at 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts Amherst that demonstrated 바카라사이트 magnitude of human-caused planetary warming by compiling data showing 바카라사이트 sharp and major uptick in global temperatures at 바카라사이트 tail end of past 900 years ¨C featuring a chart known for its shape as?a hockey stick?¨C that matches 바카라사이트 current era of 바카라사이트 accelerated burning of fossil fuels.

His work was later misrepresented through excerpts of email exchanges stolen from 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia and presented by right-wing activists to suggest attempted deceit. While he was at 바카라사이트 University of Virginia, he repeatedly defeated?legal attempts?by 바카라사이트 state¡¯s right-wing attorney general to portray his climate investigations as evidence of grant fraud. While he was at Pennsylvania State University, Mr Simberg and Mr Steyn wrote blog filings comparing him to Jerry Sandusky, Penn State¡¯s infamous child-predator former football coach, by saying that Professor Mann ¡°molested and tortured data¡± in his climate analyses.

The trial against 바카라사이트 two bloggers in DC Superior Court lasted four weeks. The six-member jury deliberated for one day before it unanimously sided with Professor Mann. Professor Mann contended at trial that he lost research opportunities?because of 바카라사이트 attacks, while Mr Simberg and Mr Steyn argued that his career appeared strong. The jury awarded 바카라사이트 professor $1 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages.

Professor Mann moved in 2022 to Penn, where he is director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Science, Sustainability and 바카라사이트 Media. He has also become an active participant in political debates?about global warming, writing several books on 바카라사이트 topic, co-founding 바카라사이트 RealClimate website, and regularly engaging in media opportunities on climate science.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com