The author of this book is almost certainly a professional liar or deluded or - giving him the most benefit-of-the-doubt possible - he is seriously misled and is not capable of making a valid rational assessment of data and evidence in the face of the glaringly obvious. He uses cherry picked phases taken out of context, misleading logical fallacies and well established black propaganda techniques. Although people like this are definitely consciously using exactly the same tactics that the tobacco industry once used (to try and avoid liability for the fact that they were knowingly killing their customers) they misrepresent (they lie about) their position as being one of scepticism. It is not. They are impervious to information that conflicts with their position (most of it!) and they deliberately select and twist and misrepresent that small portion that is ambiguous. This is nothing like climate change scepticism, this is out and out denial and lying.
Author Chris Horner: http://www.desmogblog.com/chris-horner http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Chris_Horner Horner's basic modus operandi is functionally identical to Rush Limbaugh's pernicious drivel. Here is a sample Limbaugh quote "Despite the hysterics of a few pseudo-scientists, there is no reason to believe in global warming." This is a an example of a "Big Lie" (actually a colossally gigantic lie) taken straight from the "101" handbook of deception and propaganda as used by Goebbels. The Heartland institute deniers conference has just taken place where these Big Lies were ten a penny and objective truth and analysis were conspicuous by their absence. This took place (probably not coincidentally) more or less simultaneously with the Copenhagen conference of genuine climate scientists which sketches out an uncomfortable future. http://www.climateark.org/CopenhagenClimateConference/ Heartland Institute funded their "deniers conference". Heartland has a long history of being well-funded by the tobacco industry and fossil fuel companies. Not that Heartland discloses which corporations and foundations fund its operations; it, like many think tanks, prefers secrecy. Heartland president James L. Bast recently claimed that "by not disclosing our donors, we keep the focus on the issue." Probably enough said! Here's a pdf file about general denier tactics http://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/global%20warming%20denial%20industry%20PR%20techniques%20report%20March%202009.pdf An excerpt: "There is a long and well-documented history of the development of very effective public relations techniques that are used to create doubt about the realities of scientific conclusions that threaten to impose government regulation on corporations. Most of these techniques were developed and honed by public relations professionals working on behalf of the tobacco companies to downplay the harmful health effects of cigarettes in the late 80's and early 90's. For the last ten years or so, these same PR techniques have been used very effectively by free-market think tanks and fossil-fuel funded organizations to sow public doubt about the realities of climate change in the hopes of delaying government action on the issue." Thomas Malloy is fond of implying that liberals and environmentalists and anyone he perceives as being left of him are actually suffering from mental illness. He has been note to quote some bonkers source that claims this exact point. Thomas said today: "Leftists are smart enough, but they have an insanity which makes them unable to see the error of their ways. Specifically, they seem unable to overcome the effects of this insanity" Does this remind anyone of the situation of the loony in the asylum telling anyone who will listen that they're the only one who is sane and everyone outside in the world is mad? Nick Palmer On the side of the Planet - and the people - because they're worth it
