Hoodwinked By A Green Zealot: The Scientist Behind The Dash For Diesel Called CO2 ‘Worse Than Terror’

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF)
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The scientist behind the dash for diesel is a committed climate change activist who once described global warming as a greater threat than terrorism.

Professor Sir David King, 77, was the architect of the policy to cut fuel duty for diesel cars as Tony Blair’s personal scientist.

Professor Sir David King, 77, was the architect of the policy to cut fuel duty for diesel cars as Tony Blair’s personal scientist

Yesterday he admitted he got it wrong, having been driven by an obsession with carbon emissions. The former Government chief scientific adviser, knighted in 2003, has presided over many controversies.

In 2004 he wrote in the journal Science: ‘In my view, climate change is the most severe problem that we are facing today – more serious even than the threat of terrorism.’

He refused to back down when called in to Parliament and asked about his comments, which came just three years after the 9/11 attacks….

His strong belief in man-made climate change has seen him publish a book, The Hot Topic, on how to tackle global warming, and he has been accused of being a politician in scientist’s clothing for his strong views.

Just over a decade ago the chemist warned that temperatures will rise to dangerous levels within decades, leaving large sections of Britain’s coastline under water, while 400 million people could go hungry.

He has also said that global warming is pushing thousands of animals and plants towards extinction.

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via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF) http://www.thegwpf.com

April 4, 2017 at 08:34PM

Editorial: Diesel Drivers Pay The Price Of Green Zealotry

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF)
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As confessions of incompetence go, Sir David King’s admission that he was absolutely wrong to advocate diesel cars could hardly be more damning.

In his role as the former chief scientific adviser to the government – and until last month, special representative for climate change – this is a man on whom the public were entitled to rely for scrupulously impartial judgment, based on facts.

Yet now this fervent campaigner against carbon emissions admits he let himself be duped by carmakers who claimed they had solved the more toxic problem of nitrogen oxides spewed out by diesel engines.

His confession comes too late for millions who tried to do the environmentally friendly thing by switching from petrol after Labour cut diesel fuel duty in 2001.

Nor can it help those whose health has suffered from diesel pollutants, which are linked to dementia and childhood breathing problems and, most chilling of all, are said to contribute to thousands of deaths.

So will it be the carmakers – still fiddling emissions tests on an industry-wide scale – who are punished for their deceit? Or government advisers and politicians such as Lord Prescott, Neil Kinnock and Gordon Brown, who banged the drum for diesel?

No, with depressing predictability, those footing the bill for this huge blunder will be the families who did as they were advised.

They now face crippling charges for driving diesels in low-emission zones, while the resale value of their cars – the second-biggest purchase of their lives, after their homes – is sure to plummet. As for King, he gets a knighthood!

Listening to the likes of London mayor Sadiq Khan, anyone would think diesel owners were the villains. Yet aren’t they owed a massive apology by the politicians and advisers who misled them?

How many other crimes against the environment, health – and our wallets –have been committed in the name of green zealotry?

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via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF) http://www.thegwpf.com

April 4, 2017 at 08:34PM

Scientific Advice Promoting Diesel ‘Was Wrong’, Former Chief Scientist Admits

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF)
http://www.thegwpf.com

The chief scientist under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown has admitted successive governments were wrong to encourage people to buy diesel vehicles.

Sir David King, the chief scientific adviser from 2000 to 2007 and special representative for climate change until last week, said that the government had overestimated the impact of European regulations when it decided to encourage people to buy diesel vehicles from 2001 onwards.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that meeting CO₂ targets, which were part of the climate change agenda, was the priority at the time. “What was on our minds very heavily was how do we reduce carbon dioxide emissions given the challenge of climate change. Diesel-driven vehicles can do more miles per gallon and it seemed an obvious way forward to go down the diesel route.”

Asked about the 1999 government report recommending they steer clear of incentivising diesel purchases, he said ministers at the time thought that tighter regulations from Brussels would address the problem.

“What we were anticipating was that the Euro standards being met would mean that diesel manufacturers would have to reduce their NOx emissions . . . It turns out we were wrong.”

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via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF) http://www.thegwpf.com

April 4, 2017 at 08:34PM

Cavalcade of Wind Farm Chaos: Turbines Collapse, Explode & Get Shot by Angry Neighbour

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STT’s sub-editor had a pretty tough time coming up with a headline that had some hope of capturing the cavalcade of chaos detailed in the stories below. We’ll start with yet another turbine collapse in the Emerald Isle. Wind turbine collapses as storms batter Northern Ireland Belfast Telegraph David Young 03 February 2017 High winds […]

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April 4, 2017 at 07:30PM