Wednesday, January 6, 2010

The BBC is biased on global warming? Who says?

The BBC says so! Well, they haven't quite said so yet, but the BBC is at least asking if maybe they are a bit biased on "climate change." According to the inimitable James Delingpole of the Daily Telegraph, who has been generating millions of hits on his blog lately by taking the contrarian view on anthropogenic global warming (AGW), the BBC has decided to launch a review of its science coverage with particular reference to AGW and genetically modified foods. The Daily Mail, in the course of reporting this story, notes that:

"Last year a leading climate change sceptic claimed his views had been deliberately misrepresented by the BBC. Lord Monckton, a former adviser to Margaret Thatcher, said he had been made to look like a 'potty peer' on a TV programme that 'was a one-sided polemic for the new religion of global warming'.

In 2007 the then editor of Newsnight hit out at the BBC's stance on climate change. Peter Barron said it was 'not the corporation's job to save the planet'. His comments were backed up by other senior news executives who feared the BBC was 'leading' the audience, rather than giving them 'information'. Mr Barron had claimed the BBC had gone beyond its remit by planning an entire day of programmes dedicated to highlighting environmental fears.

His comments had come after the broadcaster had already been accused of not being objective on green issues and of handing over the airwaves to campaigners. In 2007 it had devoted a whole day of programming to the Live Earth concerts."

The website Biased BBC has a good assortment of examples of biased reporting.

In other news, the Times of London is a little embarrassed today after putting up posters all over the underground touting their excellent science coverage and then finding out that the posters were inaccurate - as in very, very wrong. It is such a nuisance the way those pesky facts keep getting in the way of the new global warming religion. Here is the story here and here.

They say that the oppressed, little people can bear being laughed at and can even laugh at themselves, but that our rulers cannot bear to be mocked. (The Devil is also a proud spirit and cannot abide being mocked. He is one of the rulers of this world too, come to think of it.) Anyway, one of the funniest things on the net is the collection of music videos on the website of Minnesotans for Global Warming. My favorite is "Hide the Decline" with "Imagine There's No Global Warming" a close second. But honorable mention has to go to "If I Had Some Global Warming," which is set to the tune of "If I Had a Million Dollars" by the Canadian group "Barenaked Ladies." You can even buy their CD and help set the flamingos free!

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