Medusa Institute

Dr. Judith Curry during a recent radio interview and subsequently in one of her blog posts claimed that Heartland is a small player. She also believes that Anthony Watts and Steve McIntyre have more influence over the climate discussion than Heartland and its personnel. Look at the next picture and decide who you think has more influence over the really important people – policy makers and business leaders. (Hint: Heartland’s President agrees with me. See Dr. Curry’s post to read his chest-puffing message to her.)

Heartland Institute – A web of climate misinformation and well-connected in DC.

Click for larger image.

Remember, Heartland Institute is just one player. There are many others just like them.

Medusa Institute

My other posts about Heartland and its personnel:

• Heartland Institute: Hey Kids, Have a Smoke and Denial
• Heartland Serves Threatening Letters, Climate Science Legal Defense Fund & PEER Hit Back
• Heartland Institute’s Non-Experts: “You Experts Are All Wrong!”
• Forbes Magazine: Wrong is Right
• Fred Singer is a lot like George Costanza
• NM Energy Secretary Harrison Schmitt Frozen in Denial

Advertisement

Anthony Watts’ Minions Attack Mike Mann and Make Mockery of Amazon Review Process

Sigh. I knew it was going to happen eventually. It is a shame that the science deniers are much better organized than the rational people. As of 8 AM this morning, Dr. Michael E. Mann’s latest book The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars: Dispatches from the Front Lines had 15 reviews, all of which were 5 stars. My review (posted below) had 58 out of 59 votes for being helpful.

Enter climate science denier Anthony Watts whose blog has never missed an opportunity to smear a climate scientist.  This morning, Watts posted about Mike Mann’s new book and within hours the Amazon reviews turned ugly. Of course, Watts tells his readers “While I realize that many people don’t want to buy this book, please don’t pull a Peter Gleick and do reviews apparently in absentia.” referring to his false claim that National Academy of Sciences member Dr. Peter Gleick posted a 1 star review of Donna Laframboise’s book without reading it. I also read that book and it deserved the 1 star.  Watts has a history of doing this.

As of 7 PM EST tonight there are now eleven 1 star reviews and all of the 5 star reviews are being sabotaged by vote downs and negative comments. My detailed review is suddenly not helpful – only favored by 87/172 people.  The top 1 star review is highlighted below:

1 Star Reviewer Shows His Lack of Understanding of Basics

Wow!  This reviewer packs quite a few climate myths into the first paragraph.  Can you say Dunning-Kruger?  The debunking of these myths can be found by visiting Skeptical Science’s Arguments page and clicking on #71, #6, and #12.

These bad reviews and vote downs are an obvious hit job on Dr. Mann’s book by Anthony Watts’ anti-science minions. Sadly, the persecution of Mann continues and that is why people need to read this book. After reading one will see that this childish attack on the Amazon review system is just the tip of the iceberg for those who find scientific facts to be inconvenient.