Journalism at its worst?
Look out for ABC’s Four Corners tonight at 8.30 Eastern. It promises to be another hatchet job on the filthy deniers, raking up all the usual nonsensical sob-stories, including the non-existent death threats story, as a way to garner sympathy for the poor old climate scientists. Sky News reports:
Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb says the climate change debate is continuing to hit new lows.
Professor Ian Chubb wants politicians to consider compelling evidence that human activity has adversely affected the climate through global warming.
He says while it’s important people have different views about climate science, there are concerns about the level of threats sent to those working in the field.
‘Every time I think it’s reached a low, we then go on and reach a new low,‘ Prof Chubb has told ABC Television’s Four Corners Program.
‘And I think that’s of very little benefits to us as we’re trying to grapple with what is a very serious problem that needs serious discussion.
‘I would urge politicians to look at all the evidence and to wonder why it might be that something like 32 national academies of science all around the world are all saying that it’s very likely that human activity has adversely affected our climate through global warming.’
One scientist told the program he and some of his colleagues have received threats of violence.
Professor Will Steffen [who else? – Ed] from the Australian National University’s Climate Change Institute says some were direct threats of violence, while others were ‘simply very nasty emails with veiled threats in them that what might happen to us in a very general way’.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the plunge in debate should be blamed on the Opposition’s preparedness to ‘abuse scientists’.
She says some Tea Party-type tactics being used in the US have been imported to Australia.
Climate Change Minister Greg Combet says Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has created ‘hyperventilating tripe’ about the impacts of carbon pricing as part of a quest to become the next prime minister.
‘I think the whole thing is really most unfortunate for our democracy, how it’s been hyped up, the call for the peoples’ revolt…’ (source)
Notice how there isn’t a single mention about keeping up standards of scientific integrity, or any criticism of the Team and the manner in which climate science has been politicised and corrupted. And notice also how Gillard and Combet blame everything on Tony Abbott! Hilarious! What about accepting responsibility for forcing through a policy with NO MANDATE which will achieve NOTHING for the climate? Geez.
I will force myself to watch it (probably tomorrow on the Foxtel IQ) although I would rather stick red hot needles in my eyeballs. If anyone would like to watch and write a review for ACM, feel free!
Australian Climate Madness 
Same shit….different day. When will these clowns get over the CO2 story …..CO2 is NOT a bloody pollutant! FFS.
Well it is little wonder that this hot topic is being timely aired tonight, as it is probably the only compulsory “class” to be taken by Labor MPs before voting for their “trust us” carbon tax, fully “edercated” by compelling “as seen on TV” evidence.
Thanks for the heads up, I can not wait to watch and to then read program critiques on ACM.
There is no debate – Gillard has gagged anybody who doesn’t agree with her point of view like the little Kim Jong Ill she is. Fail you socialist.
Fully Agree with you – she has silenced all open honest debate.
I am of the opinion that the IPCC is itself corrupt, and have recently found (credible) other’s with the same opinion.
…….. an IPCC expert reviewer has recently come out and said he believes: “The IPCC is fundamentally corrupt. The only ‘reform’ (of the IPCC) I could envisage would be its abolition.”
The PUSH is strong in Australia for a Carbon (dioxide) Tax…… Heaven needs to help us!!
http://justmeint.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/have-the-tame-scientists-told-bob-and-julia/
JoNova has an excellent summary on the apparent death threats. Basically the facts are this:
1. The only “death-threat letter” the ANU could name in June 2011 was five years old, which was not reported to the Police.
2. The other threat the ANU could “confirm” was a year old off-hand remark by an unknown person at a university function.
3. Other reports of threats were vague, without details, and are not being investigated by Police.
4. When they had “quotes” they turned out to be just rude emails with lots of “f” words. Regrettable, unnecessary, but not death threats.
5. The “worst” rude emails they could find were shamelessly recycled from a year before.
6. The security cards issued to climate scientists turned out to be a standard issue upgrade.
7. Most threats of violence come from those pushing the global warming campaign towards skeptics.
If the ABC’s report were fair dinkum it will report these facts … well let’s see!
PS: The reporter for the 4 Corners show is none other than Marian Wilkinson … Environment Editor for the Sydney Morning Herald, AGW alarmist and left-wing intellectual.
WARNING: Don’t expect an unbiased report.
There is NO WAY that I will be subjecting myself to any more of the ABC’s warmist propaganda. I’m tired of being angry….and I couldn’t trust myself not to throw something at my television if I saw it…
I watched it and was unimpressed. Usual government spin – ‘carbon pollution’ – ‘clean energy future’ – ‘carbon pricing’ – ‘good vs evil/science vs skeptics’ … the usual garbage we’ve come to expect from our ALPBC.
Simon, I’d stick with the red hot needles in the eyeballs trick. Believe me, it.s a better deal!
News ? How can same old, same old, be news ?
I would like to help you with writing a review of said program, however it would likely result in my nice new plasma screen being damaged as I hurled my remote through it.
I’m with you…as per my post above…..
I would watch it, but …
The ABC is just another socialist mouthpiece for labour, so its no surprise they push the socialist C02 anti-human green agenda…
There’s reason, though, for defenders of truth in science to take heart and for the alarmist industry to despair.
A recent CBS poll found that those who believe that global warming is caused by human activity are a minority, 42% (and conceivably smaller if the question addressed the extent and implications of that warming).
Even more telling is the perceived importance of global warming. It was a high priority for 52% of those polled by CBS in April 2007, dropping to 37% in December 2009. In the current CBS poll, global warming does not even rate a mention in a list of 26 “problems facing” the country.
As a journalist, I’ve just watched Four Corners and I can tell you it was effectively a government documentary: a shamelessly biased one-sided account of the carbon tax’s introduction into parliament, complete with the acceptance of the government’s spinning of carbon dioxide emissions as “pollution”. Journalism is supposed to be sceptical of everything, especially governments of all persuasions. This was advocacy and propaganda. For our $1 billion a year, we are entitled to expect from the ABC objective journalism that at least window-dresses the concept of impartiality. The ABC is now not only actively working for one side of politics, but its editors and producers are so ignorant they think the population is too stupid to notice – or they’re too callously partisan to care that they are corrupting their craft.
“…I’ve just watched Four Corners and I can tell you it was effectively a government documentary”
Which is precisely why I won’t watch it…
Some things never change, and ABC bias is one of them. You did well to endure it in my opinion.
Seems to be some black kettle denying going on. Was it Tony Abbott who used that offensive language? Sorry to all you fellow deniers like me out there.
I’m a denier…..and proud of it…
you’re point is?
Following the assertions made on ABC 4 corners program… as a perceived skeptic / non believer GJTB wants it to be known that it is NOT influenced by Tony Abbott or any political party.
GJTB believes that it is rather odd that at best, Australia’s chief scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, can only say “very likely” that human activity has adversely affected the climate through global warming.
Especially interesting, as the Prime Minister constantly sprouts that the science is “in”.
Typical media biased from the ABC who install hatred against the Liberal party … there should be a media inquirey ASAP and not just on Murdoch papers!
I watched it. I don’t think I have ever screamed the word “bullsh_t” at a tv screen so much…
That so called professor is career political clown polishing labor benches. He is an insult to genuine scientists and is of same callibre as Garnaut, Flannery and Anna Maria Arabia. All are labor appointees and living off the Australian taxpayer. Same applies to the Climate change propaganda divison of CSIRO and their President who also became political prostitutes. Much worse types than those Thompson liked to hire.
I refuse to watch Communist ABC TV . From what I’ve heard 4C’s and other ABC shows are biased and based on bullshit. The ABC should move to China or some other Communist country and take Juliar and her group of clowns where they should all feel right at home.
I just heard on MTR 1377 an interview by Steve Vizard with Barnaby Joyce, Barnaby is apparently is going to seek a seat in the Lower House. I wonder how that will play out?
I was most disgusted by the subtlety of the bias.
They appeared to portray both sides but definitely gave the extra 30 second sound bites to the government and the rude condecending giggle to the opposition.
Alas “Aunty” is pretty vile these days when it comes to unbiased reporting.
I wonder if Jonothan Holmes will be reporting on what a journalistic outrage last nights show was…..
I used to be fan of 4 corners a few years back when they were honest hardhitting professional journalist there now a propaganda arm of the Gillard government since they received $250,000,000 of taxpayers money.
It has been indisputably proven that whatever Australia does in regard to reducing the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere – like bringing in a Carbon Dioxide Tax – there will actually be a increase of the temperature level because oif the huge CO2 level increases frim China and India.
So hitting us with a really hurtful Tax will achieve nothing but closure of many businesses, loss of many jobs and a huge increase in our costs of living.
Hi Geoff,
The CO2 scam started with Al Gore, the notable scientist, who is memorable for the photo of him looking down the barrel of a gun.
We are going to trust someone who is stupid enough to do that?
http://whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/goregallery.html
Well I watched the show last night and thought for an ABC show on AGW it was reasonably balanced.
Any one thinking the show was going to come out and say that AGW was crap was going to be disappointed but there was no Poly Bears clinging to the last block of ice on earth and from what I remember only one shot of a coal burning power station.
I don’t think either side could have walked away thinking they had won.
The worst part was having to sit through Will Stephen bleating on about the science but that was merciful short.
I turned it off when the ABC intro started with “we produce more emissions per capita than any other nation”. OK morons here are some some per capita statistics for you. We have more hectares of wilderness reserve p/s than other nation. We have more pristine coastline p/c than other nation Tasmania has more renewable energy p/c than other state. We have more rail network p/c than any other nation. We have more sq m of parks p/c than other nation, we have more water tanks p/c than other nation. We have more natural desert habitat p/c than other nation, we have more more moronic journalists who cant understand simple statistics p/c than other nation.
It seems like Combets got quite a cult following,,,,NOT!
We have known since 1932 (when it became a state owned enterprise) that the ABC has been the propaganda arm for the ALP. This is the same institution that stole “bananas in pyjamas” from their creators and now market them as an ABC “creation”! One only has to look at the rampant left wingers on the channel. Then look at who went from the ABC to labor politicis – Maxine McKew (ALP NSW), Bob Debus (ALP NSW) Peter Andren (Ind NSW), Bob Carr (ALP premier NSW), Brian Burke (ALP premier WA), Alan Carpenter (ALP premier WA), Clare Martin (ALP chief minister NT), Mary Delahunty (ALP Victoria), Jodi McKay (ALP). And now you that idiotic “drum” on with anti-liberal commentators. A few libs were with the ABC but not for longer till they pursued other careers ie law etc. And what can one say about Kerry O’Brien without being sued!
Check viewer reaction to last Mondays 4 Corners program…
Four Corners Open Letters (10191 Messages)
http://www2b.abc.net.au/tmb/Client/MessageList.aspx?b=37&t=1&te=True