On a related note, I can't believe this is in Forbes. A hit piece on Watts, of famous denialist Ministry of Propaganda and Misinformation
Watts Up with That fame.
Unabomber Fiasco Was Tame By Heartland Institute Standards - Forbes
Quote:
Self-described climate-change “skeptic” Anthony Watts says he knows why the Heartland Institute shamelessly equated more than 97% of all climate scientists with terrorists on Thursday, when that make-believe “think tank” erected a billboard with the Unabomber’s mugshot and the caption, “I still believe in Global Warming. Do you?”
“I think Heartland is suffering battle fatigue,” Watts told the Washington Post. “When you’re suffering battle fatigue, sometimes you make mistakes.”
Ah… so that’s it. They’re victims in all of this. I’d have thought that if anyone is suffering battle fatigue, it’s the scientists and reporters who receive hate-mail and death threats fueled by Heartland’s campaign of distortion and innuendo.
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Battle fatigue!
And here, I am floored this is in there.
This is the same Zwick who recently ran afoul of the denial cranks when he suggested we ought compile a list now of who believes in the science and who does not. Admittedly not his greatest moment, but it sure got a rise out the denialist faithful. I'm frankly surprised Forbes didn't toss him for that one. Anyway, I like the way he wrapped it up here.
Quote:
They’ve also been working arduously for years to destroy the reputation of people like Michael Mann. He’s the climate scientist that Heartland loves to vilify because he had the audacity to publish scientific findings that challenge their fragile ideology. (I covered this a bit last week as well, and here is another piece from the Guardian.)
If this billboard fiasco is a symptom of battle fatigue, then Heartland has been suffering for years.
But maybe Watts is onto something. Maybe Heartland is beginning to suffer something akin to battle fatigue. After all, it can’t be easy regurgitating all that pseudo-science year after year when people like Mann are out there generating solid research. Then there’s all the psychological dissonance they must be dealing with. That’s got to take a toll on their fake “think tank” soul.
Think about it: if you were guilty of doing what they are guilty of doing, wouldn’t you feel kind of bad?
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