News you will never see - by Richard... Thursday, January 21, 2010

News you will never see - by Richard... Thursday, January 21, 2010

I still think we should burn al Gore, rather than his books.

CLIMATE CHANGE – NEW THREAD

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You do wonder - by Richard...

"Hasnain (of "glaciergate" fame) is currently employed as a senior fellow at an Indian research institute, the Tata Energy Research Institute, whose director is Pachauri." So writes Fred Pearce, sometime New Scientist journalist but currently making this assertion in The Guardian.

This is the man who is at the forefront of pointing out the 2035 error in the IPCC report yet, anyone who has been following the affairs of the great R K Pachauri will know that the Tata Energy Research Institute, aka TERI, changed its name to The Energy and Resources Institute in 2003 – seven years ago.

The distinction is more than academic. The allegation that there is a link between Tata and Dr Pachauri "is defamatory of our clients", we are informed by lawyers acting on behalf of Tata.

In fact, so incensed is B Muthuraman, vice chairman of Tata Steel Limited, with our assertion that there is any linkage between Tata and TERI that he is now threatening immediate proceedings unless we withdraw any such "allegation" and pay zillions of damages to compensate for his company's losses arising from such a grave slur.

Now Fred Pearce has, effectively – albeit unwittingly – also made the link, perhaps the irate Mr Muthuraman might consider taking proceedings against him as well. Mind you, he would also have to take action against Ms Ritu Kumar, director and company secretary of TERI Europe, as her current letterhead also describes TERI as "Tata Energy Research Institute" (illustrated - click to enlarge).

That aside, you do wonder how well-informed these self-important environmental journalists actually are. If Pearce can make such an obvious bloomer, how many other mistakes is he making?

PACHAURI THREAD

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Lost it! - by Richard...

With the blogosphere aflame with the IPCC's climbdown over "glaciergate", and the story dominating the environmental news, Moonbat thinks this is the most important thing to write about.

PACHAURI THREAD

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Pachauri doesn't talk to media. Shock! - by Richard...

Headlined by The Hindu this morning is the announcement: "Pachauri remains evasive on issue of 'Himalayan blunder'".

A man who has been the darling of the media is thus finding the change of mood hard to deal with as he is reported as having, "declined to speak to the media on the Himalayan glacier goof-up issue amid questions being raised about the UN climate body's credibility in the wake of the controversy."

He was addressing an even organised by his own institute, TERI, whence he was bombarded with questions from the media who insisted that the issue was of global importance and his reaction could clear the air on the matter. However, says The Hindu, Mr Pachauri remained evasive and refused to budge.

Fending off the questions, an unusually defensive Pachauri told reporters, "I would hold a press conference on Friday on the issue. This event is strictly confined to the energy security-related matter," then adding: "I do not want to speak on the issue (controversy) right now." He also refused to react when asked if he was going to resign from his chairman's post.

His earlier taunt of "voodoo science" is now coming back to haunt him, as his credibility is beginning to look like the home of voodoo, Port au Prince, although the US Marines are not in place to drag him from the wreckage.

And behind the questions on "glaciergate", reporters are keen to ask about the accusations of "financially profiting from the influence of his UN role," his denials sounding less and less convincing as time goes on.

Maybe one of other of the Indian journalists may recall an interview with Dr Pachauri in January 2006 by Indian Express editor-in-chief Shekhar Gupta.

Then, he congratulated the former railway engineer for being an "institution builder", remarking that he built TERI with a Rs 3 crore grant, noting: "and I believe your assets are now nearly Rs 300 crore." That, in pounds sterling, is £40 million.

What would be interesting to learn is how much those asset values have increased in the four years since, who is the beneficial owner of those assets and why a supposedly charitable institute is building such a portfolio of riches, rather than helping the poor, about which Dr Pachauri expresses so much concern.

His thousand-dollar suits may turn out to be the least of his problems.