Mr. "Climate Hysteria" a Bit of a Hype Himself?
Here’s a little piece of the climate debate that deserves more
attention: One of the world’s leading climate change “skeptics” – who by
implication contends that almost all the scientists in the world are
involved in fraud—enjoys pulling a fast one himself.
The British “Lord” Anthony Monckton likes to use his “rank” to great
effect, including aristocratic insignias on his powerpoint
presentations—as if we’re better off trusting our betters than our
scientists on the future of life.
But as reported by The Guardian, Monckton has been ordered to stop claiming to be a member of the UK’s House of Lords.
Presumably, commoners paid extra attention to Monckton’s
controversial pronouncements because of his title. But now, the clerk of
the parliaments has written Monckton to warn him off. Published on the
House of Lords’ website (wow—even the Lords have gone high-tech), it
reads:
“You are not and have never been a member of the House of Lords.
Your assertion that you are a member, but without the right to sit or
vote, is a contradiction in terms.”
The clerk goes on to confirm that Monckton cannot be stopped from
calling himself “Lord Monckton” because, having inherited the title from
his late father, he is “the Right Honourable Viscount Monckton of
Brenchley.” But he may not claim to be a member of parliament.
So, if anyone from Brenchley or anywhere else in this star-struck
world wants to genuflect for this fellow, go right ahead. But please
note that his use of the title does not somehow give him or his global
warming position credibility.
It’s quite a position, to be sure. Recently, as part of a global speaking tour, he told
the National Press club in Australia that the government there should
halt a plan to cut carbon emissions “because there is no need to take
any action about carbon dioxide at all.” Monckton doesn’t dispute some
warming, but claims that human activities play almost no role.
This, of course, plays well with those who have a strong disincentive
to change their own behavior, including, notably, companies in or
dependent on the fossil fuels industry. And, to be sure, Monckton is a
confident and lively articulator of a position that can find few star
advocates.
A former newspaper editor and Thatcher government leader in
privatizing public housing, he’s been a featured speaker at climate
conferences around the world, and in debates in distinguished settings
like Oxford University. (
Here’s
a paper he did for the Virginia-based Science & Public Policy
Institute—itself an important-sounding but obscure entity that advances
climate skepticism and whose funding warrants further inquiry—see
this
for more on that.)
Monckton has appeared at events sponsored by
so-called free market institutes aligned with the now-infamous oil and
chemical magnates the Koch brothers and their allies.
Monckton, incidentally, is a member of the Knights of Malta, another
“highly interesting” outfit obsessed with titles and ranks—that has
labored throughout the centuries for conservative establishment
interests and notions, including the most reactionary Vatican elements.
(We wrote about the Knights recently—see this.)
Now, one would not want to take this matter of personal exaggeration and lord it over Viscount Monckton. But it would make
sense to try and do more, concretely, about global warming. Also, to be
a little more skeptical—of hot air from non-experts on this complex and
urgent (no, way-beyond-urgent) issue.
