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British Lord Stings Senators Rockefeller and Snowe: 'Uphold Free Speech or Resign'
Center for Science and Public Policy ^

Posted on 12/18/2006 6:37:47 PM PST by woldnewton

WASHINGTON, DC -- (MARKET WIRE) -- December 18, 2006 -- Ewire -- Lord Monckton, Viscount of Brenchley, has sent an open letter to Senators Rockefeller (D-WV) and Snowe (R-Maine) in response to their recent open letter telling the CEO of ExxonMobil to cease funding climate-skeptic scientists, according to The Center for Science and Public Policy.

Lord Monckton, former policy adviser to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, writes: "You defy every tenet of democracy when you invite ExxonMobil to deny itself the right to provide information to 'senior elected and appointed government officials' who disagree with your opinion."

In what The Charleston (WV) Daily Mail has called "an intemperate attempt to squelch debate with a hint of political consequences," Senators Rockefeller and Snowe released an open letter dated October 30 to ExxonMobil CEO, Rex Tillerson, insisting he end Exxon's funding of a "climate change denial campaign." The Senators labeled scientists with whom they disagree as "deniers," a term usually directed at "Holocaust deniers." Some voices on the political left have called for the arrest and prosecution of skeptical scientists. The British Foreign Secretary has said skeptics should be treated like advocates of Islamic terror and must be denied access to the media.

Responds Lord Monckton, "Sceptics and those who have the courage to support them are actually helpful in getting the science right. They do not, as you improperly suggest, 'obfuscate' the issue: they assist in clarifying it by challenging weaknesses in the 'consensus' argument and they compel necessary corrections ... "

Lord Monckton's Churchillian reproof continues, "You acknowledge the effectiveness of the climate sceptics. In so doing, you pay a compliment to the courage of those free-thinking scientists who continue to research climate change independently despite the likelihood of refusal of publication in journals that have taken preconceived positions; the hate mail and vilification from ignorant environmentalists; and the threat of loss of tenure in institutions of learning which no longer make any pretence to uphold or cherish academic freedom."

For the full story please click here.


TOPICS: Government; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: climate; climatechange; globalwarming; rockefeller
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To: woldnewton

GLAD SOMEONE

IS speaking up for free speech.


21 posted on 12/18/2006 7:22:41 PM PST by Quix (LET GOD ARISE AND HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERED. LET ISRAEL CALL ON GOD AS THEIRS! & ISLAM FLUSH ITSELF)
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To: Postman
Folks who believe that the government should control the means of production...you know, like to senators telling a producer to "Shut UP", or they will take over his factory...

Wait, is Ayn Rand in the room?

22 posted on 12/18/2006 7:26:13 PM PST by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: woldnewton

HOORAY Lord Monckton! HOORAY ExxonMobil!

Do the honorable thing Senators Snowe & Rockefeller. Resign.


23 posted on 12/18/2006 7:28:45 PM PST by PGalt
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To: woldnewton

Everyone should read Lord Monckton's refutation of the conventional wisdom of Global Warming. It was in two parts in the Telegraph a few weeks back. If anyone is interested I will get the link. He knows the science.


24 posted on 12/18/2006 7:29:19 PM PST by Mr. Peabody
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To: acapesket

Couldn't have said it better!!!


25 posted on 12/18/2006 7:33:03 PM PST by buck61
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To: PGalt
Do the honorable thing Senators Snowe & Rockefeller. Resign.

In matters of lost honor, hara-kiri is considered the only true method of atonement.

Here is hoping they both do the honorable thing.
26 posted on 12/18/2006 7:34:28 PM PST by Dr.Zoidberg (Mohammedanism - Bringing you only the best of the 6th century for fourteen hundred years.)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Why didn't she write it? She to stupid to form the english language, she needs staffers to do it for her? If she can't do SOMETHING IMPORTANT then why are we, the taxpayer, paying her to sit on her duff and file her nails????


27 posted on 12/18/2006 7:36:14 PM PST by HarleyLady27 (My ? to libs: "Do they ever shut up on your planet?" "Grow your own DOPE: Plant a LIB!")
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To: woldnewton

BTTT


28 posted on 12/18/2006 7:36:21 PM PST by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s......you weren't really there)
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To: Mr. Peabody

Yes, please get the link.....I'm keeping articles like that for the publik skool educated in my family....


29 posted on 12/18/2006 7:38:08 PM PST by goodnesswins (I think the real problem is islamo-bombia! (Rummyfan))
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To: woldnewton
Must not laugh
Must not laugh
Must not laugh

Regards, Ivan

30 posted on 12/18/2006 7:38:52 PM PST by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
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To: Mr. Peabody

Please do, Mr. P. Thank you.


31 posted on 12/18/2006 8:27:08 PM PST by Elsiejay (\)
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To: woldnewton

It sounds strangely like the persecution many scientists had to endure for claiming that the Earth was not the center of the universe.


32 posted on 12/18/2006 8:52:15 PM PST by freakboy
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To: patton
and a brit flat-out called them facists.

Fascinating how the word "fascist" is floated allover the place as a universal rebuttal to one's statement, without even bothering to seek the meaning of the word "fascist"/

33 posted on 12/18/2006 9:15:29 PM PST by danmar (Tomorrow's life is too late. Live today!)
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To: OBone

"You are absolutely right! No matter who we elect to office, the staff stays on, they just migrate from one senator to the other."

Usually but not always. When the musical chairs we call elections happens, a *very* few staffers are sometimes left standing. They are then allowed to "burrow in" to the executive branch under civil service rules and pollute *that* arm of government also.


34 posted on 12/18/2006 9:21:13 PM PST by Felis_irritable
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To: Felis_irritable

Way to go, Lord Monckton!


35 posted on 12/18/2006 9:28:26 PM PST by Ciexyz (I highly recommend "Apocalypto" - raves, raves, raves.)
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To: woldnewton


This Englishman is hitting the nail on the head, what can I say?


36 posted on 12/18/2006 10:20:20 PM PST by Tzimisce (How Would Mohammed Vote? Hillary for President! www.dndorks.com)
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To: HarleyLady27

She's well paid. And the government also pays her staff well.


37 posted on 12/19/2006 1:56:13 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (BTUs are my Beat.)
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To: woldnewton
Can we make Lord Monckton an honorary American Citizen, a la Winston Churchill? Please?
38 posted on 12/19/2006 2:30:14 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (The hallmark of a crackpot conspiracy theory is that it expands to include countervailing evidence.)
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To: woldnewton
What Rockerfeller and Snowe did is chilling, and no different than what totalitarian dictators do.
39 posted on 12/19/2006 5:20:54 AM PST by pieceofthepuzzle
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To: Elsiejay

He wrote two articles, with links to supplementary information.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/05/nosplit/nwarm05.xml

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/12/nclim12.xml


40 posted on 12/19/2006 6:18:34 AM PST by Mr. Peabody
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