Principia Scientific is simply Tim Ball, no worse, no better.
Timothy F. Ball (Tim Ball) | DeSmogBlog
Timothy F. Ball (Tim Ball)
Credentials
Ph.D. (Doctor of Science), University of London, England.
M.A., University of Manitoba.
B.A., University of Winnipeg.
Source: [1]
Background
Tin Ball was a professor of
geography at the University of Winnipeg from 1988 to 1996. He is a prolific speaker and writer in the skeptical science community.
He has been Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the now-defunct Natural Resources Stewardship Project (NRSP), "scientific advisor" to the Exxon-funded Friends of Science (FoS), and is associated with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy (FCPP) as well as numerous other think tanks and right-wing organizations.
The NRSP's list of "scientific advisors" includes Tim Patterson, Tad Murty and Sallie Baliunas, all of which are also listed as advisors to the FOS.
DeSmog uncovered that two of the three directors on the board of the Natural Resources Stewardship Project were at one time senior executives of the High Park Advocacy Group, a Toronto-based lobby firm that specializes in "energy, environment and ethics."
Stance on Climate Change
"What's wrong with global warming? There are lots of positive benefits to global warming." [2]
Key Quotes
"CFC's were never a problem. . . . it's only because the sun is changing." [2]
Key Deeds
Ongoing
Ball and the organizations he is affiliated with have repeatedly made the claim that he is the "first Canadian PhD in climatology."
Ball himself claimed he was "one of the first climatology PhD's in the world." [3], [4]
Many have pointed out that there have been numerous PhD's in the field prior to Ball. [5]
Ball was a former professor of geography at the University of Winnipeg from 1988 to 1996. The University of Winnipeg never had an office of Climatology.
His degree was in historical geography and not climatology.
June 30 - July 1, 2011
Ball was a speaker at the Heartland Institute's 6th International Conference on Climate Change. [6]
March 25, 2011
Dr. Michael Mann sued Tim Ball and the Frontier Center For Public Policy for libel. The lawsuit arose from an interview with Ball that was posted on the Frontier Center website.
In the interview, Ball responds to an anonymous questioner regarding the "Climategate" scandal by saying "Michael Mann at Penn State should be in the State Pen, not Penn State."
Feb 2, 2011
Andrew Weaver, a University of Victoria Professor and Canada Research Chair in Climate Modeling and Analysis, filed suit for libel against Tim Ball.
The suit arose from an article Ball wrote for Canada Free Press which accused Weaver of being uninformed about climate and unqualified to teach.
October, 2009
Ball appeared as a "climatologist" in a documentary produced by Alex Jones titled The Fall of the Republic: The Presidency of Barack H. Obama. [7]
March, 2008
Ball was a speaker at the Heartland Institute's First International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC1). [8]
March 8, 2007
Tim Ball made a prominent appearance on the Great Global Warming Swindle, appearing as an "eminent scientist." [9]
Nov 10, 2007
In a 2007 FCPP special report, Tim Ball and Tom Harris criticized The Fifth Estate's broadcast of The Denial Machine, describing it as "docu-ganda." Ball claimed that he was filmed without his consent.
Ball also asserted that The Denial Machine violated CBC's "Journalistic Standards and Practices." He further accused the CBC of misrepresenting the credentials of skeptical scientists. [10]
He goes on to criticize James Hoggan, and more specifically CBC, for not disclosing Hoggan's connection to the David Suzuki Foundation (something Mr. Hoggan has made no attempt to hide).
Sept 1, 2006
On September 1st, Ball launched a libel suit against Dr. Dan Johnson and the Calgary Herald over a letter the paper ran on April 23, 2006. Johnson is a Professor of Environmental Science at the University of Lethbridge.
Ball had written an article that attacked the qualifications of renowned climate change author Tim Flannery, in which the Herald described Ball as "the first climatology PhD in Canada and . . . a professor of climatology at the University of Winnipeg for 28 years."
Johnson's letter to the editor challenged those details, noting that when Ball received his PhD (in Geography) in 1983, "Canada already had PhDs in climatology and it is important to recognize them and their research." Johnson also pointed out that Ball had been a professor for a much shorter time (Ball later admitted eight years), during which Ball did "not show any evidence of research regarding climate and atmosphere."
The Calgary Herald's Statement of Defence, filed with the Alberta Court of QueenÂ’s Bench, dismissed BallÂ’s credibility saying that
"The Plantiff (Dr. Ball) is viewed as a paid promoter of the agenda of the oil and gas industry rather than as a practicing scientist."
Ball subsequently dropped his lawsuit.
Affiliations
Friends of Science (FoS) — Past "Consultant," member of "Scientific Advisory Board." [11]
Natural Resources Stewardship Project (NRSP) — Chairman. [12], [13]
Frontier Center for Public Policy (FCPP) — "Senior Fellow," Past Member, Board of Advisors. [1], [14]
The Heartland Institute — "Heartland Expert." [15]
The International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC) — Member, "Scientific Advisory Board." [16]
Tech Central Station (TCS) — Contributor. [17]
Publications
A search of 22,000 academic journals shows that over the course of his career Ball published four pieces of original research in peer-reviewed journals on the subject of climate change.
According to Google Scholar, his
most recent peer-reviewed article on climate change was published in 1986, titled "Historical evidence and climatic implications of a shift in the boreal forest tundra transition in central Canada."
Other Publications:
"Climate Change: Dangers of a Singular Approach and Consideration of a Sensible Strategy" (2009).
Journal Background: In a 1995 article written by Paul Thacker, Energy and Environment was described as being a journal skeptics can go to when they are rejected by the mainstream peer-reviewed science publications.
"Climate and History: A Connection That Cannot Be Ignored" (1984).
Tim Ball is a prolific writer of newspaper articles, opinion pieces, and letters to the editor questioning the existence of climate change.
Ball is also the lead author of Slaying the Sky Dragon: Death of the Greenhouse Gas Theory, a book slated for publication in 2011. Slaying the Sky Dragon is described as a "comprehensive refutation of the greenhouse gas theory (GHG)."
Resources
"Frontier Research Fellows," Frontier Center for Public Policy. Accessed November 20, 2011.
"Climate of controversy," Ottawa Citizen, May 18, 2006.
Archived with WebCite, February 29, 2012.
"About Us: Scientific Advisory Board," Friends of Science. Archived July 7, 2008.
"Dear Mr. Martin," Letter from Tim Ball to M.P. Paul Martin. Retrieved February, 2012, from John-Daly.com. Archived February 29, 2012, with WebCite.
Tim Lambert. "Dear Tim Ball: sue me," Deltoid, June 23, 2006.
"Timothy Ball: 6th International Conference on Climate Change," the Heartland Institute.
Fall of the Republic: The Presidency of Barack H. Obama, Alex Jones Productions, October 21, 2009. Archived video at the Internet Archive.
"Timothy Ball: 6th International Conference on Climate Change," the Heartland Institute.
Judi McLeod. "Climatologist Tim Ball's star on the rise," Canada Free Press, March 6, 2007.
Tim Ball and Tom Harris. "CBCÂ’s continuing denial of the climate science debate" (PDF), Frontier Center for Public Policy, November 10, 2007.
"About Us: Scientific Advisory Board," Friends of Science. Archived July 7, 2008.
"Natural Resources Stewardship Project," SourceWatch.
"New Canadian Astroturf Group," Deltoid, October 13, 2006.
"Tim Ball" SourceWatch profile.
"Heartland Experts: Timothy Ball," The Heartland Institute.
"Who We Are," International Climate Science Coalition. Accessed November 20, 2011.
"Dr. Tim Ball," Tech Central Station. Archived April 11, 2005.
"NRSP: Not Really Science People," DeSmogBlog, October 17, 2006.
ExxonSecrets Factsheet: Tim Ball, PhD.
Organizations:
Nrsp
Friends Of Science
Tags:
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tom harris
global warming
climate change
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Science put our entire creditability on the line for this and our case with the American people is being harmed. This is what makes me sad as this effects more then just this issue.
The more absurd the bombs thrown by the AGW nutters, the more oil is produced.
