PoliticsHome | Miliband hits out at "flat-earthers" in climate change row

Friday 4th December 2009 | 10:37

Miliband hits out at "flat-earthers" in climate change row

10:37
- 04/12/09
- Ed Miliband MP, Energy and Climate Change Secr...
- BBC News

Mr Miliband backed calls for the University of East Anglia to open up all of its research on climate change in light of claims that scientists manipulated global warming data to boost the argument it is man-made. However, he insisted that "flat-earthers" musn't be allowed to use the row to undermine the science on climate change.

“One string of emails does not undermine the global science on climate change. There are people who want to cast doubt... frankly that is nonsense. We must resist those siren voices,” he said.

“I don’t think we can stick our head in the sand and pretend this isn’t happening or it isn’t man-made.

“We must keep listening to the scientists and not listen to the people who are frankly flat-earthers.”

He said he was "100%" behind calls for the University of East Anglia to publish its research in full, adding that transparency would aid the debate.

View all On Air Today

Leave a comment...

alan

10:52 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
13

Childish words issued by people with as much scientific knowledge as myself shows the state of politics and debate in our modern society. IF'they' say the world is going warmer or colder or just about to blow, it is a FACT! But should anyone suggest that the doctoring of alleged scientific evidence does not create a balanced viewpoint on which to come to that conclusion we are FLAT EARTHERS.

Actually, I am proud to be a flat earther, I am more than pleased to be on opposite sides to the banana man, the coward who ponces about as our foreign secretary. David Owen was a youthfull, highly opinionated foreign secretary once, what ever happenned to him?

Same fate awaits Banana man!

Olaf

10:58 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
12

Idiot. Spouted by someone who blatantly has no understanding of science.

Not to mention what is the point of getting the release of the UEA data when they have already dumped the raw data and only have manipulated data to show. Now they are unable to prove conclusively what they found and their findings are discredited and should be discarded.

If it can't be peer reviewed and the result are not reproducible it is not a credible piece of science.

Disorganised1

11:02 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
12

Milliband Minimus evidently does not unerstand the word 'THEORY'

Typical Labour - never mind the truth we know best, Global Warming or Weapons of Mass Destruction, Cannabis or Education, we know best.

Furious

11:03 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
12

Flat Earthers Eh!. What a complete and utter tosser Miliband is proving himself to be. Until we can be sure that Global warming is really happening we should not be trying to destroy our econmy and way of life. I want all of the raw data in the public domain so that other groups have a chance to go over the data and make sure that there has not been a conspiracy to inflate the dangers of global warming/climate change. I'm frankly fed up of people telling me how to live my life if I don't do it their way I'm evil and killing the planet when the evidence really does not support their point of view,

oldrightie

11:04 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
13

Methinks he dost protest too much. It as more than the emails, Banana. Check out the amateurish software programming and the inability to forecast two days ahead. There are clues there. As for "flat earthers". Very grown up debate is that. The little twit. If he and his ilk are wrong we condemn more millions to poverty than climate change will. Contraception was mooted as a better goal, yesterday. If that saved us from people like him, that really would be marvellous.

oldrightie

11:06 |
04 Dec 2009
0

Whoops, it's Grommit not Banana! two cheeks and all that, however.

Ian E

11:36 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
8

Well, Milliband, you are showing yourself as a flat-brainer! If you can't understand the science (and there is precious little actual science involved), look at the history of science: not that long ago, the 'consensus' view was that the Sun orbited round the Earth - and anyone who said anything different was crushed. Ring any bells?

crm114

11:37 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
4

The dispute is about how the data has been manipulated, not the raw data, and therefore whether global warming is anthropogenic or natural. As an economics graduate, Ed should be able to understand these criticisms; one of the main critics is also an economist by training. Let us see whether Ed is cleverly using this approach to get the CRU to publish all its working, or if he's cynically dragging the flat-earthers into this to make the Government not look like a bunch of idiots for believing crap science. Ultimately, openness is good.

Stepney

11:43 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
4

As with the media so with politicians. They rely on one side of the argument and cannot comprehend why significant amount of scientists just do not buy the theory - so they ignore it and resort to name calling. Such immaturity, such laziness does not befit an independent media nor a Government minister. When will they acknowledge that the flat-earthers may include senior and respected scientists (and real ones: paleoclimatologists, biogeographers, oceanographers, geologists - not economists).

Until the data is made public, until we find out why FOI requests were compromised and evidence destroyed, until we have a big, grown up debate, then the public is not going to buy it.

Milliband and his ilk need to grow up, look at the counter evidence and get some integrity. Name calling is for the playground, not for scientific enquiry.

Grumpy Old Man

11:57 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
8

The climate change alarmists deserve no credibility after the statement "the science is settled". Politically that was a downright lie. Scientifically it is arrant nonsense. Climate science is in fact in it's infancy and little is known about the interactions of the myriad factors that govern climate change. any scientifically trained person knows that the nearest scientific discovery can get to dogmatic dicta is a statement that, "current knowledge indicates that........"

Nothing in science is settled - that's why it's so exciting.

jay64

12:12 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
6

They plan on using carbon as a means to tax us, a whole industry is based on it as is Mister Ed the ducks job....

So, they didn't hide the decline, cherry pick data, lie, subvert science method, pervert the peer review system and silence critics.

Move along, nothing to see.

Get you Carbon Credits here..

Rick Cutting

15:16 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
4

Of course we must accept that the human race are making a difference to global warming, the numbers alone would verify that. But, earth has gone through many temperature changes over the last few million years so who is to says that this is not another of these changes.

You all have to agree that it is a very good excuse to screw more taxes out of people on the context of "Saving the Planet", but where is the money going? I have not seen any benefit from all the extra duty I am paying on fuel. Have you?

John

21:50 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
1

Actually there aren't even any numbers to show that the human race is accelerating global warming but the sheer amount of fossil fuel burnt since the start of the industrial revolution and the hole in the ozone layer caused by CFCs in hairsprays and other aerosols make it a logically undeniable that humankind is contributing to global warming. We just do not know by how much. Milliband's rants, which are either specious or just stupid, merely fuel cynicism and disbelief in the scientific analysis, which is already discredited by the antics of his appointees.

alan

16:27 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
2

Gosh, there are TWO millibrands? Goodness me. Well the dole queue is getting longer aint it!

heckmonwyke

18:23 |
04 Dec 2009
Recommended
4

Millibrian says global warming sceptics are flat earthers.So does that make the zealots Incas,mayans,aztecs,making scacrfice to the gods. to stay off famine,flood and pestilence.The mans a incomplete idiot.

BGarvie

07:20 |
05 Dec 2009
Recommended
2

Self-styled sophistocates like D & E.Milliband demonstrate they have been promoted above their ability. These condescending 'intellectuals' use Insinuation and ridicule as their stock in trade. Typical Champagne socialist trying to bully those that question the 'science'. The climate Taliban should be prepared to have their research examined closely to prevent fraud. Unfortunately Brown, for reasons of self-preservation, would rather concentrate politically on bias, zealotory and cheap 'class warfare' than have an honest and open debate about climate change.

On air

The Live Wire

Latest from The Green Box

Today's Storys

Latest

New today

New this morning

MSM Catching up

On air

Newsmakers seen and heard on TV and radio

Miliband hits out at "flat-earthers" in climate change row

Leave a comment...

alan

Olaf

Disorganised1

Furious

oldrightie

oldrightie

Ian E

crm114

Stepney

Grumpy Old Man

jay64

Rick Cutting

John

alan

heckmonwyke

BGarvie

More about this story

Recommended

Latest

On air

Video and Audio

Latest on Ed Miliband MP

Opinion

Blog

Twitter

Blog

Opinion

Latest Videos & Audio

Sections

News Front Page

Pro Dashboard

Research

About Us

Search PoliticsHome

Download

Latest on
Ed Miliband MP