Climate Depot Banned in Louisiana! State official sought to ‘shut down’ climate skeptic’s testimony at hearing

Commissioner Foster Campbell of the Louisiana Public Service Commission is demanding to know why a witness skeptical of man-made global warming was not “shut down” during a May 13, 2009 hearing in Baton Rouge.

According to an article in The Times-Picayune on May 19, 2009, Campbell was irate that Climate Depot’s executive editor Marc Morano was invited to speak at the hearing by Commissioner Eric Skrmetta. The paper reported: “Campbell criticized [Chairman] Boissiere for not shutting down Morano’s presentation.” [Morano note: This is eerily similar to the event that occurred in Congress on April 23, 2009. See: Democrats Refuse to Allow Skeptic to Testify Alongside Gore At Congressional Hearing ]

Campbell, a Democrat who ran for governor, attempted to verbally grill Morano during the hearing and has since publicly accused the Climate Depot editor of being a “phony” and a “hack” who is part of a “fringe group” and he accused Morano of “deception” and taking “quotes out of context.” (See Times-Picayune article: Global warming presentation prompts Foster Campbell to ask for PSC testimony under oath )

Campbell, who engaged in a testy back and forth during the standing room only hearing with Morano, is now apparently demanding any future witnesses that challenge his scientific understanding of global warming be promptly “shut down.” [Morano note: Campbell’s low-brow insults and impulse to cut off debate only serve to diminish his reputation.]

The Times-Picayune reported: “After a presenter at last week’s Public Service Commission meeting asserted that global warming is a hoax, Commissioner Foster Campbell said Tuesday he plans to introduce a motion at the June meeting requiring most people testifying before the commission to do so under oath.” [Morano note: The paper is incorrect; I never testified that global warming is a “hoax.” ]

Campbell’s call for future witnesses to be sworn-in is apparently his attempt to scare off any future skeptics of man-made global warming fears from testifying. Campbell implies “swearing” in witnesses would somehow force witnesses to change their dissenting views of climate change. [Morano note: Sadly, it seems as though Campbell actually believes that if you present scientific evidence refuting Gore’s climate view, you must be a liar. I would be delighted to return to Baton Rouge to testify again under oath and allow Campbell all the time he would like to question my presentation. ]

The paper reported that Morano’s testimony “upstaged” Campbell’s invited witness.

“Marc Morano, a former aide to Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma who now runs an anti-global-warming website called ClimateDepot.com, said there’s no proof that the planet is getting hotter and called the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change a ‘political gimmick.’” [Morano note: I merely quoted award-winning physicist Dr. Claude Allegre — who reversed his view on warming to become a skeptic — stating Gore’s Nobel award was “a political gimmick.” ]

The paper continued: “Campbell maintains that [his witness] offered the commission an analysis of a proposed policy change while Morano, who once worked for Rush Limbaugh, delivered a political rant that was of no value to the commission. He criticized [Chairman] Boissiere for not shutting down Morano’s presentation.”

[ Morano note: A frustrated Campbell sat through my presentation which contained extensive analysis of cap-and-trade and I cited peer-reviewed scientific studies, prominent international scientists and the latest real world developments exposing the errors in man-made climate fears. My testimony even cited left wing environmentalists and promoters of global warming fears like the UK’s James Lovelock, NASA’s James Hansen and Green Party candidate Ralph Nader trashing the concept of cap-and-trade as “verging on a gigantic scam.” In addition, I presented the overwhelming polling data showing the public is rejecting climate fears.]

During the question and answer portion of the testimony, Campbell accused Morano of representing “big business” and not being kind to former Vice President Al Gore. Campbell has been on a public relations war path since Morano’s 35-minute testimony at the hearing. Last week, Campbell released a May 14, 2009 letter calling Morano a “political operator from Washington, D.C. and he accused him of giving a “far-right sermon on Global Warming straight out of Rush Limbaugh, complete with obscure references, quotes out of context and personal attacks on a former Vice President and winner of the Nobel Prize.” Campbell called Morano’s testimony a “political circus.” He then went on to label him a “hack” who used “deception.”

[Morano note: In addition to providing comic relief, Campbell’s angry rants are quite chilling. As the science behind man-made global warming fears utterly collapses, many of the biggest promoters of the theory are growing increasingly desperate.

NASA’s James Hansen has called for trials of climate skeptics in 2008 for “high crimes against humanity.” Environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lashed out at skeptics of 2007 declaring “This is treason. And we need to start treating them as traitors” In 2009, RFK, Jr. also
called coal companies “criminal enterprises” and declared CEO’s ‘should be in jail… for all of eternity.”

In 2006, the eco-magazine Grist called for Nuremberg-Style trials for skeptics. In 2008, Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki called for government leaders skeptical of global warming to be thrown “into jail.” In 2007, The Weather Channel’s climate expert called for withholding certification of skeptical meteorologists.

A 2008 report found that ‘climate blasphemy’ is replacing traditional religious blasphemy. In addition, a July 2007 Senate report detailed how skeptical scientists have faced threats and intimidation ]

Related Links:

Democrats Refuse to Allow Skeptic to Testify Alongside Gore At Congressional Hearing – April 23, 2009

S. African UN Scientist: ‘The whole climate change issue is about to fall apart — Heads will roll!’ – April 2009

Climate Depot Editorial: We would all be doomed if we actually faced climate ‘crisis’ – Cap-and-trade equals all economic pain for no climate gain

Warming theory ‘dying the death of a thousand cuts’ – Ocean Conveyor Belt Model Broken: ‘Models are significantly wrong’ – May 2009

Climate Fears RIP…for 30 years!? – Global Warming could stop ‘for up to 30 years! Warming ‘On Hold?…’Could go into hiding for decades’ study finds – Discovery.com – March 2, 2009

Japanese Scientist compares global warming to ‘astrology’

U.S. Senate Report: 700 Plus Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Warming Claims

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