A prominent Canadian climate scientist is suing a leading climate skeptic for libel, arguing that an article published online in January contained false and malicious claims.
Andrew Weaver, a climate modeler at the University of Victoria, filed the lawsuit against Tim Ball, a former professor of geography at the University of Winnipeg and a vocal critic of the science linking man-made emissions to global warming, over an article published by the Canada Free Press, a conservative Web site.
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“I stand by the story,” said Dr. Ball, who was prominently featured as a climate change expert in the 2007 film “The Great Global Warming Swindle.”
The apology and retraction of the story by Canada Free Press “hung me out to dry,” Dr. Ball added, saying he was in the process of hiring a lawyer to fight the lawsuit.
The lawsuit against Dr. Ball is not the only libel action that Dr. Weaver is pursuing in Canadian courts. Last year, the scientist filed suit against The National Post, a conservative Canadian newspaper, for publishing articles that he alleged contained deliberate falsehoods designed to disparage and discredit him.
The National Post has filed a lengthy rebuttal to the charges and has denied any wrongdoing. The suit is still pending.
Roger D. McConchie, Dr. Weaver’s lawyer, said that while both lawsuits seek monetary damages from the defendants, the litigation was not motivated by financial gain.
“It’s more about getting the public record corrected and getting Dr. Weaver’s name vindicated from the aspersions cast against his character,” Mr. McConchie said.