In the early stages of developing this blog, I read a surprising article about Climate Change in The Age, a leading Australian newspaper, a piece of Journalism that I would usually associate with some of the finer writers and journalists that participate in the Australian media. The article by Miranda Devine, was titled “Science cooks the books, driving sensible people to screaming point” and featured a large cartoon of mayhem caused by the pollution leaking in the background. The article surprised me, not because it was a denial of Climate Change, but rather how it came to appear in such a paper that usually presents articles of value.
In my opinion, most Journalists should choose to write about an article that they at least have some authority to speak on and will provide thorough evidence to support claims that they make. This evidence should also be from a reliable source. Afterall, they do have a moral responsibility to deliver the truth, right? This is not the approach that Miranda Devine took when writing her article about climate change, a subject that is quite foreign to her when compared to her other articles. Apart from a short stint in CSIRO where she worked in the textiles department, Miranda Devine has no links to the science community. However, it seemed to me, that The Age was happy to give her a big section in their paper to discuss her views on this issue.
Miranda Devine holds an undergraduate degree in mathematics, and a masters in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School. According to her paper profile, she is an experienced Police reporter and is currently a (conservative) coloumnist for The Sydney Morning Herald. Her blog, an archive of tabloid dribble, says
“This is my new website – feel free to look around, and comment. There is only one rule: no lefties!”
Her article, released conveniently on the eve of the Copenhagen talks, attempted to develop an argument that Climate Change doesn’t exist. Miranda’s article was largely based on facts that she had read from the book, Global Warming, False Alarm by Ralph Alexander. According to Amazons “about the author”, Ralph B. Alexander is a
“senior market analyst in environmentally friendly materials and industrial processes, at a small Midwest consulting firm.”
He also holds an undergraduate degree in Science and a doctor of Philosophy in Physics. He also works as a consultant for other companies such as the Rowan Technology Group, a marketing company for coatings. On their website, Ralph’s capabilities are listed as
“Surface engineering strategies and solutions, including market development, for the advanced materials and coatings industry.”
…with major works being….
“Market analysis, market development, business strategies, selection of surface engineering processes and testing programs, short course on surface engineering.”
An interesting line of work achievements considering he has just written a book about the science behind global warming. He seems to have no documented history of participation in any scientific discussions on global warming nor has he submitted any articles on the topic.
Unfortunately for Miranda, Ralph Alexander is far from an being an ideal scientist that actually has authority on the Climate Change issue. It seems anybody can write a book that dismisses things such as global warming and that there will always be a small audience for these books but it is sad that a successful writer of an established paper could fall for such propaganda. For people seeking answers in such an issue as climate change, people should look for authors that are most qualified and outspoken on an the area that are free from biases.
I have attached some links below for the articles and some sources I used to write this;
Ralph B. Alexander – Profile on Rowan Technology Group
William:
I’m the author of the book. It’s good to see you that did your homework on me correctly (which I can’t say for all other blogs on the subject). While it’s indeed true that I don’t have a background in climate science, I do have a PhD and my professional work routinely involves researching and understanding complex technical issues that lie outside my immediate field of expertise.
In any case, if you don’t want to believe what I say, there are many other books written by climate scientists that hold the same views on global warming. Perhaps the best “authority” is MIT’s Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Atmospheric Science, Richard Lindzen. He hasn’t published a book, but has set out his skeptical views about man-made CO2 in numerous articles and peer-reviewed scientific papers.
Ralph Alexander
Thanks for leaving a comment Dr. Alexander, I wrote this article as I felt the author of the newspaper article was using a source that could be deemed unreliable. I understand that you have a pHD, however, to write a book in an area that is so complex without qualifications in the particular area of climate seems quite irregular.
I am aware of Richard Lindzen, and amongst other activities, his work in the Cato Institute, an organsiation that recieved large payouts by exxonmobil to promote the idea that climate change is a myth.
Ofcourse, everyone is entitled to an opinion on climate change and I would be quite keen to perhaps speak to you further about your views and your book if you are interested. You can contact me at william@eco-otaku.com
William