Posted by
Catmman on Saturday, July 28, 2007 11:34:34 AM
I always love how people caught in an obvious negative position always seem to think that PR and
public apologies' will make things all better. We'll 'kiss' the wound and the pain will magically disappear as it were.
Well, not this time hopefully.
The President of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), Michael T. Eckhart sent a threatening e-mail to Dr. Marlo Lewis of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI):
Here are excerpts of a response to Senator Inhofe from Mr. Eckhart: (H/T: Newsbusters)
Dear Senator Inhofe:
I am writing to respond to the Senate hearing yesterday in which you showed an email that I sent privately to Dr. Marlo Lewis, analyst with the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
The issue we have before us is the question of whether global warming is occurring, what are its consequences, and what actions we as society can take to address the issue. It is a serious public policy issue that requires the highest level of integrity and honesty.
[...]
Now that the private, jousting communications have been made public by CEI, people have a right to know the context for this. I am arguing for honesty and integrity in the global warming debate. The people at CEI have made it clear that they are fighting against global warming policy, not because they believe in their arguments, but because they are on a general campaign against big government.
[...]
I am embarrassed to have the private email given to the public, and wish your staff had inquired with me before conducting a hearing. The lack of due diligence embarrasses everyone. I have apologized to the public for offending so many people who had no understanding of the situation. I apologize to you because you clearly were not briefed on the background of this.
I will be happy to testify to your committee or meet with you directly to discuss this in person.
Those interested in reading Eckhart's entire letter to Inhofe should go here.
As has been stated numerous times, the question is NOT whether global warming is occurring. The question is whether mankind is reponsible for it and whether instituting draconian regulations, conservation measures, taxes, etc. on mankind will do anything to solve the problem!
Also, notice the attitude expressed in the second paragraph. How could ANYONE be against a bigger government? CEI, being on a general campaign against big government, is obviously a bad thing.
Also, now that things are public, the PR spin begins. This guy steps on his ____ and now is trying to weasel out.
As Lewis wrote Friday at CEI's blog:
The issue is whether it is appropriate for the head of a non-profit association whose members include four federal agencies to threaten and insult people because they do not share his policy views. The issue is the appropriateness of personal threats in the public policy process. Period.
Then as Newsbusters reports, we get to the bigger question of how this type of tactic may resonate in the scientific community:
After all, one sure way to establish a so-called consensus on an issue is to silence all who disagree. With the power that folks like Eckhart wield over the science community, there could be hundreds nay thousands of Lewises out there that have received similar communiqués, but are too afraid to bring it to light.
As such, this incident, which began two weeks ago with the revelation of one threatening e-mail message, could be indicative of a much larger campaign by global warming alarmists to squelch, by all means necessary, all dissenting views.
With this in mind, we can only hope that more folks in Lewis' position will come forward and expose those who seek to pervert science with such Mafioso tactics.
As I've written before, the alarmists have no other weapons left. Fear, emotion and intimidation are their last bastions, their AGW redoubt.
If they can't silence critics through these types of tactics, they know their battle is lost.