Two MPs on the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee have refused to sign off the body’s latest report as they claim it is “cheerleading” for those who believe in man-made global warming. Graham Stringer and Peter Lilley, who are both trained scientists, claim the report into the 5th Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is far more alarmist than the original.
In a statement the two MPs said: “As scientists by training, we do not dispute the science of the greenhouse effect – nor did any of our witnesses”.
They continued: “However, there remain great uncertainties about how much warming a given increase in greenhouse gases will cause, how much damage any temperature increase will cause and the best balance between adaptation to versus prevention of global warming.”
The two claim the IPCC report has large sections dedicated to how to manage any global temperature increases but these important sections were ignored by the House of Commons Committee. Instead what was produced was yet another alarmist report about how the planet is dying, that contributes very little to the scientific debate.
The Energy and Climate Change Select Committee is chaired by the controversial global warming cheerleader Tim Yeo MP. Mr Yeo has hit the headlines a number of times for his close relationship with energy companies set to make billions in public subsidies if the government continues its switch to a low carbon energy.
In June last year Yeo was filmed by the Sunday Times boasting about how he was able to lobby of behalf of the firms that pay him. He told the undercover journalists that he could not speak up for them in the House of Commons Chamber because “people will say he’s saying this because of his commercial interest”. But he assured them: “What I say to people in private is another matter altogether.”
At the time of the sting Yeo had earned £530,000 from private firms since taking over the committee in 2010. He has shares and options worth about £585,000 in low-carbon companies that have also employed him.
Yeo’s business interests, sleazy reputation and the MPs concerns about this report will all add weight to allegations that this committee is no longer objective. Its reports are often far more alarmist than the evidence would support and their chairman has an obvious financial interest in man-made global warming.
In November last year Tim Yeo was de-selected as Conservative candidate for South Suffolk. His local party cited his poor performance as an MP, claiming he has instead dedicating his time to his energy sector clients. He will therefore cease to be an MP in May 2015.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.