Fruits of a tangled web

The Sunday Telegraph, under the headline today:   “Lobbyists who cleared ‘Climategate’ academics funded by taxpayers and the BBC”  describes

“A shadowy lobby group which pushes the case that global warming is a real threat is being funded by the taxpayer and assisted by the BBC.” 

The funding and links of Globe International (“The little-known not-for-profit company works behind the scenes at international conferences to further its aims“) run wide and deep.  Such are its connections and influence that we see the hand of the organisation working to ‘protect its own’ in the investigation into the Climategate emails:

“Lord Oxburgh, the organisation’s director, was called in to head an internal inquiry into the leaked emails which included one infamous message referring to a “trick” to “hide the decline” in global temperatures.

The peer’s investigation cleared the scientists of malpractice. But critics claimed the report was a whitewash and Lord Oxburgh also failed to declare his involvement with Globe before he began his investigation.” Full story here

But what is Globe International? Under ‘About’ and ‘Strategy’ on its website:

“…there exists a strategic opportunity to coordinate a legislative response to key global environmental challenges in advance of Rio +20. This response recognises and seeks to strengthen the central role of legislators and parliaments in tackling the major global environmental challenges…”

“The GLOBE Legislative Principles adopted in Copenhagen represent the first step in advancing domestic legislation on climate change and will underpin efforts by GLOBE Members at a national level.  By showing that legislators are prepared to move together, and using a consistent set of principles, the efforts of legislators will be magnified. “

In other words, Globe fears that “united we stand, divided we fall” and exists to provide a coherent strategy and ensure that governments ‘get the job done’.

Now we come to the COMplus Alliance –

“a “sustainable development communications alliance” of broadcasters based in Costa Rica which is also supported by the BBC World Service Trust, the Corporation’s independent charity, [….] has an “ongoing relationship with Globe” helping it run “shadow negotiation” teams at international summits of world leaders.”

The COMplus website describes ‘What we do’, for example under ‘Activities’

• The Global Climate Change Initiative generates public support for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promotes ecosystem management principles to adapt to climate change through multimedia channels, dialogues, and media training.

It sounds like Globe provides structure, organisation and destination, while COMplus gets it all moving. And the best part is that our taxes have indirectly funded their activities . If they succeed we will all reap the fruits of their labour in global CO2 regulation (/sarc).

The interconnecting business, political and funding links described by the article for these organisations are reminiscent of the links Kevin uncovered between Google and Climate research in When Amy met NOAA (and JPMorgan Chase and WWF and …)

Honey Fungus (Armillaria spp.) is an example of a white rot fungus which causes the roots and butts of live trees to rot. (source: Royal Forestry Society)

All these links make me think of the mycelium of a fungus, growing underground, spreading and all-pervasive, like Honey Fungus, which is parasitic and moves from tree to tree rotting the wood from within.

“Fungal diseases are often only detected once the fruiting body of the fungus is visible, by which time it may be too late to act.” (RFS.org.uk)

Yes, if the fruits appear it will be too late, but the way to deal with such organisations is just like honey fungus – expose the infection and cut off the source of food funding.

h/t to Ed Hoskins; also covered by WUWT: The Telegraph “gets it” about Climategate investigations and the conflict of interest of publicly funded media