British judge finds nine errors in Al Gore's "alarmist and exaggerated" Inconvenient Truth movie

The British newspapers are full of stories this morning about a High Court judge's criticisms of Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth movie.  See The Times, Daily Mail and Guardian.

Mr Justice Barton had been asked to rule on the film after the British Government had announced plans to have it distributed throughout the nation's schools.

Justice Barton found 'nine scientific errors' in the film and accused Mr Gore of "alarmism" and "exaggeration".  Although he agreed that the film was "powerful, dramatically presented and highly professionally produced," he said that it was a political film and was so "one-sided" that it needed to be accompanied with other materials that provided pupils with balance if the Government was to continue with its plans to distribute it to schools.

The nine errors are summarised in the Daily Mail graphic that is reproduced on the right (click to enlarge).

Even the environment analyst of the BBC - which has been at the forefront of campaigning for action on climate change and was recently forced into cancelling a day of programmes dedicated to the subject - said the ruling would be "embarrassing" for Al Gore.

The Conservative Party's environment spokesman, Peter Ainsworth, has called upon the Government to prepare "a proper, up to-date, education pack about climate change - based on current evidence" and distribute that to schools, rather than the Al Gore movie.

Comments

[Moral minority]

Zac Goldsmith has been promoting the Gore movie as fact. He should apologise publicly to Conservative activists and resign as the Tory candidate for Richmond Park.

[Moral minority]

Peter Ainsworth labelled the Competitive Enterprise as "zeros" for criticising the Gore movie. Ainsworth should apologise to CEI and resign as Shadow Environment Secretary.

The credibility of Ainsworth, Goldsmith and Gummer is in tatters. Camerom must take action now!

[Moral minority]

Peter Ainsworth labelled the Competitive Enterprise as "zeros" for criticising the Gore movie. Ainsworth should apologise to CEI and resign as Shadow Environment Secretary.

The credibility of Ainsworth, Goldsmith and Gummer is in tatters. Camerom must take action now!

[Derek]

Justice BURTON was very kind to the Government by allowing them to continue to show the propaganda in schools. Nevertheless he was a brave judge to find against them by admitting it was propaganda containing a catalogue of exaggerations and distortions.

The Education Act is there to protect pupils, brought in by the Conservative Government. This is the first time it has been tested in court.

This government has in effect been found guilty of attempting to brainwash our children. Yet another example of the spin and deceit we have come to expect.

[Mike H]

Fair enough that schools should use a balanced approach to teaching children about climate change, but I find it difficult to accept the validity of a judge's decision on scientific matters.

Does his experience of the law somehow make him an expert climatologist?

I agree that Al Gore's film appears to paint a worst-case scenario, and as long as that is made clear I see no problem with using the film as part of a rounded educational package. But the judge should have said just that, and should not have strayed into an area in which he, presumably, has no expertise whatsoever.

[atheling]

"but I find it difficult to accept the validity of a judge's decision on scientific matters.

Does his experience of the law somehow make him an expert climatologist?"

The same argument can be used against
Al Gore... the politician.

[Freddie]

"I find it difficult to accept the validity of a judge's decision on scientific matters" - Here Here

Just because a single judge finds errors in a film does not mean that the climate crisis is any less serious.

[Freddie]

If only half of the facts in Gore's film are correct we are still in deep shit.

[Richard Tyndall]

Then look at what the jufdge said. He did not say Climate change was not happening. He did not even say that it was not man made. What he said was it was wrong to put into schools an unbalanced political polemic which contained factual inaccuracies.

No one has seriously claimed that the melting of the snows on Kilimanjaro had anything to do with climate change, man made or not, for at least 5 or 6 years. It was long ago show by those who actually study the area that it was deforestation on the slopes and surrounding lowlands which had removed the source of the water which was needed to maintain the snows. This was well known at the time Gore made his film and was certainly known when the givernment decided - illegally - to show it in schools.

For those of you who think this is 'alright' because it was mostly right I am looking forward to your reaction if the Government ever decide to promote in schools a film about the evils of European nationalism and how the EU has prevented war for the last 60 years.

The judge's ruling was balanced and accurate. More than can be said for Gore's film.

[Richard Tyndall]

Freddie - Unfortunately it is because Gore is so wrong that we are in trouble.

If this were all man made we could still do something about it. The fact that it is natural means we are screwed whetever we do.

[Derek]

The judge did not claim to be an expert on climate. What he did was examine the evidence from experts put forward by both sides and rule on that. In the end Gore has done himself and his cause no favours by straying so far from the known facts. Until now he seems to have got away with it. It was always going to be a matter of time. Now our children will be given the truth on which to make their own judgement.

[gareth]

Man-made global warming is junk science.
If the warming trend of the late 20th centery were due to greenhouse gases, Antarctica would also be warming. In fact it has been cooling. The explanation is that cloud cover has been lower than normal. This causes warming due to greater heat absorption, except in Antarctica, where the snow reflects sunlight better than clouds.

[Andy]

Its unreasonable to expect the judge to be an expert climatologist. He is there to implement the law. The film contains blatant inaccuracies and is politically motivated and therefore not suited for education. Except maybe as an example of how politicians twist things to suit their own ends?

Al and Tipper Gore have always specialized in grandstanding. Remember their campaign against rock music?

[Andy]

It seems Mars is getting hotter too. From the National Geographic no less:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070228-mars-warming.html

Apparently the authors findings have not been well received by other climate scientists. I bet they haven't!

[Jack Peterson]

As Andy says that it is unreasonable to expect the judge to be an expert climatologist. It must then follow it is unreasonable to expect the former vice president to be an expert climatologist. He can take and does twist data to suit himself and his cause.

[Steevo]

Well it does look like the antarctic icecap is growing and from observable data has surpassed the previous recorded largest volume of mass.

"The Southern Hemisphere sea ice area narrowly surpassed the previous historic maximum of 16.03 million sq. km to 16.17 million sq. km. The observed sea ice record in the Southern Hemisphere (1979-present) is not as long as the Northern Hemisphere. (meaning it has not been tracked as long as the North Pole) Prior to the satellite era, direct observations of the Southern Hemisphere sea ice edge were sporadic."

http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/index.noshade.html

[Matt Wright]

I was in Iceland recently and saw a series of different measurements ranging from historical records to analysis of core materials. The info was then put over in a series of overlayed graphs showing changes over the last several thousand years. The graphs were all over the place with warmer periods than now and much cooler periods and different CO levels etc. I have an open mind but I could not see any obvious patterns IMHO.

[mamapajamas]

The biggest lie Al Gore tells about this is that the science is "decided". The fact that the High Court in the UK was able to come up with diverting opinions from experts demonstrates that the idea that the discussion is over is hogwash.

And that is the most important thing about this decision... that the science is NOT settled.

The debate is still going on.

And right now, one of the biggest monkey wrenches being thrown into the debate is the idea that there may be no such thing as a "global climate"... that what we have on this planet is a series of local climates that are in constant change.

The years ahead should prove interesting :).

[Mike H]

atheling 03:44

"The same argument can be used against
Al Gore... the politician."

No argument with that at all. Al Gore has chosen to make a film showing an extreme interpretation of what climate change could bring to the planet. I would be opposed to the film being used as a demonstration of 'fact', especially on its own. However, I see no problem with it being used in schools provided that it is balanced with other material - even going so far as to discuss the hypothesis that climate change is not man made, but is due to variations in the sun that appear to be having a similar effect on Mars.

My argument was with the fact that the judge's ruling was based on an assessment of scientific opinion to expose specific inaccuracies in the film.

Making such a judgement about scientific opinion itself requires scientific expertise in the relevant areas - something the judge does not have.

Sure. he is correct to interpret the law and, in this case, to rule that children should be provided with a balanced set of views on this subject. But he is not equipped to interpret the science and should not have chosen to base his ruling on his assessment of the balance of scientific opinion.

[Richard Tyndall]

Mike H.

not the case.

As I understand it he took advice from a number of specialists from places like the Tyndall Institute of Climate science, almost all of whom are advocates of the theory of Anthropogenic Global Warming. It was they who made clear that whilst they may agree with the general thrust of the film, there were a series of specific points on which Gore was not citing accepted scientific orthodoxy.

So the judge was absolutely right in his ruling.

[Tim Marchington]

The big melt has just begun. Now watch all the climate change prophets start running for cover from the biggest beat up in human history

[mamapajamas]

Mike, re: "Making such a judgement about scientific opinion itself requires scientific expertise in the relevant areas - something the judge does not have."

What the judge CAN do is listen to opinions from legit scientists with alternate views and show that the science is NOT "settled" as Gore has been claiming since his film was released. And it appears to me that this is exactly what he did.

What the decision says is, "The science is NOT settled, and here are the points where it most definitely isn't settled. I heard the opinions of experts who disagree with the Gore film, and here is a specific sampling of some of the disagreements where there is a provably credible opposition. Therefore, these specific things need to be balanced if this film is shown in schools."

The film has been shown all over the US in schools, sometimes as a required assignment, WITHOUT CHALLENGE. This in spite of numerous NASA press releases since about 2001 concerning warming on Mars, Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Titan, and Triton, and releases concerning unprecedented solar activity (sunspots and flares).

It is the "settled science" bit that is the biggest lie Gore is telling.

[Anna]

A sensible decision on the part of the judge. Well done!

Unfortunately the same sense of reason does not prevail here in the US, at least not at the moment. Al Bore has won a Nobel Peace Prize, dubious as it might be, and the media are drooling all over themselves. The big question is whether or not Al will make a run for the presidency. The Left is breathless with anticipation.

Both Al and Hillary believe that they "deserve" the presidency, so it might be interesting to see them take swipes at one another.

The next year in American politics will be pure torture for sensible people.

Kudos to the British judge. It's refreshing to to hear a voice of reason these days.

[David Ball]

I applaud the British people, and this Judge for having the courage to do and say what we here in America have been censured from discussing. We apparently do not have the internal fortitude to clarify Al Gore's garbage before it is forced upon our children. I want to apologize on behalf of my country for producing such an idiot. I once thought our country, like yours was interested in truth and freedom. I am glad that yours still has some reasoned people in it.

[atheling]

algore wins the Nobel Peace Prize; well he's in good company: Yasser Arafat and Jose Saramago...