Guest Submission: Defending Former IPCC Chair

It’s odd that AGW deniers continually include false or misleading information in their arguments, information which invariably includes input from many so called experts, who are willing to discredit decades of established climate science. The qualifications of Dr. Rajendra Pachauri--former Chairperson of the IPCC has been attacked this way. Below is a paste from Bill Moyers’ website that debunks a famous petition that was circulated among scientists and supposedly reveals large numbers of climate scientists who do not accept predominantly human causes for global warming. However, this biased Oregon Petition Project includes large numbers of signatures from scientist having only Bachelors degrees---including meteorologists, and those representing many marginally related scientific fields with completely inadequate backgrounds and accreditation;

A link:

http://billmoyers.com/2014/05/16/eight-pseudo-scientific-climate-claims-debunked-by-real-scientists/

"But that hasn't prevented climate deniers from compiling long lists of people they claim to be dissenting climatologists. The most prominent of which was the Oregon Petition project, which was organized by a chemist named Art Robinson, founder of a group called the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (OISM), which also markets a home-schooling kit for “parents concerned about socialism in the public schools.”

The petition was supposedly signed by “31,000 American scientists” who opposed the consensus “entirely on scientific grounds published in peer reviewed journals.” But in fact, anyone could sign on, and according to Michael Mann, director of Penn State’s Earth System Science Center, the list ultimately included the Spice Girls and several Star Wars characters."

In the paste from the website linked below, one clearly sees a long list of job experiences which involve associations with many energy and oil companies—a reflection of Dr. Pachauri's attempts to influence and promote knowledge and discover possible solutions for man-made climate change problems.

Another link:

http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/press/briefcv_pachauri.pdf

Dr. Rajendra Pachauri's background;

Dr Pachauri has also been associated with academic and research institutes. He is on the 

Board of Directors of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (June 2006) and also on the Board of Directors of the NTPC Limited (January 2006). He was on the Board of Directors of the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (January 1999 to September 2003); Board of Directors of GAIL (India) Ltd. (April 2003 to October 2004); National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (August 2002 to August 2005); the Board of Governors, Shriram Scientific and Industrial Research Foundation (September 1987-1990); the Executive Committee and then the Board of Trustees of the India International Centre, New Delhi (1985 onwards); the Governing Council and President (September 2004 – September 2006) of the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi (October 1987 onwards); and the Court of Governors, Administrative Staff College of India (1979-81).

A final paste from yet another website, reveals that Rajendra is no lightweight when it comes to the scientific, economic, and social issues involved in climate science, and is also a very credible authority on global warming.

One more link:

http://citizenschallenge.blogspot.com/2010/09/11c-lord-monckton-mr-ferguson-sppi-v-dr.html:

"Unfortunately, once again Lord Monckton what you’re saying is not the truth. Pachauri is no more a “railroad engineer” than you are a member of the House of Lords! I dare you to look at his accomplishments:

From -http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/bios/pachauri.htm


:

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA,

MS in Industrial Engineering

PhD in In Dr. R.K. Pachauri’s Biographydustrial Engineering

PhD in Economics,

served as Assistant Professor (August 1974 -- May 1975)

Visiting Faculty Member (Summer 1976 and 1977) in the Department of Economics and Business.

He joined TERI as Director in April 1981.

Visiting Professor, Resource Economics at the College of Mineral and Energy Resources, West Virginia University (August 1981 -- August 1982);

Senior Visiting Fellow, Resource Systems Institute, East -- West Center, USA (May -- June 1982);

Visiting Research Fellow, The World Bank, Washington, DC (June -- September 1990).

Recognizing his vast knowledge and experience in the energy -- environment field, the United Nations Development Program appointed him as a part time adviser in the fields of Energy and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, 1994 -- 1999.

His wide-ranging expertise has resulted in his being invited to join various international and national committees and boards, which on the international level include:

Member, Board of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES), 1991 -- 1997;

Member, World Resources Institute (WRI) Council, 1992;

Chairman, Work Group A -- World Energy Council (WEC) Committee on Developing Countries, 1993 -- 1995;

President (1988), Chairman (1989 -- 90), International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE), Washington, D C .;

President, Asian Energy Institute, 1992 onwards.

Committees of the Government of India which he has served include

Member, Panel of Eminent Persons on Power, Ministry of Power;

Member, Delhi Vision -- Core Planning Group;

Member, Advisory Board on Energy (ABE), Government of India, 1983 -- 1988 (The Board reported directly to the Prime Minister of India);

Member, National Environmental Council, Government of India under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister of India, November 1993 and April 1999;

Member, Oil Industry Restructuring Group, "R" Group, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, 1994.

He has also served on academic and research institute bodies including:

Member, Board of Governors, Trireme Scientific & Industrial Research Foundation, September 1987;

Member, Executive Committee of the India International Center, 1985 onwards; Member, Governing Council of the India Habitat Center, New Delhi, October 1987 onwards;

Member, Court of Governors, Administrative Staff College of India, 1979 -- 81.

In January 1999, Dr R K Pachauri was appointed as Director, Board of Directors of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (a Fortune 500 company) for a period of 3 years.

In April 1999, Dr R K Pachauri was appointed as the Member, Board of Directors of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Environment Agency, Government of Japan, for a period of 3 years.

In September 1999, Dr R K Pachauri was appointed as the Chairman, The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Heritage Foundation, Darjeeling.

He taught at the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University, USA, as McCluskey Fellow during 6 September -- 8 December 2000.

In July 2001, Dr R K Pachauri was appointed Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India.

Elected as Chairman of IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), April 2002."

It's understandable that a denier might want to point to Rajendra's original job with an Indian Railways company, since qualifications for anyone in the IPCC should be impressive. But that early job is not nearly as indicative of his cumulative and extensive education and academic qualifications to chair an organization like the IPCC. His knowledge of how energy is made and delivered in diverse markets, makes him an excellent spokesperson for a problem which ultimately involves both of those fields, and unlike many deniers his accomplishments aren't manufactured or enabled by Denier's organizations, which already hold opinions favorable to big oil and coal, before their "research" even starts.

This Information about Dr. Pachauri illustrates the way deniers, misinform the public—never mentioning that large numbers of Climate scientists are very qualified to do global warming research—certainly far more than the numbers of pseudo scientists like Lord Monckton, (one of Rajendra's critics), who has almost no suitable qualifications at all. I only wish newspapers around the world, had the time and inclination to publish truly objective comments about our climate, which could then be verified by research rather than misinformation and lies circulated by global warming deniers, quacks and charlatans!

Sincerely, Peter W. Johnson

Superior, WI.