About IPCC head Rajendra Pachauri

Should we take Rajendra Pachauri's word as pure gospel, or is it OK to question his claims?

Below is some background information:

1. From this article:

Since his appointment, Pachauri, who is known for his diplomatic skills, has managed to forge a global consensus on one of the most debated issues in the world -- climate change.
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"It was not an easy job reaching a consensus on research by 2,500 scientists from more than 130 countries," said Nitin Desai, former U.N. Under-Secretary-General for economic and social affairs and an expert on climate change.

"His skills as a diplomat and a consensus builder are what sealed the deal," he said about the report which stated it was more than 90 percent likely that mankind's activities were the main cause of warming in the past 50 years.

A strong believer in the teachings of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, the 67-year-old Indian economist and engineer took over the job in 2002 amid controversy.
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At the time, Gore denounced Pachauri in the New York Times and said his "virulent anti-American statements" would undermine the IPCC's authority in the United States.
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Born on Aug 20, 1940 in the scenic town of Nainital in the foothills of the outer Himalayas, he is a hard-core vegetarian, partly due to his religious beliefs as a Hindu and the impact meat production has on the climate.

Married with two children, he also heads one of India's leading environmental think-tanks, The Energy and Resources Institute, which does research in areas from energy and the environment to biotechnology.
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He spends much of his time travelling and speaking on climate change at international fora and jokes he "lives at 30,000 feet".

2. From this article:

OSLO (Reuters) - The science on climate change is indisputable so the world must now act to limit greenhouse gas emissions or face "abrupt and irreversible" change, the head of the Nobel prize-winning U.N. climate panel said on Sunday.
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"The science is very clear -- it's loud, articulate and incontrovertible. On this basis I think it's time the world moved on," Pachauri told Reuters a day before he and climate activist Al Gore receive the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.
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"You will never get a more robust set of conclusions and findings than what we have provided. If this doesn't move the world to action, then I don't know what will," Pachauri said.

3. From this article, dated 1/8/08:

OSLO (Reuters) - India's Rajendra Pachauri said on Monday he will probably seek a new term as head of the U.N. climate panel that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore.

"I think we are riding a crest ... as far as climate change is concerned, particularly spreading the information of climate change," Pachauri, 67, told Reuters in Oslo after making an evening speech about the risks of global warming.

"I feel that even though it's going to be very tough ... I will probably throw my hat in," he said when asked if he would seek re-election in April for a second six-year term as head of the U.N. panel that draws on the work of about 2,500 scientists.

"I am tending towards that ... I feel that I should decide formally in the next couple of weeks," he said of the election to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

4. Another quote from Pachauri is here:

We have been so drunk with this desire to produce and consume more and more whatever the cost to the environment that we're on a totally unsustainable path. I am not going to rest easy until I have articulated in every possible forum the need to bring about major structural changes in economic growth and development.

5. Some information about Pachauri's poor performance in a recent climate debate is here.

6. The Wikipedia page on Pachauri is here; the web site for his Energy and Resources Institute is here.