2004: Guy from Scottish EPA suggests that DEFRA fund a program to send skeptics to UEA to be persuaded "how well researched and serious the issue is"?

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I think it is important to counter these ill-informed and prejudiced commentators but I agree that it is wearing, time-consuming and distracting. Probably only the high profile and potentially most damaging should be tackled. Maybe DEFRA would consider a bit of additional funding specifically to undertake the task since these activities may gradually undermine their entire approach and strategy?

James

...I'm sure you don't listen to it and it must be a pure accident that I quite often hear it on the way to work - but do you ever come across the Terry Wogan programme on Radio 2 in the mornings ? I believe it has the biggest radio audience in the UK - several million perhaps. Terry Wogan doesn't have a particularly good environmental record in his personal life - something about planting trees in Caithness as a tax avoidance measure some years ago ? Anyway, he has a real down on climate change, especially just now, and makes repeated disparaging remarks. Yesterday (13/1/04) he actually made some comment about it being promoted by "bad scientists". Rather than just complaining to the BBC, I wondered if you might consider inviting him to the Tyndall Centre to try and persuade him how well researched and serious the issue is and hopefully getting him to talk some sense on his show. Best wishes, James Professor James Curran Environmental Futures Scottish Environment Protection Agency