FALSE ALARMISTS

Must these people exaggerate everything?

Must these people exaggerate everything?

It’s a mini-Climategate. The great Death Threat Horror of 2011 is now revealed to be a mess of fabrications and exaggerations based on out-of-date communications. Oh yeah!

Initial reports claimed that threatening emails had forced climate scientists at the Australian National University to remove their names from staff directories and office doors, relocate to more secure buildings, decline meetings unless accompanied by guards, install upgraded home security systems and switch to unlisted phone numbers.

Curiously, however, the Australian Federal Police said “it has not been contacted by the university.” Well, they were busy with all the new security. Things get overlooked.

Then came former Courier-Mail climate activist Graham Readfearn’s publication of eight recent “death threats” – his term – allegedly sent by sceptics to members of the climate panic community.

According to Readfearn, all of the “threats” had been emailed since January this year. Really, Graham? Here are extracts from three of the eight emails published by Readfearn, followed by extracts from three emails published 16 months ago in a column by Clive Hamilton:

• “There will be a day of facing the music for the Pittman type frauds … you are a f**king fool!”

• “If we see you continue, we will get extremely organised and precise against you.”

• “F**k off mate, stop the personal attacks. Just do your science or you will end up collateral damage in the war, GET IT.”

And now the Hamilton collection, from February 2010:

• "There will be a day of facing the music for the Pitman type frauds ... Pitman you are a f**king fool!"

• "If we see you continue, we will get extremely organised and precise against you."

• "F**k off mate, stop the personal attacks. Just do your science or you will end up collateral damage in the war, GET IT."

So, contrary to Readfearn, these emails have been kicking around since at least early last year (detection credit to commenter Joe V. at Joanne Nova’s). And it gets worse for our trembly friends, because it turns out that the emails aren’t even the main problem. The serious threats – both of them – date back to the Howard era, as Andrew Carswell reports:

Claims prominent climate change scientists had recently received death threats have been revealed as an opportunistic ploy, with the Australian National University admitting that they occurred up to five years ago.

Only two of ANU's climate change scientists allegedly received death threats, the first in a letter posted in 2006-2007 and the other an offhand remark made in person 12 months ago.

Neither was officially reported to ACT Police or Australian Federal Police, despite such crimes carrying a 10-year prison sentence.

As for the gigantic new security now in place at the university:

The Daily Telegraph has discovered the nine scientists and staff in question were merely given keyless swipe cards – routine security measures taken last year.

Some old, already-exposed emails. A five-year-old letter. And an argument at a faculty wine-and-cheese night. That’s the extent of the threats facing Australian climate scientists.

Must these people exaggerate everything?