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Utility Climate Consultants Credentials Questioned
September 6, 2006
The consultant hired by the Intermountain Rural Electric Association
(IREA) this summer to cast doubts about climate science in the media
may have misrepresented his credentials. IREA sent $100,000 to Dr.
Patrick Michaels at the Cato Institute this spring after IREA
General Manager Stan Lewandowski heard Michaels present to a group
of utilities questioning human responsibility for global warming.
For background, see the article on the CRES website and the August
entry to the Colorado Renewable Energy Blog by Phil von Hake at:
http://cres-energy.org/clips/clips_06aug21_gw.html
http://cres-energy.org/blogs/blogs_vonhake06aug.html
Michaels is a professor at the University of Virginia
and presents his credentials as “The Virginia State Climatologist.”
Lewandowski used these credentials in a letter he wrote to 150
electricity cooperatives this summer asking them to send money to
the Cato Institute in Washington D.C. to support Michaels work. But
it turns out that Lewandowski didn’t actually write the letter.
Instead, he lifted the text verbatim from the transcript of a talk
radio host on KOA-AM in Denver, including the credentials.
On August 19, the Virginia governor’s office sent a
letter to the president of the University of Virginia asking that
Michaels to stop using that that title in his private consulting
work. The governor’s office stated that Michaels' work for Virginia
does not involve global warming, and his use of the title of state
climatologist gives the false impression that the state supports his
views. He asked the university to refer to Michaels using his
official title as the American Association of State Climatologists (AASC)
designated state climatologist, since Michaels is a member of AASC.
See the article titled, “Climatologist Request Made,”
in an article written by Carlos Santos in the August 19 edition the
Richmond Times Dispatch at:
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149190056132
A number of concerned IREA customers and CRES members have created a
group called IREA Voices, which is dedicated to creating a new IREA,
one voice at a time. On August 30, the group held its first public
meeting in Ken Caryl southwest of Denver. The meeting drew more than
50 people and featured a presentation by former Speaker of the
Colorado House of Representatives and Amendment 37 Co-Chair Lola
Spradley. The group already has a website and blog:
http://www.ireavoices.org
http://mountainpower.blogspot.com
Some of the issues that the group is dealing with
have to do with Lewandowski using cooperative funds to fund lobbying
for the coal industry, financial transparency, democracy in the
operation of the coop, and scientific integrity. The group publishes
a newsletter called IREA Voices; subscribe at:
IREAnews@gmail.com |
