Exxon-Paid Scientist Claims Earth Doesn’t Have Enough Greenhouse Gases

by Stephanie Rogers · View Comments

A scientist on ExxonMobil’s payroll is trying to convince people that all those greenhouse gas emissions flowing freely around the world are nothing to worry about – in fact, we need more! Princeton University Atomic Physicist Dr. William Happer testifed before the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee on the 25th, claiming that the real concern is a ‘CO2 famine’.

Check out the video, in which a smirking, slouched Dr. Happer smugly explains his belief that carbon dioxide emissions will be “good for mankind”.

Senator Barbara Boxer revealed after Dr. Happer’s testimony that he is in fact affiliated with an institute that has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from ExxonMobil over the past decade.

Treehugger gleefully points out Happer’s stupidity and hopes that he’ll get even more publicity so people can see the caliber of so-called ‘experts’ that global warming deniers have on their side.

What an embarrassment for Princeton which last year sponsored a Lecture series [that] explores ethics and climate change, and which has the AAAS Center for Science, Technology and Congress, and which hosts the annual Carbon Mitigation Initiative..

Are we not yet past the point where the “A List” of climate change experts parading before Congress includes people with such fantastic ideas and foolish outlooks? Apparently not. And that’s a good thing.

Get that fellow up on the Hill a bunch more times. Play him on prime time news, over and over. Get him on the David Letterman Show talking about how lovely things were back in the Pleistocene. (I’m pretty sure he said “Pleistocene;” even thought that does not match up at all with the 80 million years ago answer he provided to Senator Boxer regarding the time to which he referred. Is that what you heard?)

Did you SEE this guy? Talk about a smug alert! He did that thing where he kept closing his eyes while he was talking. Parading this assclown around would be great for the cause.

Link [Treehugger] via [The Huffington Post]

Tagged as: Climate, Haters, Jerkass, Smug Alert

emily

The writer of this article clearly views the global warming argument from a blind lens. I really wish that earthfirst would be more objective and look at the other side of the story. It turns out there are lots of scientists out there who are not on the exxon payroll, nor might I add the IPCC payroll, who do not believe that climate change is a direct result of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions.

Does this mean I think we should pollute the planet? Absolutely not. But at least get the facts straightened out before jumping to conclusions and passing judgment on the guy who questions established beliefs with no proof.

E.D.

The scientific facts show that CO2 is NOT the cause of "global warming" and "climate change" is NORMAL and NATURAL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOLkze-9GcI

In fact the media and politicians have been hyping the "global warming" agenda for their own purposes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zeGY8zbzc8

The reality is scientists are suing Al Gore for his "global warming" fraud:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfHW7KR33IQ

Kent

Agree absolutely with Bob (8:46 AM). This is a knee-jerk reaction (from some jerk?). It is a straightforward attempt to kill the message by disparaging the messenger. Bob is right. What about a solid critique of the message instead of this childish reaction? We know you love sarcasm, but show us where Dr. Happer is incorrect, otherwise some might want to know what you want to be when you grow up.

Bob

Does Earth First have anything to say about the content of Dr. Happer's speech? Stating his connection with Exxon, making fun of his facial expressions, and stamping "Jerkass" over his picture do little to convince me that he is incorrect. If Exxon paid him to say something that isn't true, the lie should be easy to point out. When someone speaks out against carbon dioxide, do you look into their sources of funding? Besides that, Princeton is a very large organization, receiving funding from many sources. Is there a memo somewhere in which Exxon threatened to pull funding unless Dr. Happer says what they tell him to say? I expect not. I love the earth too, but please let's stick to facts, or we'll be the ones made fun of.