Timothy F. Ball

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Timothy Ball, Ph.D., is a retired university professor and global warming skeptic. He heads the Natural Resources Stewardship Project and formerly headed the activist organization Friends of Science both of which have been criticised as Astroturf organizations funded by energy industries.[1].

Contents

[edit] Academic background

He has a B.A. from the University of Winnipeg, an M.A. from the University of Manitoba and a Ph.D. in Geography in 1983 [2] from the University of London, England.

Ball taught at the University of Winnipeg from 1973 to 1996, starting as a Sessional Lecturer in Geography and retiring as a Professor of Geography. [1]

[edit] Views on environmental change

Ball wrote:

  • The entire Kyoto issue is based on the theory of carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
  • There are 2 major problems. First, [it] is not the most important greenhouse gas. Second, evidence now shows that temperatures rise before carbon dioxide increases - not the other way round. [3]
  • In a recent interview he stated "the plain fact is there was never any evidence of CFCs affecting the ozone layer" and there is "no correlation between atmospheric CO2 and global temperature at any time in the earth's history."[4]
  • "Earth is warming up ... but it's not humans who are doing it. Human-produced carbon-dioxide is but a tiny fraction of the atmosphere's greenhouse gases, so ripping up the Canadian economy to reduce our emissions is folly." [5]
  • "I can tolerate being called a sceptic because all scientists should be sceptics, but then they started calling us deniers, with all the connotations of the Holocaust. That is an obscenity. It has got really nasty and personal."[6]

[edit] Dispute over academic credentials

Dan Johnson, a professor of environmental science at the University of Lethbridge, wrote in a letter to the editor of the The Calgary Herald:

  • "... he does not have the academic background and qualifications to make serious comments on global warming".

The paper had credited Ball as the first Canadian to hold a Ph.D. in climatology.[7]

In the film "The Great Global Warming Swindle" credited Ball as attached to the University of Winnipeg's Department of Climatology.[8] Blogger Kevin Grandia points out that the university has no such department.[9]

The Canada Free Press called him a "former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg." [2]

In September, 2006, Ball filed suit against Johnson and four editors at the Calgary Herald newspaper for $325,000 for, among other things, “damages to his income earning capacity as a sought after speaker with respect to global warming”.[3] (Original statement of claim, Defendant Johnsons answer, Defendant Calgary Heralds answer)

[edit] Selected publications

[edit] References

  1. ^ Peter Gorrie (January 28, 2007). Who's still cool on global warming?. Toronto Star. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
  2. ^ http://catalogue.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/search/?searchtype=a&searcharg=Ball%2C+Timothy&searchscope=16&SORT=A&Submit.x=48&Submit.y=27
  3. ^ Junk Science continued. Natural Resources Stewardship Project (04 2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  4. ^ Interview With Dr. Timothy Ball- The Myth of Global Warming?. Retrieved on 2007-02-17.
  5. ^ Climate of controversy (audio interview). Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved on 2007-02-17.
  6. ^ Scientists threatened for 'climate denial'. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
  7. ^ Aussies' Suzuki heavier on rhetoric than on science. National Post (2006-04-19). Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  8. ^ http://www.desmogblog.com/dsblog-game-whats-wrong-with-this-picture
  9. ^ A Global Warming Swindle play-by-play. DesmogBlog.com (2007-03-12). Retrieved on 2007-03-12.

[edit] External links

  • Fraser Institute A professional biography
  • NSRP Another professional biography
  • Sourcewatch Page with multiple links to articles by and about Dr. Ball
  • Canada Free Press profile and links to articles authored and co-authored by Dr. Ball
  • March 8, 2007 The UK's Channel 4: Dr. Ball contributes to the documentary The Great Global Warming Swindle (as hosted on the Google Video site); You can also read about the program on Channel 4's site
  • February 10, 2007 Interview with Bill Steigerwald of the Pittsburgh Tribune: The politics of global warming
  • February 5, 2007 Ball's opinion piece Global Warming: The Cold, Hard Facts? at canadafreepress.com
  • January 31, 2007 Ball's interview with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy plus links to audio and video of talk as well as a PDF file of his presentation Why There’s Nothing New About Climate Change.
  • January 25, 2007 Trust us, we're the media, Georgia Straight
  • January 22, 2007 Energy Tribune article: Climate Change: Politics and Science
  • August 6, 2006 Profile from The Globe and Mail "Focus" section: Mr. Cool as presented on the author's (Charles Montgomery) personal web site
  • June 15, 2006 National Post article for the Financial Post: Warmer is Better: Junk Science Week
  • November 15, 2004 Ball On the real danger for Canada, global cooling, Frontier Centre for Public Policy plus links to video and audio of talk. Here is a critique of his speech.
  • Ball, Timothy F. (2003), "The lack of science in Kyoto: a solution for a non-existent problem", Advances in Pork Production 14: 1-12
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