Thread by @MaycockAlex

I know, I know. Don't engage the trolls. Sorry @GretaThunberg @ScienceNotDogma but that "500 Scientists" story is gaining waaaay too much traction, and I'm feeling fighty. Most of the press are just parroting the PR and that's feeding the trolls. So, prepare to be threaded...

Background: A letter headlined "There is no climate emergency" was delivered to the #UNFCCC on 23 Sept, claiming that the "European Climate Declaration" was signed by 500 scientists and professionals. Of those 500, more than 150 are NOT Europeans. Soooo....

Even more preplexing, a large percentage of the signatories are NOT associated with the natural sciences at all, and many of the "professionals" are in the pocket of the #FossilFuels mafia. We can get a rough idea of this pact's make up by looking at their so-called Ambassadors.

Guus Berkhout - Retired engineer, worked in the oil and gas industry. Guus is the epitome of the "angry quitter" gaining several important roles in the Dutch science community over the years, only to storm out later shouting the Dutch equivalent of "You guys are stoopid meanies!"

Richard Lindzen - A sloppy US meteorologist with an innate ability to make, in his own words, "some stupid mistakes". Known ties to the #KochBrothers (see the documentary, Kochland) and a fellow at the Koch-funded Cato Institute.

Reynald Du Berger - Retired Canadian seismologist and radio host of The Paranormal Chronicle. Seems to blame submarine volcanic and hydrothermal activity for climate change and acts as if he's more pilloried in Quebec than @jordanbpeterson.

Ingemar Nordin - Philosopher and founding member of The Stockholm Initiative, an organization known to spread lies about real climate scientists. It was voted "Confuser of the Year" in 2010 by Sweden's Association of Science and Folk Education.

Terry Dunleavy - New Zealand winery owner. Former journalist and commercial printer, received the MBE in 1990 for services to the wine industry. Oh Terry, the Grapes of Wrath are coming for ya, mate.

Jim O'Brien - Engineer who heads up the secretive and illegal lobbying outfit "Irish Climate Science Forum" - it's illegal in that ICSF refuses to release its funding details, as per Irish law. What you got to hide, Jim? A Cato friend, perhaps?

Viv Forbes - Australian libertarian, AKA the "Queensland-based coal-mining veteran." Nuff said.

Alberto Prestininzi - Maybe the only real climate scientist among this bunch of jokers, but subscribes to the "CO2 is food" philosophy. Hey Prof, know what happens when you eat too much food? You get fat and die.

Jeffrey Foss - According to his students at BC's University of Victoria, he's a "Gonzo philosopher," a "comedian" with a "nerve-wracking grading system" and the "weirdest human being ever" whose lectures are "kind of useless." Admits to being afraid of the sun.

Benoît Rittaud - "Claire Nouvian... had taken Élisabeth Lévy without restraint, as if her refusal to scream with the wolves on the climate allowed her media lynching." Ah, French! Such a beautiful language. Matters not if you're making sense, as long as it sounds vaguely sexual.

Morten Jødal - Biologist who runs the Mushroom Guide, offering mushroom courses and mushroom products. Ozone hole sceptic and member of KLIMAREALISTENE, a very polite Norwegian climate denial group who believe climate change is real, but the sun is to blame for all of it.

Fritz Vahrenholt - Chemist who once sat on the board of the German subsidiary of the Shell oil company. Former CEO of two renewable energy companies. Published a climate denial book in 2012 at about the same time that his company, RWE Innogy, dumped him.

Rob Lemier - Belgian civil engineer. Loved climate change when it wasn't cool, but hates it now everybody's into it. So, obviously a #denialhipster.

And finally... Christopher Monckton - Embarrassed the @UKHouseofLords so much they had to publish a Cease and Desist order, was banned by the #UN for invading the stage at @COP18, and is even too radical for UKIP - the Britain for the Brits party - so they dumped him.

So, that's the motley mob championing the European Climate Declaration. Please don't think I'm doxing them. All info here is publicly available. Unlike most trolls, I like to show my work, but didn't want to give this lot the pleasure of active links, so here's a handy list...

Plus they're kinda asking for it - literally. In their letter they wrote: "Audiatur et altera pars." That's hilarious because it means "listen to the other side" and, in the context of their argument, that means US, the #ClimateCrisis folk. bit.ly/2kJAbbN

In prepping this thread, I was amazed by how many news sites and "news" sites are running the "500 scientists" story. That's the downside to so-called fair and balanced reporting. To paraphrase Newton: for every sensible scientist, there's an equal and opposite @TuckerCarlson

Also, "500 scientists" sounds a lot more defined than our quite fluffy sounding "consensus of opinion". As my math-genius dad always said: "97% of nothing is less than nothing." Wikipedia has a list of climate denial scientists, but where's our list @JimmyWalesHead?

Being generous, I'd say only 30% of the "500 scientists" have real connections to climate science. If they make up the 3% of disagreement with the consensus, that means there are 4850 scientists out there trying to save the planet. Now that's a number the press cannot ignore.

I'm loving the #FridaysForFuture movement, and angry #HarrisonFord and smouldering #JasonMomoa, but the trolls will always find ways to denigrate, demean and insult those efforts. And the press will never NOT run "500 Scientists" stories, helping to undermine public opinion.

To save the planet, we need to save the trolls. So, come on consensus, gather and be heard. #COP25 is only a couple of months away. Get there, get organized and let the world see you in all your thousands. unfccc.int/Santiago

I know organizing that sort of event might seem difficult, but there's bound to be a teen around who can help you. They're getting pretty good at that sort of thing these days, ya know. #SaveTheTrollsSaveThePlanet

End of thread but, I hope, not the world...

Upon calmer reflection, I realize inviting 4850 earth scientists to #COP25Chile might be a little nuts. Santiago only has 4853 hotel rooms and I'm sure @antonioguterres will want a few of those for his team. Mind you, the beach should be nice in Dec, so... pack a sleeping bag?

@JimmyWalesHead So, @glinch72 just posted this list of scientific orgs that agree the #ClimateCrisis is caused by human action. It's a great place for your team to start @jimmy_wales

bit.ly/2I5VY6E

(P.S. Sorry for misidentifying you in the above tweet. You guys could be brothers).