le mauvais temps

Famous French Weatherman Publicly Doubts Climate Change, Goes on ‘Forced Holiday’

Photo: France2

A well-known French weatherman has been put on an indefinite “forced holiday” after writing a book criticizing climate-change research and saying that, even if it does exist, it will probably have some very positive effects, including more tourists, lower death rates, lower electricity bills in the winter, and higher-quality wine.

Philippe Verdier, famous for delivering nightly forecasts on the state-run news channel France 2, has authored a new book casting doubt on the research of world climatologists. Climat Investigation, which is set to be released in time for the December U.N. climate summit in Paris, claims that misleading climate data has “taken the world hostage.”

In a promo video for the new book, Verdier offers a teaser (translated by The Telegraph): “Every night I address five million French people to talk to you about the wind, the clouds, and the sun. And yet there is something important, very important that I haven’t been able to tell you, because it’s neither the time nor the place to do so.”

Verdier’s views led France Télévisions, the country’s state broadcaster, to take him off the air.

I received a letter asking me not to come [to work],” Verdier said in an interview with French RTL radio. “This is a direct extension of what I say in my book, namely that any contrary views must be eliminated.”

In his book, Verdier challenges the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, saying they “blatantly erased” data that didn’t support their conclusions in their most recent report, The Telegraph writes

The French newspaper Le Monde criticized his book, saying it was full of “errors,” but Verdier certainly isn’t alone in thinking that global warming might actually be pretty cool:

  • University of Sussex economist Richard Tol and Copenhagen Business School professor Bjørn Lomborg produced a report in 2013 claiming that climate change makes agriculture more productive, reduces heating costs, and reduces death due to freezing, according to Bloomberg.
  • Governor Paul LePage is excited, too, announcing in 2013 that melting ice had opened up the Northeast Passage route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans — a big “pro” for the Maine economy.
  • And the Heartland Institute, a conservative think tank funded by the Koch brothers, published its own report in response to the IPCC arguing that climate change doesn’t exist — or, if it does, it’s great if you’re a plant.
  • And way back in 2007, Daniel Benjamin, a senior fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center, cited a study explaining that American agriculture would likely be immune to climate change — maybe even benefit a little. The study was later repeated due to coding errors.

French Al Roker Casts Doubt on Climate Change