background of 'geoscientists' in favour of relaxing traffic light system Archived Message Posted by Ian M on March 1, 2019, 12:34 pm, in reply to "Ditto nm" https://twitter.com/samjknights/status/1094660413860524033 Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Sam Knights Retweeted The Times of London THREAD: Decided to google the forty-eight “practising geoscientists” who signed this letter… Sam Knights added, The Times of London Verified account @thetimes Almost 50 geoscientists have urged the government to commission an urgent review of the fracking earthquake limit, which they suggest should be raised to allow the industry to expand https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/relax-the-rules-on-earthquakes-to-let-fracking-expand-say-scientists-zzzj5mr7v 10:12 AM - 10 Feb 2019 New conversation Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 10 None of the information was hard to find. I did not waste more than about an hour of my life doing this. I am not a scientist or a journalist, and I do not know much about geoscience. So, no doubt there is a lot more that I missed. But here is what I've learnt… 3 replies 42 retweets 300 likes Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 10 Of the 48 people that signed the letter, I could not confidently identify 9. I think one works for BP and another works for Shell. Many are not experts in any recognisable way. But it doesn’t really matter. Because, of the remaining 39, all have links to gas and oil companies. 12 replies 185 retweets 617 likes Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 10 Here is a copy of my v basic notes: (As an aside, I just want to point out that 40 of the 48 signatories are white men who are very often semi-retired. They are not the people who will have to live with the consequences of their work.) 24 replies 151 retweets 528 likes Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 10 IN SHORT: Several signatories openly brag about their industry funded research. Many used to work for oil and gas companies. Quite a few still work for those companies. And others are not even practising scientists, but directors of a business in the energy sector. 2 replies 86 retweets 399 likes Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 10 Of course, this isn’t news. We all know that the fossil fuel industry is deeply corrupt. These companies have a long history of bribery, manipulation and misinformation. 3 replies 44 retweets 312 likes Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 10 But it is worrying that, time and time again, our newspapers fall for these fairly obvious pieces of bought propaganda. Since being published in The Times, various other newspapers have picked it up, most notably The Independent. 6 replies 97 retweets 439 likes Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 10 Any responsible journalist would refuse to publish this letter or, at the very least, publish it alongside the appropriate context. But, for some reason, this never happens. 3 replies 72 retweets 359 likes Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 10 It is the same reason that lobbyist groups like The Taxpayers Alliance, the IEA, or The Adam Smith Institute are able to masquerade as thinktanks. Wealthy corporations always find ways to subvert democracy. These tactics are not in any way new. 3 replies 67 retweets 343 likes Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 10 In fact, this particular letter was supported by Lancashire for Shale, a group which masquerades as “local”, but is really funded by Cuadrilla. It used to be called the NW Energy Taskforce, which was also funded by Cuadrilla, and which some of the signatories were linked to. 2 replies 60 retweets 234 likes Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 10 Many of the universities these signatories come from have received millions of pounds in donations from fossil fuel companies, and work with industry to provide services in the oil and gas sector. It would not surprise me if companies involved in fracking were a part of this too. 2 replies 34 retweets 197 likes Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 10 In fact, I would go one step further. It would not surprise me if this letter was written by somebody who is currently being paid by Cuadrilla, or a recipient of Cuadrilla funding. 1 reply 28 retweets 185 likes Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 10 This came just three days after Cuadrilla repeated calls for an urgent review of our fracking regulations, and five days since Ineos described the same regulations as “unworkable”. I suspect this is just one part of a coordinated campaign form the fossil fuel lobby. 3 replies 43 retweets 210 likes Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 10 Of course, I would love to be proved wrong... [ENDS] 26 replies 20 retweets 244 likes Sam Knights ‏ @samjknights Feb 12 Sam Knights Retweeted alex thomson (As a post-script, please see this...) Sam Knights added, alex thomson Verified account @alextomo I can also reveal that the letter calling for relaxing earthquake safety rules on fracking by 48 scientists to the Times last week was green lighted in advance by a govt minister 3 replies 6 retweets 19 likes Message Thread: Strongest earthquake yet in Surrey 3.42 this morning - Ian M February 27, 2019, 3:03 pm Letter in The Times - Ian M February 27, 2019, 6:51 pm Thanks Ian... - Gerard February 28, 2019, 1:23 pm Save Sherwood Forest from fracking - Gerard February 28, 2019, 2:39 pm no probs, signed :) - Ian M February 28, 2019, 6:14 pm Ditto nm - Tomski February 28, 2019, 6:50 pm background of 'geoscientists' in favour of relaxing traffic light system - Ian M March 1, 2019, 12:34 pm video interviews of residents - Ian M March 1, 2019, 7:36 pm   Searching