Hey Richard, your a hack whose wrong on the basics. Welcome to the ‘insulted by “spn”, gp troll extraordinary, on politics.ie club!’

Well, tell me who I am, then.

It seems that it very much was.

bjg

This is reminiscent of Kremlinology. You were nominated by Ireland, and invited to join the IPCC process as an Irish representative, but chose not to do so? It seems that you’ve left more than a few relevant facts out of your original post, that this is because of your own choice.

So you’ve resided and had your main employment here for several years, you’re the ESRI appointee on the Climate Sciences panel of the Royal Irish Academy, you (obviously) hang around and contribute to national debates on this blog of leading Irish economists and in the pages of Irish national newspapers, you were nominated to the IPCC by Ireland and were accepted.

And you still claim that “Ireland is not represented”, though even your place on that list gives the ESRI as your background. Does this pass the laugh test? (A low standard with your stuff, but still)

There must be two different Richard Tol economists running around, then, lecturing scientists on science. Because one at least said on 11th June of this year:

“WG2 has put me forward as a convening lead author of one of the chapters in AR5.

Guess what? Although the Irish government nominated me, it will not financially support my participation – not even travel costs – because of … substantive differences over environmental policy.”

http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com/2010/06/ipcc-time-will-be-different-not-guest.html

My nationality for IPCC purposes is unambiguously not Ireland. The IPCC is an intergovernmental body, so institutional affiliations are irrelevant.

That would appear (putting it mildly) to be open to dispute, unless you’re going to get someone to correct this to one of the other hats you wear.

I have, by the way, just read through that Economist article, and I fail to see how it mentions ‘green’ technology in any substantial way. And further to a debate here a while ago on smart grid tech, I continue to be amazed at economics commentators to whom only supposed Randian supermen are visible, and not, say, the likes of less sexy, but more solid and sustainable businesses like our own ESBi.

Well searching for “Tol” gives:

CLA Richard S.J. Tol Economic and Social Research Institute Netherlands

I believe that’s you, as I’m sure you’ll be happy to confirm. And unless you’re working for two different ESRI’s, that’s our one that you’re credited as being there from.

@EWI
Thanks for pointing out the wrong link. Now corrected.

@EWI/John Gibbons
Ireland is not represented in the IPCC author teams, not by me, not by anyone else, as revealed by a simple search on “Ireland” in the three linked documents.

Having screwed up royally on the ‘E’ part of ESRI, now one of their number, a climate skeptic and denialist think tank advisor (albeit a 2.0 Lomborg-ised version) goes forward from Oirland as our “expert” on the IPCC’s WG3. He’s winding up his new blog with denialist claptrap already: “Working Group 2 systematically portrays climate change as a bigger problem than is scientifically acceptable”.

How reassuring to find the antidote to all those “alarmist” “warmist” and “hysterical” scientists and commentators is none other than an economist from the neoclassical school. Looking forward to finding more ‘Balance’ (ignore the science) and ‘Reason’ (no pollution taxes for big business), not to mention ‘Calmness’ (shure, fingers crossed, ’twill never happen!) in future IPCC reports.

Even the Irish GP doesn’t suffer from that mental aberration.

Ah, but Mr. Tol’s is not your father’s worn-out old climate skepticism - this is Skepticism 2.0. (In a nutshell: “Sure anthropogenic global warming is happening, but it’s not that serious and it would be too expensive / anti-market to do anything about it.”)

Here’s a direct link to the WGII list of authors without going through Global Warming Policy Foundation territory. I’ll leave it to Mr. Tol to provide a direct link to the list of funders of that august institution.

It looks like RTol has something on his mind. Maybe he could elaborate?

Ireland is not represented.

This would appear to be a factually-challenged statement, unless the ESRI is now based out of the Netherlands.

And linking to the PDF only via your own new sceptic website is classy, I have to say.