Friday 3 June 2011

The Strange World of Alan Jones


Michelle Grattan writes of 2GB Radio shock jock Alan Jones on 1 June 2011:
Jones “has agreed to be the founding patron of Australia's newest and arguably most extreme climate-science denier organisation - the paradoxically titled Galileo Movement.
This group's leaders aren't merely sceptical about mainstream climate science - they outright deny that the world is warming (the thermometers are in the wrong place). They scoff at the idea that human activity can cause warming (carbon dioxide is just plant food); and they even reject that global warming could be harmful (relax, do nothing - it's natural).
Instead, they fervently believe that it's all part of a secret ideological conspiracy by corrupt scientists using fake data to collude with greenies, socialists, libertarians and the United Nations to falsely alarm the gullible and enrich themselves by stealing our money and sovereignty. Fair dinkum.

Now that new movement has a familiar ring to it. Ah, yes – it’s the Monckton mob downunder.

The Galileo Movement Pty Limited which was registered in February 2011 and has a Crows Nest NSW address:
“has available expert advice from Australian and international specialists across all diverse fields of global warming including meteorology and climate science, palaeoclimate, physical sciences (physics, chemistry), life sciences (biology), social science (economics), formal science (mathematics, statistics), communication, law.
These experts include eminent professors, PhD's, scientists and people with diverse life experience including”
{wait for it}:

And; “The Galileo Movement's patron is Australia's own Alan Jones. Alan has a long history of speaking out for the downtrodden and for protecting freedom. His innate expertise straddles the fields of politics, sport and the media. His wealth of experience complements the basic science that is the Galileo Movement's core.”
The Movement was founded by Queenslanders John Smeed (who professes to be a retired company director with a diploma from QIT School of Mechanical Engineering who supports the Liberals) and Case Smit (another retired company director who claims a Bachelor of Science from a unstated institute of higher learning). The same duo who organised former journalist and climate change denier Lord Monckton’s antipodean tour in 2010.
This group now has its very own dedicated page over at Source Watch.

During May this year Alan Jones interviewed Professor David Karoly (who supports global warming as a scientific reality) and those Galileo Movement advisers Professors Bob Carter and Richard Lindzen, along with Timothy Ball another adviser - as well as Malcolm Roberts the Movement’s project manager.
Now I’ve only heard the Ball podcast listed as “Alan Jones speaks to Professor Timothy Ball about climate change and the Galileo Movement”, but I don’t remember hearing Jones declare an ‘interest’ in the Movement – did you?
Perhaps that’s something else the Australian Communications and Media Authority might consider if they again investigate this outrageous propagandist (
previous investigation).


Galileo download webpage with all Alan Jones podcasts

4 comments:

Anthony said...

I'm not a supporter of Alan's work, or of the Galileo Movement.
But I do listen to the program, and he has mentioned numerous times that he is the patron of the organisation, including during today's broadcast.

Sorry, but he has declared an interest on air, a number of times.

Anonymous said...

The proper thing to do is to declare the interest at the start of every interview which is related to the Movement or its independent advisers. Alan Jones would be well aware of this - he just likes to think that the can do anything he wants to without regard to broadcasting or journalism ethics.

Todd said...

he did declare an interest as I heard it on the show- u need some balance on this issue and it shows our liar of a PM will not debate this and wants no vote on this issue- it is a farce and science proves it either way. Why tax something that will NOT make one difference.... oh yes its to appease the greenies again....

Petering Time said...

Todd,
I just listened to the audio of Jones interviewing Timothy Ball and at no time did I hear Jones mention he was patron of the Galileo Movement he quoted during this interview.
As someone else has mentioned previously - an interest has to be declared on each occasion. Not just once in a while.
His bio on the 2GB website doesn't mention it either, which is very lazy of him.