The John Ray Initiative

Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway

This book describes how a handful of senior, highly influential scientists in the United States have worked over the past 30 or 40 years to obscure the truth on the issues of Smoking and Cancer, Acid Rain, Ozone destruction and Global Warming. The way they used their high level political and industrial contacts and their effective manipulation of the media makes chilling reading.

The book is thoroughly researched and accurately presented. For instance, the spreading of false information by Frederick Seitz, Fred Singer and the Wall Street Journal regarding the final version of the IPCC’s second report in 1996 is a part of the story in which I was personally involved and I can vouch for the accuracy of its detail. Genuine scientific enquiry has suffered and is still suffering from the orchestrated large scale manipulation the book describes. This book should be essential reading for every one concerned about the truth regarding Global warming and Climate Change.

John Houghton

Also see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/aug/08/merchants-of-doubt-oreskes-conway

13th August 2010

The Government Committee on Climate Change www.theccc.org.uk published on 19th July a 32 page document entitled ‘Building a low carbon economy – the UK’s innovation challenge.’ Sir John Houghton says “It is an excellent challenging document that points out that the goals the government have set for reduction in CO2 emissions will not be reached unless the government gives greater priority and investment to the development of innovative technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), marine (e.g. tidal and wave), smart grids and electric vehicles. There is great urgency for the government to set out its clear strategy for action to turn its fine ambitions expressed in words into future reality”.

25th July 2010

Dr. Martin J. Hodson, JRI Operations Manager, spoke on “Are GM crops necessary to secure global food supplies at affordable prices?” at the summer conference  on GM Crops and Food Security 2010-2050 put on by the ASSOCIATE PARLIAMENTARY FOOD & HEALTH FORUM at the House of Commons on Wednesday 21 July 2010. DOWNLOAD HERE

Full reports and PowerPoints from the meeting are now available at: http://www.fhf.org.uk/meet

22nd July 2010

Climate Change and the Integrity of Science.
In May a letter was published in Science signed by over two hundred climate scientists about the integrity of climate change science. Science 7 May 2010: Vol. 328. no. 5979, pp. 689-90. Published online at:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/328/5979/689

15th July 2010

Every few years the JRI Board, Presidential Team and Staff meet for an away day. So on 24th June 2010 we met in Haddenham, Bucks, to consider our strategy for the next few years. Here we are on Haddenham village green just before lunch. Left to Right below: John Weaver, Sam Berry, Claire Ashton, Richard Weaver, Hilary Marlow, John Sale, Sir John Houghton, Bob White, Margot Hodson, Martin Hodson, Paul Houghton.

24th June 2010

Quite a lot has happened in the months since our last newsletter. For a start we welcome a new Chair for the JRI Board, the Revd. Dr. John Weaver. John tells us something of his vision for JRI in the next few years. We also had a very successful “Food Futures” conference at Redcliffe College in March, and we report on that. JRI has also been re-vamping its associates scheme, and we have welcomed several new associates in the last few months. Paul Houghton brings us important news about the JRI Prayer Up-date. Our distance learning course, Christian Rural and Environmental Studies (CRES) is going from strength to strength, with two new modules soon becoming available. Do come on our field trip this summer! And of course climate change is never far from our minds, and we are gathering our thoughts for the COP16 conference in Mexico later this year. DOWNLOAD HERE

25th May 2010