Death Threats Sent To UK Weather Chief

"The head of the Met Office [the United Kingdom's national weather service] has revealed that he has received death threats from climate change sceptics.

John Hirst, the organisation's chief executive, made the revelation during a talk to climate scientists and economists about the organisation's work.

Discussing the furore over the 'Climategate' data-fixing controversy and the much-criticised 'barbecue summer' prediction made by the Met Office in 2009, he disclosed the threats while talking about the problems faced by television scientist and climate change sceptic Johnny Ball, who revealed in February that he had been the subject of a hate campaign.

'I wrote to Johnny Ball because he had received death threats and it might not surprise you that I get some death threats as well,' he told the audience at the University of Exeter.

'So I wrote to him and said: "I get death threats too, it's crazy. Why don't we talk, because if we can take some of this small 'p' politics out of this conversation we might do a service to the world."'

The Sussex Express had the story April 18, 2011.

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"In Defense of Academic Freedom Against Denialist Foia Inquisition Tactics" (Climate Science Watch)

"The Koch Brothers and Climate Science, Redux" (Green/NYT)

"Committee From Koch Votes To Deny Climate Change" (Think Progress)

"Report Glosses Over Media Failures In Climate Coverage" (Media Matters)

"Fred Hiatt Is Not Sure Why Republicans Keep Telling the Untruths That He Keeps Printing in the Washington Post" (Slate)

"The Science of Why We Don't Believe Science" (Mother Jones)