Changes

Taken from the official transcript,<ref>[http://noteviljustwrong.com/images/nejw/docs/22161.pdf Stuart Dimmock and Secretary of State for Education and Skills]</ref> the nine errors the judge found were:

Taken from the official transcript,<ref>[http://noteviljustwrong.com/images/nejw/docs/22161.pdf Stuart Dimmock and Secretary of State for Education and Skills]</ref> the nine errors the judge found were:

1. Sea  level  rise  of  up  to  20  feet  (7 metres) will  be  caused  by melting  of either West Antarctica or Greenland in the near future. This is distinctly alarmist, and part of Mr Gore's 'wake-up call'. It is common ground that if indeed Greenland melted, it would release this amount of water, but only after, and  over,  millennia,  so  that  the  Armageddon  scenario  he  predicts,  insofar  as  it suggests that sea level rises of 7 metres might occur in the immediate future, is not in line with the scientific consensus.   

*1. Sea  level  rise  of  up  to  20  feet  (7 metres) will  be  caused  by melting  of either West Antarctica or Greenland in the near future. This is distinctly alarmist, and part of Mr Gore's 'wake-up call'. It is common ground that if indeed Greenland melted, it would release this amount of water, but only after, and  over,  millennia,  so  that  the  Armageddon  scenario  he  predicts,  insofar  as  it suggests that sea level rises of 7 metres might occur in the immediate future, is not in line with the scientific consensus.   

2. Low  lying  inhabited  Pacific  atolls  are  being  inundated  because  of anthropogenic global warming. In scene 20, Mr Gore states "that's why the citizens of these Pacific nations have all had to evacuate to New Zealand". There is no evidence of any such evacuation having yet happened.  

*2. Low  lying  inhabited  Pacific  atolls  are  being  inundated  because  of anthropogenic global warming. In scene 20, Mr Gore states "that's why the citizens of these Pacific nations have all had to evacuate to New Zealand". There is no evidence of any such evacuation having yet happened.  

3. Shutting down of the "Ocean Conveyor". According  to  the  IPCC,  it  is  very  unlikely  that  the  Ocean  Conveyor (known  technically  as  the  Meridional  Overturning  Circulation  or  thermohaline circulation)  will  shut  down  in  the  future,  though  it  is  considered  likely  that thermohaline circulation may slow down.  

*3. Shutting down of the "Ocean Conveyor". According  to  the  IPCC,  it  is  very  unlikely  that  the  Ocean  Conveyor (known  technically  as  the  Meridional  Overturning  Circulation  or  thermohaline circulation)  will  shut  down  in  the  future,  though  it  is  considered  likely  that thermohaline circulation may slow down.  

4. Direct coincidence between rise in CO2 in the atmosphere and in temperature, by reference to two graphs. In scenes 8 and 9, Mr Gore shows  two graphs relating  to a period of 650,000 years, one  showing  rise  in  CO2  and  one  showing  rise  in  temperature,  and  asserts  (by ridiculing  the  opposite  view)  that  they  show  an  exact  fit. Although  there  is  general scientific agreement  that  there  is a connection,  the  two graphs do not establish what Mr Gore asserts.  

*4. Direct coincidence between rise in CO2 in the atmosphere and in temperature, by reference to two graphs. In scenes 8 and 9, Mr Gore shows  two graphs relating  to a period of 650,000 years, one  showing  rise  in  CO2  and  one  showing  rise  in  temperature,  and  asserts  (by ridiculing  the  opposite  view)  that  they  show  an  exact  fit. Although  there  is  general scientific agreement  that  there  is a connection,  the  two graphs do not establish what Mr Gore asserts.  

5. The snows of Kilimanjaro. The film asserted that melting snows on Mount Kilimanjaro evidenced global warming. The Government's expert was had to admit that this is not correct. Mr  Gore  asserts  in  scene  7  that  the  disappearance  of  snow  on Mt  Kilimanjaro  is expressly  attributable  to  global  warming.  It  is  noteworthy  that  this  is  a  point  that specifically  impressed Mr Milliband  (see  the  press  release  quoted  at  paragraph  6 above). However, it is common ground that, the scientific consensus is that it cannot be established that the recession of snows on Mt Kilimanjaro is mainly attributable to human-induced climate change.   

*5. The snows of Kilimanjaro. The film asserted that melting snows on Mount Kilimanjaro evidenced global warming. The Government's expert was had to admit that this is not correct. Mr  Gore  asserts  in  scene  7  that  the  disappearance  of  snow  on Mt  Kilimanjaro  is expressly  attributable  to  global  warming.  It  is  noteworthy  that  this  is  a  point  that specifically  impressed Mr Milliband  (see  the  press  release  quoted  at  paragraph  6 above). However, it is common ground that, the scientific consensus is that it cannot be established that the recession of snows on Mt Kilimanjaro is mainly attributable to human-induced climate change.   

6. Lake Chad etc. The drying up of Lake Chad  is used  as  a prime  example of  a  catastrophic  result of global  warming.  However,  it  is  generally  accepted  that  the  evidence  remains insufficient to establish such an attribution. It is apparently considered to be far more likely  to result from other factors, such as population  increase and over-grazing, and regional climate variability.   

*6. Lake Chad etc. The drying up of Lake Chad  is used  as  a prime  example of  a  catastrophic  result of global  warming.  However,  it  is  generally  accepted  that  the  evidence  remains insufficient to establish such an attribution. It is apparently considered to be far more likely  to result from other factors, such as population  increase and over-grazing, and regional climate variability.   

7. Hurricane Katrina. In  scene  12  Hurricane  Katrina  and  the  consequent  devastation  in  New  Orleans  is ascribed to global warming. It is common ground that there is insufficient evidence to show that.  

*7. Hurricane Katrina. In  scene  12  Hurricane  Katrina  and  the  consequent  devastation  in  New  Orleans  is ascribed to global warming. It is common ground that there is insufficient evidence to show that.  

8. Death of polar bears. In scene 16, by reference to a dramatic graphic of a polar bear desperately swimming through  the water  looking  for  ice, Mr Gore says: "A new scientific study shows  that for  the  first  time  they are  finding polar bears  that have actually drowned swimming long distances up to 60 miles to find the ice. They did not find that before." The only scientific  study  that  either  side  before me  can  find  is  one which  indicates  that  four polar bears have recently been found drowned because of a storm.   

*8. Death of polar bears. In scene 16, by reference to a dramatic graphic of a polar bear desperately swimming through  the water  looking  for  ice, Mr Gore says: "A new scientific study shows  that for  the  first  time  they are  finding polar bears  that have actually drowned swimming long distances up to 60 miles to find the ice. They did not find that before." The only scientific  study  that  either  side  before me  can  find  is  one which  indicates  that  four polar bears have recently been found drowned because of a storm.   

9. Coral reefs. In scene 19, Mr Gore says: "Coral reefs all over the world because of global warming and  other  factors  are  bleaching  and  they  end  up  like  this. All  the  fish  species  that depend on  the coral reef are also  in  jeopardy as a result. Overall specie loss  is now occurring at a rate 1000 times greater than the natural background rate." The actual scientific view, as recorded in the IPCC report, is that, if the temperature were to rise by 1-3 degrees Centigrade,  there would be  increased coral bleaching and widespread coral  mortality,  unless  corals  could  adopt  or  acclimatise,  but  that  separating  the impacts  of  climate  change-related  stresses  from  other  stresses,  such  as  over-fishing and polluting, is difficult.  

*9. Coral reefs. In scene 19, Mr Gore says: "Coral reefs all over the world because of global warming and  other  factors  are  bleaching  and  they  end  up  like  this. All  the  fish  species  that depend on  the coral reef are also  in  jeopardy as a result. Overall specie loss  is now occurring at a rate 1000 times greater than the natural background rate." The actual scientific view, as recorded in the IPCC report, is that, if the temperature were to rise by 1-3 degrees Centigrade,  there would be  increased coral bleaching and widespread coral  mortality,  unless  corals  could  adopt  or  acclimatise,  but  that  separating  the impacts  of  climate  change-related  stresses  from  other  stresses,  such  as  over-fishing and polluting, is difficult.  

    

    

Dimmock's lawyer, Mr. Downes,  argued that by schools making available such film to its teachers, and if teachers then showed such  film  to  their pupils, then  this would inevitably result "in  the promotion of partisan political views  in  the  teaching of any  subject  in  the  school, which  is  thus not only not being forbidden  by  the  local  education  authority  (and  the  DES), but  being  positively facilitated by them."  

Dimmock's lawyer, Mr. Downes,  argued that by schools making available such film to its teachers, and if teachers then showed such  film  to  their pupils, then  this would inevitably result "in  the promotion of partisan political views  in  the  teaching of any  subject  in  the  school, which  is  thus not only not being forbidden  by  the  local  education  authority  (and  the  DES), but  being  positively facilitated by them."