Skeptical Authors on Climate Science

My blog 'Green Herring' back to Faces of Climate Science start page

This table lists the 17 people who appeared in the UK television deocumentary The Great Global Warming Swindle by Martin Durkin, tagged as TGGWS; this including those who objected to the way their views were presented - tagged as (TGGWS) in parentheses. Combined with this are the 37 names who signed a letter of complaint about scientific inaccuracies in the film, tagged as noSw07

Next to each person's name is their standing in the overall list of climate authors, in the same sort order as this table.

Notes column tinted this colour for signers of these 'activist' statements:
SCS03: 2003 'State of Climate Science' letter from 1011 scientists to U.S. congress (81 tagged)
CMOS06: 2006 statement from 120 scientists at the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (all tagged)
CMOS08: 2008 statement from 130 scientists at the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (all tagged)
RealClimate 'activist' website by ten climate scientists, founded 2004
noSw07: April 2007 letter from 37 scientists to Martin Durkin protesting inaccurate portrayal of climate science in his film The Great Global Warming Swindle (all tagged)
Bali07: 2007 appeal letter by 212 scientists from 25 countries, to delegates at the Bali climate talks (all tagged)
CCSP08: 2008 Assessment Report from the U.S. Climate Change Science Program [10 authors tagged so far; not a petition/declaration]
UCS08: 2008 Union of Concerned Scientists' declaration from 1700 U.S. scientists and economists (165 tagged)
Monaco09: Jan. 2009 Monaco Declaration on ocean acidification from 155 ocean scientists from 26 countries (152 tagged)
CLI09June 2009 Open letter to Obama and Congress calling for agressive action on climate change; signed by 20 scientists (all listed)
UKsc09: Dec. 2009 'Statement from the UK science community' re-affirming climate change science and data after East Anglia email break-in, signed by 1700 UK scientists from 67 universities and 55 other institutions (106 listed, 2010-1-17).

Notes column tinted this colour for signers of these 'skeptic' statements
SEPP92 1992 'Statement by Atmospheric Scientists on Greenhouse Warming' from the 'Science and Environment Policy Project', 46 signers
LZ95: 1995 'Leipzig Declaration' organized by Fred Singer, signed by 80 scientists and 25 weathermen
CA02: 2002 skeptics letter to Canadian P.M. Jean Chretien
CA03: 2003 skeptics letter to Canadian P.M. Paul Martin
CA06: 2006 skeptics letter to Canadian P.M. Stephen Harper
UN07: 2007 skeptics letter to U.N. Sec. General Ban Ki-Moon
TGGWS: 2007 TV film The Great Global Warming Swindle interviewees
NIPCC: 2008 Heartland Inst. document Nature, Not Human Activity, Rules the Climate, ed. S. Fred Singer, 24 listed contributors
MHND: 2008 'Manhattan Declaration' from skeptics' conference in NYC
Cato09: 2009 newspaper ad by the Cato Institute challenging President Obama's stance on climate change; 115 signers
APS09: 2009 Petition to the American Physical Society to amend their statement on climage change
CCC09: 2009 'Copenhagen Climate Challenge' 158 signers

LISTS column tinted this colour for names who did not sign any skeptic declarations, yet are included on a list of 'skeptic' names by someone else:
JIMM08: Named on 2008 list from U.S. Sen. James Inhofe's staffer Marc Morano
LSDeniers: Profiled in Lawrence Solomons's 2006-7 'The Deniers' column series in Canada's National Post

LISTS column tinted this colour for someone who did sign one of the above skeptic statements, and is also included on a list of 'skeptic' names by someone else.

Some major compilations

I've also tagged authors included in a few major compilations of climate science articles. These are not petitions or calls for action, but further illustrate the author's standing in the literature.

SotP09: Science Magazine's State of the Planet 2008-2009 collection of articles from the journal plus added analysis; covers recent climate change research published in Science
CVX: Climate Variability and Extremes
C&O: Climate Change: Critical Concepts in the Environment and Physical Geography, Frank Chambers and Michael Ogle, eds. [Routledge, 2002; 4 vols.; ISBN-13 978-0415276603] This extensive collection covers much of the early history of climate science, as well as selected highlights of more recent work.

For details on these declarations and how I've annotated for them, see notes on open letters

Names are sorted in descending order of number of published works that match the word 'climate' in Google Scholar. This total could include non-refereed pieces such as commentary, editorials, or letters to the editor. (Note that citation stats were collected by hand, over a few months, so exact order might vary slightly as papers continue to gain citations as time passes.)

Anyone working in the field of climate science should have a significant number of hits on this search. The median number for IPCC wg1 authors is 93 articles; for all of the roughly 1800 authors I've checked up to July 2009, including skeptics, the median is 56. For the 386 names I've checked so far who were signers of a climate skeptics' statement, the median is two (2).

70% of the skeptics have fewer than 10 published works that mentions of climate and 60% have fewer than five. At the top of the rankings, there are 25 skeptics who have more than the overall median of 56 works mentioning 'climate', and just 12 above the IPCC median of 93.

In the overall list, there are 908 names with 56 or more works mentioning climate, and 593 names with at least 93 works. In this light, self-declared skeptics make up only 2.75% of the first group, or 2.03% of the second.

Mouse over column heading for explanation

Rank here	Notes	Lists	Name (homepage)	PhD year	IPCC	GS queries	most cites	2nd most	3rd most	4th most	Climate total	Wikipedia?	Areas of research	Affiliation
1			2: Michael Hulme, FRMS	1985		All PAPS CLIM	1223	569	481	435	728	WP? W.P?	climate data assimilation	founding Director and visiting Fellow, Tyndall Ctr
2	Bali07 UCS08 CLI09		5: Stephen H Schneider, MNAS, FAAAS, FRANS, MacArthur	1971	AR3 wg2 CLA AR4	All PAPS CLIM	1015	279	277	267	683	WP? W.P?	climate prediction	Stanford U
3	CCSP08		8: Dennis P Lettenmaier, FAGU, FAAAS	1975		All PAPS CLIM	460	421	222	217	585	WP? W.P?	BOREAS, hydrology	Civil Eng., U Washington, Seattle
4	FB03		67: Eric F Wood, FAGU	1974 ScD		All PAPS CLIM	434	300	259	212	291	WP? W.P?	hydrology and climate	Princeton U
5	SCS03 realclimate UCS08 CLI09	NPFhost	93: Michael E Mann	1971	AR3 wg1 chair	All PAPS CLIM	806	759	232	217	266	WP? W.P?	climate history, attribution	UCLA
6	SotP09 UKsc09	ESI01#17	97: Jonathan M Gregory	1990	AR4 wg1	All PAPS CLIM	815	530	508	467	263	WP? W.P?	modeling, sensitivity	U. Reading / Hadley Ctr
7	UKsc09	NPFhost	153: Richard W Katz	1974	AR4 wg1	All PAPS CLIM	363	189	160	129	220	WP? W.P?	winds, extreme events, teleconnections	NCAR, Boulder
8		C&O	187: David A Hodell, FAGU	1986		All PAPS CLIM	254	186	179	115	206	WP? W.P?	paleo, drought	U Cambridge
9	CCSP04 TGGWS	JIMM08	231: John R Christy	1987	AR4 wg1 lead	All PAPS CLIM	133	124	107	88	186	WP? W.P?	MSU satellite temp measurement	U Alabama, Huntsville
10			254: Russ K Monson	1982		All PAPS CLIM	492	244	217	190	180	WP? W.P?	carbon balance of forests	CIRES fellow
11	Bali07		268: Peter J Webster, FAGU, FAAAS	1972		All PAPS CLIM	596	587	501	434	176	WP? W.P?	monsoon prediction, modeling, ENSO	Georgia Tech
12			315: Klaus Dethloff	PhD	AR4 wg1	All PAPS CLIM	48	47	42	29	162	WP? W.P?	modeling arctic	Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Research Unit Potsdam, Germany
13	SEPP92 LZ95 CA02 CA03 CA06 TGGWS Cato09	JIMM08	359: Patrick J Michaels	1979		All PAPS CLIM	73	43	40	37	149	WP? W.P?	heat-related mortality, temp. records	U Virginia
14	SEPP92 LZ95 CA02 CA03 CA06 TGGWS UN07 Cato09 CCC09	LSDeniers JIMM08	399: Richard Lindzen, FAGU	1964		All PAPS CLIM	372	335	295	274	140	WP? W.P?	QBO, maritime clouds, iris effect?	M.I.T., Cambridge, MA
15			413: Anne M Thompson, FAMS, FAGU, FAAAS	1978		All PAPS CLIM	301	141	127	99	137	WP? W.P?	biogeochem, remote sensing	Penn State U
16			447: Sunling L Gong	no cv	AR4 wg1	All PAPS CLIM	115	96	96	94	131	WP? W.P?	aerosols	Air Quality Researcch Division, Science & Technology Branch, Environment Canada, Canada
17	SCS03 UCS08		487: Katharine Hayhoe	MSc	AR4	All PAPS CLIM	182	107	89	66	123	WP? W.P?	risks, impacts, cost of mitigation	Texas Tech U
18	SEPP92 LZ95 CA02 CA03 CA06 TGGWS UN07 MHND NIPCC08 APS09	JIMM08	562: S Frederick Singer, FAGU	1948		All PAPS CLIM	56	34	33	31	110	WP? W.P?	Skeptic of: AGW, CFC-ozone link, 2nd-hand smoke	former director, US NWS, emeritus prof. U Virginia
19			579: Greg Holloway	1976		All PAPS CLIM	111	98	97	89	107	WP? W.P?	topography, eddies	Inst of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, BC
20			584: Greg Bodeker	1994	AR4 wg1	All PAPS CLIM	181	161	63	52	107	WP? W.P?	ozone	National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand
21		ESI01#23 ESI06#20	602: Andrew A Lacis	1970		All PAPS CLIM	620	320	281	278	104	WP? W.P?	aerosols	Lamont-Doherty Earth Obs, Columbia U
22			678: Kaz Higuchi	PhD		All PAPS CLIM	401	89	62	47	95	WP? W.P?	ocean circ, carbon uptake	Env. Canada
23	CA03 CCSP04 CA06 TGGWS UN07 MHND Cato09 CCC09	JIMM08	704: Roy W Spencer	1981		All PAPS CLIM	212	178	133	124	92	WP? W.P?	MSU satellite temp measurement	U Alabama, Huntsville
24	UKsc09		734: Catherine A Senior	no web	AR4 wg1	All PAPS CLIM	858	548	514	176	88	WP? W.P?	greenhouse effect, carbon feedbacks	Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, Met Office, UK
25	Bali07		777: Will Steffen	1975	AR4 wg1	All PAPS CLIM	452	318	308	192	83	WP? W.P?	terrestrial carbon sinks	Australian National University, Australia
26	Nobel Prize 1995 UCS08	NPFhost	812: Mario J Molina, FAGU, MNAS	1972	AR4 wg1	All PAPS CLIM	1389	262	216	225	80	WP? W.P?	atm chemistry, ozone loss	Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, La Jolla, CA
27		C&O	842: Michel Magny	__		All PAPS CLIM	110	64	61	58	78	WP? W.P?	paleo, glaciers, variability	LCE, CNRS-UMR, Besancon
28	UKsc09	ESI0#14	1045: Christopher D Jones	no cv	AR4 wg1	All PAPS CLIM	994	224	170	145	61	WP? W.P?	feedbacks, carbon cycle	Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, Met Office, UK
29			1146: NI Barkov	__		All PAPS CLIM	1687	354	218	215	52	WP? W.P?	ice cores	AARI, St. Petersburg
30		NPFhost	1160: Geoffrey A Blake	1986		All PAPS CLIM	464	323	245	198	51	WP? W.P?	atm chem, BGC cycles	DGPS, Calif Inst of Tech, Pasadena, CA
31	UCS08		1165: Louisa K Emmons	1994		All PAPS CLIM	268	134	125	83	51	WP? W.P?	atm chem, remote sensing	NCAR, Boulder, CO
32	(TGGWS) ?	(LSDeniers) (JIMM08)	1291: Eigil Friis-Christensen, FAGU	1971		All PAPS CLIM	426	390	88	87	43	WP? W.P?	GCRs, solar cycle effect on climate	Director, Danish Space Research Inst
33	SotP09		1332: Michael P Russelle	1982		All PAPS CLIM	148	79	70	69	39	WP? W.P?	plant biogeochem	USDA-ARS, U Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
34	SCS03 CA06 TGGWS	LSDeniers JIMM08	1366: Paul Reiter	no cv	AR3 wg2 (resigned)	All PAPS CLIM	323	138	130	126	37	WP? W.P?	medical entomology, disease vectors, malaria	Pasteur Inst., Paris
35		C&O	1443: J Murray Mitchell Jr.	__		All PAPS CLIM	113	95	84	69	32	WP? W.P?	early 60s-70s climatologist	Office of Climatology, US Weather Bureau, Wash.DC
36	TGGWS	LSDeniers JIMM08	1449: Nir Shaviv	1996		All PAPS CLIM	198	62	58	42	32	WP? W.P?	GCRs	Hebrew University, Jerusalem
37	CA03 CA06 TGGWS UN07 MHND Cato09 CCC09	JIMM08	1450: Ian D Clark	1987		All PAPS CLIM	693	38	38	30	32	WP? W.P?	isotope hydrogeology, paleo	U Ottawa, Ontario
38	UN07 CCC09	JIMM08	1458: Raphael Wust	PhD		All PAPS CLIM	19	11	8	6	32	WP? W.P?	marine geology, sedimentology	James Cook U
39	CA02 CA03 UN07 MHND Cato09 NIPCC09 CCC09	JIMM08	1594: Craig D Idso	1998		All PAPS CLIM	43	29	22	20	24	WP? W.P?	temp records	Heartland Institute
40	LZ95		1600: Robert C Whitten	__		All PAPS CLIM	136	129	98	86	23	WP? W.P?	atnm chem, aerosols	ex of NASA Ames, Moffat Field, CA
41	TGGWS	JIMM08	1609: Philip Stott	__		All PAPS CLIM	37	35	30	29	23	WP? W.P?	biogeography	SOAS, U London (emeritus)
42	CMOS06 CMOS08		1612: William Mark Buhay	PhD		All PAPS CLIM	39	37	29	27	23	WP? W.P?	paleo, radiocarbon dating	Ctr for Forest Interdisciplinary Res., U Winnipeg, MB
43	TGGWS	JIMM08	1618: Nigel Calder	no		All PAPS CLIM	55	43	21	17	23	WP? W.P?	ice ages, solar influence	author, screenwriter, former editor of New Scientist (no academic career)
44	MHND CCC09		1673: George V Chilingar	1956		All PAPS CLIM	58	38	37	28	20	WP? W.P?	petroleum geology, sediments	U Southern Calif, CA
45	CMOS06 CMOS08		1684: John J Cullen	1980		All PAPS CLIM	265	205	151	121	19	WP? W.P?	marine photosynthesis, ozone depletion	Dalhousie U, Halifax, NS
46	noSw07		1797: Richard R Kirby	__		All PAPS CLIM	20	19	17	15	12	WP? W.P?	sea temperature and fish ecology	U Portsmouth
47			1798: Katherine L Moulton	__		All PAPS CLIM	69	40	15	11	12	WP? W.P?	paleo - silicate weathering	Yale U
48	CA02 CA03 CA06 TGGWS UN07 MHND CCC09	JIMM08	1848: Timothy Ball	PhD		All PAPS CLIM	13	10	9	8	10	WP? W.P?	historical record, northern Canada	Nat. Resources Stewardship Project (think tank)
49	TGGWS		2097: Paul K Driessen	JD		All PAPS CLIM	11	4	3	1	1	WP? W.P?	criticism of environmental action groups	author and columnist, former Senate staffer (no academic career)
50	TGGWS MHND Cato09 NIPCC09 CCC09	JIMM08	2104: Piers Corbyn	MSc		All PAPS CLIM	2	1	0	0	1	WP? W.P?	meteorology	indep. Weather forecaster (no academic career)
51	TGGWS UN07	JIMM08	2217: Lord Nigel Lawson	no		All PAPS CLIM	0	0	0	0	0	WP? W.P?	criticism of IPCC and Stern Review	(no academic/research career)
52	TGGWS	JIMM08	2218: Patrick Moore	1972		All PAPS CLIM	0	0	0	0	0	WP? W.P?	ecology; co-founder of Greenpeace	environmental activist (no academic/research career)
53	MHND		2224: Josef Zboril	MSc		All PAPS CLIM	1	0	0	0	0	WP? W.P?	mettalurgy	Confederation of Industry, Prague

Compiled by Jim Prall, Toronto, Canada, Nov. 2008 - present