WHERE others have failed, the brilliant and painstaking Net Zero and climate change sceptic Paul Homewood, who writes a regular column for TCW, has won. He has forced the BBC to admit to another misleading climate and weather report – if you can call such scaremongering a ‘report’.
After the Bologna floods in May this year, presenter Chris Fawkes claimed on Weather for the week ahead that half of the annual rainfall had fallen in 36 hours. See Paul’s own blog, Not A Lot Of People Know That, for more details. With persistence and after escalating his complaint to the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU), Paul has had his complaint upheld. No, there was no evidence of 500mm (half of the region’s 1000mm average annual rainfall) falling anywhere.
However the BBC still can’t help itself – the weasel words of the ruling seem designed to justify the error and ameliorate the verdict:
‘The complaint concerned a brief summary of the heavy rain which occurred in the Emilia-Romagna area of north and east Italy in May and which resulted in extensive flooding, multiple landslides and significant damage to homes, businesses and farmland. The presenter began the regular forecast by referring to the impact of Storm Minerva, stating that it had brought with it half a year’s worth of rainfall in places, falling in just 36 hours. This was based on reports by BBC News and other news and weather organisations who quoted a news briefing given by the Italian Civil Protection Minister. In the ECU’s view it was reasonable for a weather forecaster to reflect information provided by BBC colleagues and relevant officials when providing a brief summary of the causes and consequences of such an exceptional weather-related disaster. But other weather data indicated half a year’s rain actually fell between the start of the month and the impact of Storm Minerva, rather than over 36 hours. The figure as broadcast was therefore not duly accurate.’
Indeed it wasn’t – it was a concerning lapse in editorial standards. What was the reporter thinking relying on what the Italian minister said without even checking? As Paul commented in September, ‘Can you imagine the BBC ever accepting the words of a Tory UK minister as gospel’? No. But they might a Labour or Green activist.
So will the correction be publicised at the start of the next BBC Weather for the week ahead? I am not holding my breath.
And if you haven’t yet read Paul Homewood’s important Institutional Alarmism report recounting how the BBC’s commitment to climate ideology goes back to 2006, how it bars alternative opinion and how most biased and misleading articles escape formal complaint, please do.
Paul’s TCW column, The climate scaremongers, will appear as usual tomorrow.
