Ralph B. Alexander

Credentials

Background

Ralph B. Alexander is a former Associate Professor of Physics at Wayne State University and former President and co-founder of Ion Surface Technology, a small high-tech materials company. He is currently the owner and president of R.B. Alexander & Associates Inc., an independent consulting firm specializing in advanced materials and surface engineering.

The group’s work is primarily in the area of market and technology analysis in areas such as materials, aerospace, defense and automotive. Alexander lists his work as including market analysis, market development, business strategies, selection of surface engineering processes and testing programs, and providing short courses on surface engineering.⁵ ⁶

Ralph B. Alexander is also the author of Global Warming False Alarm published by Canterbury publishing in 2009. The book contends that global warming is the result of natural causes.

Stance on Climate Change

“Global warming may be real, but there’s hardly a shred of good scientific evidence that it has very much to do with the amount of CO2 we’re producing, or even that temperatures have risen as much as warmists say.”⁷

Key Quotes

“The link between extreme weather and global warming has as much scientific basis as the pagan rite of human sacrifice to ensure a good harvest.”

“Climate-change skeptics might be regarded as modern-day witches because they think that global warming comes from natural forces. However, it’s superstitious alarmists, who believe that extreme weather originates in our CO2 emissions and who have a dread of impending disaster, who are really the witches.”⁸

“I am offended that science is being perverted in the name of global warming — today’s environmental cause celebre.”⁹

Key Deeds

May 25, 2021

Alexander wrote an article for the Global Warming Policy Forum criticising indicators used by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to inform policy-making.¹⁰

Alexander disputed the methodology used by the EPA in reaching its conclusion that the frequency of heatwaves had been steadily increasing since the 1960s. He wrote: “This maximum-temperature graph revealing a much smaller increase in heatwaves than the minimum-temperature graph displayed so boldly on the EPA website is dishonestly hidden away in its technical documentation.” Alexander concluded: “What all this means is that the EPA’s heat-wave indicator grossly misrepresents the actual science and defeats its stated goal for the indicators of ‘informing our understanding of climate change.’”

February 4, 2018

In January 2018, more than 200 scientists endorsed an open letter calling on the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) to remove climate change denier Rebekah Mercer from its board and to “end ties to anti-science propagandists and funders of climate science misinformation.” The New York Times reported that those among the AMNH letter calling for Mercer to step down were Michael E. Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, and Katharine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University.¹¹

Alexander was among a group of climate change deniers who responded with their own open letter, calling for the AMNH “not to cave in to this pressure.” The letter was signed by numerous individuals with ties to groups funded by the Mercer Family Foundation such as Will Happer of the CO2 CoalitionRichard Lindzen, a fellow at the Cato InstituteCraig Idso, the chairman of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change. There are a number of signatories affiliated with the Heartland Institute, which has received over $5.78 million from the Mercer Family Foundation since 2008.¹²

The letter reads:¹³

“The Earth has supported abundant life many times in the geological past when there were much higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It is quite likely that future generations will benefit from the enrichment of Earth’s atmosphere with more carbon dioxide.

“Make no mistake, the agitators are not defending science from quackery — quite the contrary!”

February 23, 2017

Ralph B. Alexander was a signatory of a petition (PDF) organized by Richard Lindzen of the Cato Institute urging President Donald Trump to pull the United States out of the United Nations international convention on climate change (UNFCCC).¹⁴

“In just a few weeks, more than 300 eminent scientists and other qualified individuals from around the world have signed the petition below,” Lindzen wrote in the letter.¹⁵

DeSmog investigated the list, and found that only a small handful of the signatories could be considered “even remotely ‘qualified’ or ‘eminent’ — but not in the field of climate science.” The list included individuals “interested in climate,” and one signatory who only identified as an “emailer who wished to sign the petition” while some signers provided no affiliation or address whatsoever.¹⁶

December 10, 2012

Ralph B. Alexander is the author of an article in the New York Post titled “Extreme Weather and superstition” which suggests that there is no link between man-made climate change and extreme weather events.

His article has been reposted by a number of websites popular with climate change skeptics including ICECAP, Climate Depot, “Greenie Watch,” and a variety of others.

November 1, 2009

Ralph B. Alexander is listed as a signatory to an open letter to the Council of the American Physical Society (APS) regarding their National Policy Statement on Climate Change. The letter encourages the APS to revise its statement on climate change “so as to more accurately represent the current state of the science.” The letter suggests that the APS letter should be amended to read as follows (emphasis added):

“Greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, accompany human industrial and agricultural activity. While substantial concern has been expressed that emissions may cause significant climate change, measured or reconstructed temperature records indicate that 20th and 21st century changes are neither exceptional nor persistent, and the historical and geological records show many periods warmer than today. In addition, there is an extensive scientific literature that examines beneficial effects of increased levels of carbon dioxide for both plants and animals.”

No details or sources are listed regarding the “extensive scientific literature” cited in the letter. According to Anthony Watts at Watts Up With That, the open letter is connected to William Happer. Other notable signatories include notable climate change skeptics Howard Hayden, Nicola Scafetta, and S. Fred Singer.¹⁷ ¹⁸

July 10, 2009

Ralph B. Alexander published a book titled “Global Warming False Alarm: The Bad Science Behind the United Nations’ Assertion That Man-Made CO2 Causes Global Warming.”

According to the description, “This compact, readable book pulls apart the flawed science behind the IPCC’s assertion that man-made CO2 is causing global warming.”

JunkScience.com recently sent a copy of Alexander’s book to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as part of a global warming book drive. “In hopes of saving Gov. Christie from his dubious instincts [of believing in global warming], JunkScience.com has shipped to him 31 books written by climate skeptics,” Steve Milloy said.¹⁹

Affiliations

R.B. Alexander and Associates — President and founder.²⁰
Ion Surface Technology, Inc. — Former President and co-founder. The group appears to have since dissolved.²¹
ASM International²²
Rowan Technology Group²³

@ralphbalexander on Twitter.
“Science Under Attack: The Age of Unreason” on Facebook

Publications

According to a search of Google Scholar, Ralph B. Alexander does not appear to have published any articles in peer-reviewed journals on the subject of climate change.

Ralph B. Alexander is listed as the co-author of a 1994 article in the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures Processing, Measurement, and Phenomena on “Cost estimates for commercial plasma source ion implantation.” He appears to have authored another mid-1990s article regarding chromium plating.

Other Resources

“Ralph Alexander,” SourceWatch.

Resources

1
“R.B. Alexander & Associates, Inc.”, Rowan Technology Group. Archived September 5, 2007. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/78593
2
“Ralph Alexander,” LinkedIn public profile. Accessed December 12, 2012.
3
“R.B. Alexander & Associates, Inc.”, Rowan Technology Group. Archived September 5, 2007. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/78593
4
“Ralph Alexander,” LinkedIn public profile. Accessed December 12, 2012.
5
“R.B. Alexander & Associates, Inc.”, Rowan Technology Group. Archived September 5, 2007. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/78593
6
“Ralph Alexander,” LinkedIn public profile. Accessed December 12, 2012.
7
Ralph B. Alexander. Global Warming False Alarm, 2nd Edition.
8
“Extreme Weather and Superstition,” New York Post, December 9, 2012.
9
“As IPCC stumbles, sceptics gain ground,” Hindustan Times, March 12, 2010.
10
Ralph B. Alexander. “New EPA Climate Change Indicator is deceptive,” The Global Warming Policy Forum, May 25, 2021. Archived May 25, 2021. Archive.ph URL:
11
Robin Pogrebin and Somini Sengupta. “A Science Denier at the Natural History Museum? Scientists Rebel,” The New York Times, January 25, 2018. Archived February 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/tAIv4
12
Graham Readfearn. “Climate Science Deniers Defend New York’s American Museum of Natural History From Calls to Drop Trustee Rebekah Mercer,” DeSmog, February 6, 2018.
13
mnh18-feb4-petitionletter (PDF – Untitled). Retrieved from Watts Up With That.
14
“PETITION” (PDF), February 23, 2017. Richard Lindzen. PDF Archived at DeSmog.
15
“PETITION” (PDF), February 23, 2017. Richard Lindzen. PDF Archived at DeSmog.
16
Graham Readfearn. “Climate Science Denier Richard Lindzen’s List of 300 “Scientists” Sent to Trump Is the Usual Parade of Non-Experts,” DeSmog, February 27, 2017.
17
“An Open Letter to the Council of the American Physical Society,” Reprinted by The Heartlander, November 1, 2009.
18
“American Physical Society reviewing its climate stance,” Watts Up With That, July 29, 2009.
19
Steve Milloy. “JunkScience.com launches global warming book drive for needy New Jersey Governor; Christie should be embarrassed by ‘What would Al Gore do’ rationale,” Junkscience.com, June 1, 2011.
20
“Ralph Alexander,” LinkedIn public profile. Accessed December 12, 2012.
21
“Ralph Alexander,” LinkedIn public profile. Accessed December 12, 2012.
22
“Ralph Alexander,” LinkedIn public profile. Accessed December 12, 2012.
23
“Ralph Alexander,” LinkedIn public profile. Accessed December 12, 2012.

DeSmog

DeSmog