David Henderson (Deceased)
Credentials
David Henderson was an economist with no credentials directly relating to climate science.1“David Henderson: Summary CV” (.doc), Forcecastingprinciples.com.
Background
David Henderson (full name Patrick David Henderson) was a Senior Fellow of ECIPE and a Visiting Professor at the Westminster Business School and the London School of Economics.2“David Henderson,” European Center for International Political Economy (ECIPE). Accessed January, 2012.
He was the head of the Economics and Statistics Department of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (the OECD) from 1984 to 1992. Before that he worked as an academic economist in Britain.
After leaving OECD, Henderson acted as an independent author and consultant.
Stance on Climate Change
“I am not arguing that all actions designed to limit or reduce ‘greenhouse gas’ emissions are necessarily pointless or misguided. Given past history and the present situation, I am in favour of a carbon tax, provided that it can be made to work and is kept revenue-neutral. Again, I do not take the position that prevailing scientific opinion is wrong: there is a clear and well recognized difference between questioning and denial, between being an agnostic and being an atheist.
“All the same, I have come to the view that today’s received opinion on climate change issues is not well founded. I believe that it incorporates three mutually reinforcing and unwarranted presumptions. These are:
(1) That the official policy consensus, as widely interpreted today by governments and international agencies, mirrors prevailing scientific opinion and goes no further than it would warrant.
(2) That prevailing scientific opinion must now be viewed as no longer open to serious question.
(3) That the process of review and inquiry from which prevailing scientific opinion has emerged, and in particular the IPCC process as its leading element, are professionally above reproach.
All these beliefs are unfounded. They show a lack of awareness respectively of the present extent of overstatement, overconfidence, and ingrained bias.”3David Henderson. “Economic Progress and Climate Change Issues: A Dissenting Viewpoint,” May 15, 2008. Accessed January, 2012, from warwickhughes.com.
Key Quotes
“As to the economic aspects of its work, I hold that the IPCC should not be viewed as a professionally representative and authoritative source; and I have come to feel similar doubts and concerns about aspects other than the economic one.”4“Memorandum by Professor David Henderson, Westminster Business School,” Select Committee on Economic Affairs. Accessed January, 2012 from www.parliament.uk.
“I would now question the idea that the IPCC has established a well-founded consensus across the whole range of issues relating to climate change, and indeed I doubt whether the achievement of such a consensus ought to be the aim.”5“Memorandum by Professor David Henderson, Westminster Business School,” Select Committee on Economic Affairs. Accessed January, 2012 from www.parliament.uk.
Key Deeds
March 2–4, 2008
Henderson was a speaker at the Heartland Institute’s 2008 First International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC1). The conference is organized annually to give global warming skeptics a “competing platform” to denounce the IPCC and to promulgate the idea that global warming does not exist. 6“International Conference on Climate Change, Program,” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived February 9, 2018.
Henderson’s speech, titled “The Climate Change Debate Agenda for the Opposition” can be viewed below.
February 5, 2007
Henderson spoke at the Fraser Institute‘s launch of their Independent Summary for Policymakers (ISPM) along with fellow climate skeptics Ross McKitrick, Andrei Illarionov, David Bellamy, and numerous others.7“Independent summary of UN climate change report to be released in London on Monday, February 5” (Press Release), The Fraser Institute, January 30, 2007. Archived March 23, 2007.
October 28, 2002
David Henderson sent a letter to IPCC Chair Dr. Pachauri, adding to arguments made by previous letters sent by Ian Castles regarding criticisms of the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES).8“DOCUMENT 1: letters to Dr Pachauri” (PDF), Heartland Institute Policy Documents. Accessed January, 2012.
Affiliations
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) — Chief Economist, 1984 to 1992.9“David Henderson: Summary CV” (.doc), Forcecastingprinciples.com.
- The Heartland Institute — “Expert.”10“Heartland Experts: David Henderson.” Accessed January, 2012.
- Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) — Academic Advisory Council.11“Academic Advisory Council,” The Global Warming Policy Foundation. Accessed January, 2012.
- Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)— Fellow.12“Academic Advisory Council,” The Global Warming Policy Foundation. Accessed January, 2012.
- New Zealand Climate Science Coalition — “Foundation Member”13“About Us & Contact,” The New Zealand Climate Science Coalition. Accessed January, 2012.
- International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC) — “ICSC Consultant Policy Adviser”14“Who We Are,” International Climate Science Coalition. Accessed January, 2012.
- Hoover Institution — Senior Fellow.15“About the Frontier Centre for Public Policy,” FCPP. Accessed January, 2012.
Publications
In 2002, Henderson wrote a book that was published by the Institute of Economic Affairs titled Misguided Virtue: False Notions of Corporate Social Responsibility. His other book, also published by IEA, was titled Anti-Liberalism 2000: The Rise of New Millennium Collectivism. Both books argue against the idea of Corporate Social Responsibility.
Henderson’s CV includes an extensive list of his articles and publications, some of which have appeared in skeptical Energy and Environment journal.
In 2004 The Washington DC-based think-tank Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) published the US version of Henderson’s book titled, The Role of Business in the Modern World which makes the argument that “… an array of activists, international bureaucrats, and business theorists have been trying to force large corporations to adopt humanitarian priorities that go ‘beyond profits.’”
Other Resources
Resources
- 1“David Henderson: Summary CV” (.doc), Forcecastingprinciples.com.
- 2“David Henderson,” European Center for International Political Economy (ECIPE). Accessed January, 2012.
- 3David Henderson. “Economic Progress and Climate Change Issues: A Dissenting Viewpoint,” May 15, 2008. Accessed January, 2012, from warwickhughes.com.
- 4“Memorandum by Professor David Henderson, Westminster Business School,” Select Committee on Economic Affairs. Accessed January, 2012 from www.parliament.uk.
- 5“Memorandum by Professor David Henderson, Westminster Business School,” Select Committee on Economic Affairs. Accessed January, 2012 from www.parliament.uk.
- 6“International Conference on Climate Change, Program,” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived February 9, 2018.
- 7“Independent summary of UN climate change report to be released in London on Monday, February 5” (Press Release), The Fraser Institute, January 30, 2007. Archived March 23, 2007.
- 8“DOCUMENT 1: letters to Dr Pachauri” (PDF), Heartland Institute Policy Documents. Accessed January, 2012.
- 9“David Henderson: Summary CV” (.doc), Forcecastingprinciples.com.
- 10“Heartland Experts: David Henderson.” Accessed January, 2012.
- 11“Academic Advisory Council,” The Global Warming Policy Foundation. Accessed January, 2012.
- 12“Academic Advisory Council,” The Global Warming Policy Foundation. Accessed January, 2012.
- 13“About Us & Contact,” The New Zealand Climate Science Coalition. Accessed January, 2012.
- 14“Who We Are,” International Climate Science Coalition. Accessed January, 2012.
- 15“About the Frontier Centre for Public Policy,” FCPP. Accessed January, 2012.
