Laurence (Larry) I. Gould
Credentials
- Ph.D., Physics, Temple University (1982).1“Academic Curriculum Vitae,” Laurence I. Gould’s personal website at the University of Hartford. Accessed May 5, 2012.
- M.A., Physics, Temple University (1975).2“Academic Curriculum Vitae,” Laurence I. Gould’s personal website at the University of Hartford. Accessed May 5, 2012.
- B.S., Physics, Carnegie-Mellon University (1964).3“Academic Curriculum Vitae,” Laurence I. Gould’s personal website at the University of Hartford. Accessed May 5, 2012.
Background
Laurence I. Gould is a professor of physics at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. He is also former chairman of the New England Section of the American Physical Society.
He was a Yale Visiting Fellow in 1988-89 in the Philosophy Department lecturing on the Foundations of Physics, working in the foundations of relativity and of quantum theory.
Gould lists his research interests as “mathematical physics and science education, symbolic computational physics, a critical analysis of global warming, the foundations of quantum theory, and the history of science.”4“Faculty and Staff,” University of Hartford. Accessed May 5, 2012.
Larry Gould describes himself as “a physicist/educator who has been engaged in activities to inform members of academia and other citizens about the nature of the widespread alarmist claims of anthropogenic ‘global warming/climate change’ and of the dangers of accepting such claims.”
In this role, he has conducted many lectures, interviews, workshops, publications, research projects, and classes. Here is a list of many of his appearances in the media (PDF).
He is on the academic advisory board of the climate science denying think tank, the Global Warming Policy Foundation, based in London, UK.
Stance on Climate Change
“Anthropogenic emission of CO2 is causing dangerous global warming. FALSE, regardless of the widespread claims, because of the massive amount of scientific evidence and analysis which contradict such claims.”5Laurence I. Gould. “AN OPEN LETTER TO MEMBERS OF THE NEW ENGLAND SECTION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY: Anthropogenic Global Warming Alarmism: A Corruption of Science” (PDF), NES APS Newsletter, Spring 2008.
Key Quotes
“There continues to be an increasing number of scientists and public figures around the world who are challenging the dominant political- and media-driven claims, bolstered by so-called ‘consensus’ scientific views, that dangerous “global warming/climate change” is caused primarily by human-produced carbon dioxide. This public talk will show that the weight of scientific evidence strongly contradicts the alarmist claims. It will also explain what are some likely scientific, educational, economic, and societal consequences resulting from the corruption of the scientific method… .”
“Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide is NOT ‘pollution.’ To Restrict Carbon dioxide –
(1) Will have an utterly NEGLIGIBLE effect on Climate
(2) Will DESTROY Human Lives…”6Laurence I. Gould. “’Global Warming/Climate Change’: Dissecting the Claims Exposing the Methods” (.ppt) Presentation at the South Windsor Rotary Club, May 13, 2009. Retrieved from Laurence Gould’s personal web page at the University of Hartford.
Key Deeds
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.7Robin 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/tAIv4Other Resources
Guold 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 2008.8Graham Readfearn. “Climate Science Deniers Defend New York’s American Museum of Natural History From Calls to Drop Trustee Rebekah Mercer,” DeSmog, February 6, 2018.
The letter reads:9mnh18-feb4-petitionletter (PDF – Untitled). Retrieved from Watts Up With That.
“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!”
December 13, 2017
Laurence Gould joined the academic advisory board of the climate science denying think tank, the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF). Based in London, UK, the GWPF was founded by former chancellor of the exchequer Nigel Lawson, and sits at the heart of a web of pro-Brexit organisations pushing climate disinformation out of offices at 55 Tufton St.10(Press Release). “Professor Larry Gould Joins GWPF’s Academic Advisory Council,” The Global Warming Policy Foundation, December 13, 2017. Archived December 13, 2017.
February 23, 2017
Laurence Gould 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).11“PETITION” (PDF), February 23, 2017. Richard Lindzen. PDF Archived at DeSmog.
“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.12“PETITION” (PDF), February 23, 2017. Richard Lindzen. PDF Archived at DeSmog.
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.13Graham 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.
July 7–9, 2014
Gould was a panelist at the Heartland Institute’s Ninth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC9) in Las Vegas, Nevada.14“Ninth International Conference on Climate Change, Program,” (PDF) Archived April 10, 2018. He spoke on Panel 15: “How Reliable are Temperature Records? Is Global Warming Rapid and Dangerous?” with Norman Rogers, Richard Keen, and Anthony Watts.
Panel 15: How Reliable are Temperature Records? Is Global Warming Rapid and Dangerous?
Panel 15 Q&A
DeSmog has done in-depth research on the other speakers and sponsors from Heartland’s ICCC9, which can be found here.
May 21–23, 2012
Gould was a speaker at the Heartland Institute‘s Seventh International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC7) where he delivered a speech titled “Global Warming: Issues for Education and for Scientific Societies.”15“Seventh International Conference on Climate Change, Program” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived January 23, 2018.
DeSmog researched the co-sponsors behind Heartland’s ICCC7 and found that they had collectively received over $67 million from ExxonMobil, the Koch Brothers and the conservative Scaife family foundations.
May 2010
Gould was a speaker at the Heartland Institute‘s Fourth International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC4) where he delivered a speech titled “What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You (and Others): Advice to Educators (and Others)” which can be viewed below.16“Fourth International Conference on Climate Change, Program” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived January 23, 2018.
DeSmog has done research on the co-sponsors of the conference and found that 19 of the 65 sponsors (including Heartland itself) have received a total of over $40 million in funding since 1985 from ExxonMobil, Koch Industries family foundations or the Scaife family foundations.
March 8–10, 2009
Gould was a keynote speaker at the Heartland Institute‘s Second International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC2) where he delivered a speech titled “Global Warming Alarmism: Checking the Claims, Exposing the Methods.”17“Speakers,” The 2009 International Conference on Climate Change. Archived January 21, 2009.
DeSmog researched the funding behind Heartland’s Second International Conference on Climate Change, and found that sponsor organizations had received over $47 million in funding from energy companies and right-wing foundations, with 78% of that total coming from the Scaife Family of foundations.
He has since given the same speech to the South Windsor Rotary Club, in May, 2009, and his power point is still available on his website.
2008
Gould wrote an open letter (PDF) to the American Physical Society (APS) where he claims that there is a “massive amount of scientific evidence and analysis which contradict [man-made global warming].”18Laurence I. Gould. “AN OPEN LETTER TO MEMBERS OF THE NEW ENGLAND SECTION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY: Anthropogenic Global Warming Alarmism: A Corruption of Science” (PDF), NES APS Newsletter, Spring 2008.
In his section “About the Science,” Gould cites views from well-known climate change skeptics Christopher Monckton, Marlo Lewis, Robert Carter, Richard S. Lindzen, Claude Allegre, S. Fred Singer, Frederick Seitz, and others as being proof that man-made global warming is unproven.
According to Gould,
“Currently, the cumulative scientific evidence shows that the AGWA [my acronym for AGW Alarmist (or Alarmism)] claims have not been substantiated. Those claims should, therefore, not be used as a guide to government policy and should not be supported by any scientific organizations, much less one as eminent as the American Physical Society, without further rigorous, open, and honest examination.”
Affiliations
- The Heartland Institute — “Expert.”19“Heartland Experts: Laurence Gould,” The Heartland Institute. Google Cache, Apr 28, 2012.
- The Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) — Member, Academic Advisory Board.20(Press Release). “Professor Larry Gould Joins GWPF’s Academic Advisory Council,” The Global Warming Policy Foundation, December 13, 2017. Archived December 13, 2017.
Publications
According to a search of Google Scholar, Laurence I. Gould has not published any articles in peer-reviewed journals on the subject of climate. He has published two peer-reviewed articles in the area of Physics in the 1980s.
Other Resources
- “Laurence Gould,” SourceWatch.
Resources
- 1“Academic Curriculum Vitae,” Laurence I. Gould’s personal website at the University of Hartford. Accessed May 5, 2012.
- 2“Academic Curriculum Vitae,” Laurence I. Gould’s personal website at the University of Hartford. Accessed May 5, 2012.
- 3“Academic Curriculum Vitae,” Laurence I. Gould’s personal website at the University of Hartford. Accessed May 5, 2012.
- 4“Faculty and Staff,” University of Hartford. Accessed May 5, 2012.
- 5Laurence I. Gould. “AN OPEN LETTER TO MEMBERS OF THE NEW ENGLAND SECTION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY: Anthropogenic Global Warming Alarmism: A Corruption of Science” (PDF), NES APS Newsletter, Spring 2008.
- 6Laurence I. Gould. “’Global Warming/Climate Change’: Dissecting the Claims Exposing the Methods” (.ppt) Presentation at the South Windsor Rotary Club, May 13, 2009. Retrieved from Laurence Gould’s personal web page at the University of Hartford.
- 7Robin 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/tAIv4Other Resources
- 8Graham Readfearn. “Climate Science Deniers Defend New York’s American Museum of Natural History From Calls to Drop Trustee Rebekah Mercer,” DeSmog, February 6, 2018.
- 9mnh18-feb4-petitionletter (PDF – Untitled). Retrieved from Watts Up With That.
- 10(Press Release). “Professor Larry Gould Joins GWPF’s Academic Advisory Council,” The Global Warming Policy Foundation, December 13, 2017. Archived December 13, 2017.
- 11“PETITION” (PDF), February 23, 2017. Richard Lindzen. PDF Archived at DeSmog.
- 12“PETITION” (PDF), February 23, 2017. Richard Lindzen. PDF Archived at DeSmog.
- 13Graham 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.
- 14“Ninth International Conference on Climate Change, Program,” (PDF) Archived April 10, 2018.
- 15“Seventh International Conference on Climate Change, Program” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived January 23, 2018.
- 16“Fourth International Conference on Climate Change, Program” (PDF) Heartland Institute. Archived January 23, 2018.
- 17“Speakers,” The 2009 International Conference on Climate Change. Archived January 21, 2009.
- 18Laurence I. Gould. “AN OPEN LETTER TO MEMBERS OF THE NEW ENGLAND SECTION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY: Anthropogenic Global Warming Alarmism: A Corruption of Science” (PDF), NES APS Newsletter, Spring 2008.
- 19“Heartland Experts: Laurence Gould,” The Heartland Institute. Google Cache, Apr 28, 2012.
- 20(Press Release). “Professor Larry Gould Joins GWPF’s Academic Advisory Council,” The Global Warming Policy Foundation, December 13, 2017. Archived December 13, 2017.
