Update: This latest attack on Al Gore is at the hands of the โScientific Allianceโ – a group well-known to DeSmogBlog.
Busted? Looks like something fishy is going on with the funding behind the UK high court challenge against The Inconvenient Truth being viewed in schools.
The court case was brought forward by a โconcerned parentโ and โNew Partyโ member Stewartย Dimmock.
In a BBC Radio interview last night, Dimmock refused to divulge who fronted the 60,000 quid in courtย costs.
Hereโs a partialย transcript:
Host: Some people might wonder why you felt so strongly about this, that yu were prepared to take it all the way to the high courts, whether you have an agenda or sorts. Doย you?
Dimmock: Well I have two young children and in my mind its wrong that we push politics into theย classroom.
Host: Can I ask you one more question Mr. Dimmock. Itโs not cheap taking a case to the highย court.
Dimmock: No itโsย not.
Host: Were you helped financially to doย this?
Dimmock: The government have been ordered to pay my costs, I got 60,000 pounds up forย payment.
Host: Ya, but you didnโt know that that was going to be the order until today didย you?
Dimmock: No Iย didnโt.
Host: Who took theย risk?
Dimmock: [long, long pause] uuummmmmmโฆ.. Iโve had pledges of support [another weirdย pause].
Host: May I ask you fromย whom?
Dimmock: You can ask from whom, but Iโm sorry I canโt tell you. I havenโt got the names of the people that have pledged me support, itโs still aย website.
Here’s the entire BBC radio spot, Dimmock starts squirming at about the 5 minuteย mark.
And most importantly, here’s the email address for Dimmock’s โNew Party.โ I would urge everyone to send an email demanding to know who paid for thisย effort.
Here’s what Iย sent:
Attn: Stewart Dimmock,
It was brought to my attention in a recent BBC Radio 4 interview that you have refused to divulge the funding sources for you court action to ban The Inconvenient Truth in UKย schools.
As there has been a long history of attacks against the science of climate change sponsored by the fossil fuel industry, I am wondering if this is such a case. As someone with an obvious interest in participating in the public conversation on climate change, it would be imperative that you divulge any funding that you have received from the fossil fuel industry. This would absolve you of any criticism that your held views may constitute a conflict ofย interest.
I look forward to hearing back fromย you,
Subscribe to our newsletter
Stay up to date with DeSmog news and alerts