The crumbling edifice of the IPCC

Perhaps the most alarming conclusion that can be drawn from the book is the fact that Laframboise, like Johnston, has done what any Academies of Science or curious journalists should have done – critically examine the assertions, content and references of the IPCC report, which has been in the public domain for four years, before endorsing or reporting the conclusions.

It is an indictment on the science establishment that they have either suffered the same group think which plagues the IPCC or have been cowed into accepting the 'conventional wisdom'.

Or perhaps they suffered the same type of intimidation that Australian atmospheric scientist, Professor Garth Paltridge endured, as is quoted in the book.

"In the early nineties I was involved in setting up an Antarctic research centre... to examine the role of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean global climate. I made the error at the time of mentioning in a media interview...that there were still lots of doubts about the disaster potential of global warming. Suffice to say that within a couple of days it was made clear to me from the highest levels of CSIRO that, should I make such public comments again. Then it would pull out of the process of forming the new Centre...[which] would have killed the whole thing dead..."

The Hockey Stick graph farce, Climategate and the Himalayan glacier debacle seriously undermined the credibility of the IPCC, as they were in effect, based on scientific fraud and deception. As compelling as each of these issues are, The Delinquent Teenager goes further in that it demonstrates multiple, systemic and gross abuse of the accepted scientific process as well as misrepresentation of the science contained within the report.

Professor Bob Carter, science adviser to the Australian Environment Foundation said on the publication of the book, "Ms Laframboise has done what no Academy of Science in the world has been prepared to do and that is to examine the material on which the IPCC has based its conclusions."

"She has diligently exposed the misinformation, omissions and flaws in this report that governments around the world are relying on to determine policy responses to climate change."

The truly frightening thing about Laframboise's book is that it clearly demonstrates the lack of integrity in the scientific report that is the primary foundation of policy decisions by the Australian government on climate change.

Max Rheese is executive director of the Australian Environment Foundation .