The latest batch of emails released by WikiLeaks from John Podesta, Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, contain a local connection.  A message received by Podesta details how climate change alarmists launched a concerted effort to keep a University of Colorado professor from publishing his views on manmade climate change.

Holding degrees in mathematics, public policy and political science, Roger Pielke, Jr. is a well-respected professor at CU.  Using statistical analysis, he has authored many papers and books debunking some of the more outrageous claims purveyors of the manmade climate change theory use to scare the populace.

Pielke apparently was seen as a threat to alarmists after publishing a story to fivethirtyeight.com in March 2014 disputing the claim that disasters are becoming more expensive due to climate change.

The professor used imperial data to determine, “When you read that the cost of disasters is increasing, it’s tempting to think that it must be because more storms are happening. They’re not. All the apocalyptic “climate porn” in your Facebook feed is solely a function of perception. In reality, the numbers reflect more damage from catastrophes because the world is getting wealthier. We’re seeing ever-larger losses simply because we have more to lose — when an earthquake or flood occurs, more stuff gets damaged.”

This did not fit the narrative of those that believe manmade climate change is the greatest threat to the Earth of the century.

Judd Legum, editor of ThinkProgress, sent an email to Podesta as well as billionaire Tom Steyer detailing Legum’s organization’s efforts to silence Pielke.  He brags that ThinkProgress was successful in ensuring, “Pielke never wrote another piece on climate change for 538.”

Steyer is a name that should be familiar with Coloradans.  The San Francisco-based billionaire and environmental activist has spent millions of dollars in Colorado elections, trying to influence their outcomes.

Ironically, Pielke has been a voice of reason and moderation in the sometimes-raucous debate about manmade climate change.  He actually favors a carbon tax and has advocated for removing any incentives for fossil fuels and replacing them with a push for renewable energy sources.

Pielke told the Boulder Daily Camera, “They were ultimately successful in removing an academic from working on a topic,” as he has moved on to other areas of study.  There’s, “nothing like a political witch hunt to help you focus on career priorities,” he said.

“It spells out in black and white … that there was an organized, politically motivated campaign to damage my career and reputation, based on a perception that my academic research was thought to be inconvenient.”

The fact that a member of academia could be silenced is troubling but it also fits the new way that climate change alarmists have chosen to battle those that disagree with them: Don’t debate the topic on its merits, instead simply shut down the opposition.

On the net:

• Boulder Daily Camera: WikiLeaks exposes liberal group’s efforts to thwart climate writings of CU’s Roger Pielke Jr.
• National Review: WikiLeaks exposes Podesta-Steyer Climate McCarthyism