One of the more unfortunate memes that makes an appearance whenever climate science is discussed is the accusation that, by hyping their results, climate scientists are ensuring themselves steady paychecks, and may even be enriching themselves. A Google search for "global warming gravy train" pulls out over 50,000 results

It's tempting to respond with indignation; after all, researchers generally are doing something they love without a focus on compensation. But, more significantly, the accusation simply makes no sense on any level.

So, are there big bucks to be had in climate science? Since it doesn't have a lot of commercial appeal, most of the people working in the area, and the vast majority of those publishing the scientific literature, work in academic departments or at government agencies. If they wanted to make money doing the sort of data analysis or modeling of complex systems that climatologists perform all the time, of course, they should go to Wall Street.

To sum up: climate research doesn't pay well, the amount of money dedicated to it has been largely flat, and if the researchers were successful in convincing the public that climate change was a serious threat, the response would be to give money to someone else. If you come across someone arguing that scientists are in it for the money, then you can probably assume they are willing to make arguments without getting their facts straight.

http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/05/if-climate-scientists-push-the-consensus-...

lee wrote on Jun 2^nd, 2016 at 6:52pm:


Do I look like your servant?
I provided a link, look it up yourself.

Aussie, wrote on Jun 4^th, 2016 at 12:04pm:


Clearly they are smarter than you

You do realise that they can get a sum that is pro rata to their monthly salary while doing research for the outside agencies, during their breaks. I notice Arstechnicca doesn't say that.

The_Barnacle wrote on Jun 5^th, 2016 at 11:15am:



Because the total remuneration because of their specialities has to be taken into account. After all it is their specialities that enables them to draw that extra remuneration.

Of course you completely ignored Shukla, who paid himself ad family millions, in contradiction of his terms of employment with George Mason University.

Redmond Neck wrote on Jun 5^th, 2016 at 2:34pm:



I think it is only you. The American AG's are backtracking on their calls for RICO investigations.

Aussie, wrote on Jun 4^th, 2016 at 12:04pm:


So what did you do your doctorate on?

Pho Huc wrote on Jun 29^th, 2016 at 2:21pm:



Google Jagdish Shukla.

In case you can't find anything -

'It turns out Shukla reaped tens of millions in climate-related grants from U.S. taxpayers in addition to his university salary.

Shukla, 71, is the founder and president of the Rockville, Md.-based Institute of Global Environment and Society, a nonprofit that received $63 million in taxpayer funds since 2001, according to financial data compiled by the Washington Free Beacon. A copy of Shukla’s  letter to Obama has been taken down from the institute’s Web site.

The $63 million accounts for over 98 percent of his environmental institute’s revenue in that time. By double-dipping between his university salary and his nonprofit, critics say, Shukla appears to have violated George Mason University’s conflict of interest stipulations and rules that federal grant recipients who work for universities are expected to observe.'

'The India-born Shukla, who joined George Mason’s faculty in 1993, made a university salary of $314,000 by 2014, according to Climate Audit.

Shukla and his wife, Anastasia or Anne, continued to take in a substantial income from his nonprofit environmental institute, which is connected with the university’s College of Science in Fairfax, Va. Anne Shukla was listed as business manager.

The couple received more than $800,000 in both 2013 and 2014 in combined income from the university salary and the environmental institute. A daughter, Sonia, was also employed by the institute, listed as both assistant business manager and assistant to Shukla.'

http://dailysignal.com/2015/10/26/lawmakers-probe-taxpayer-funded-academic-who-w...