Climate author goes political
Scientist endorses Dion to deal with ‘the defining problem for humanity’
Nicholas Read, Canwest News Service
Published: Sunday, October 12, 2008
Keeping Our Cool
By Andrew Weaver
Penguin Canada, $34It was pure chance that University of Victoria climate scientist Andrew Weaver’s new book on global warming came out during a federal election campaign. But since it has, he’s taking an extraordinary step for a scientist and declaring, point-blank how he thinks people should vote. “Vote for (Liberal Party Leader) Stéphane Dion; don’t vote for the Green Party,” Weaver said in an interview promoting Keeping Our Cool: Canada in a Warming World.
“If the Green Party has a strong candidate who’s going to beat out the Liberal and Conservative candidates, then, OK, go ahead and vote Green. But, by and large, a green vote is not a Green vote. A green vote is for a Liberal government and Stéphane Dion. There is no other candidate you can vote for.”
This, you will understand is far from usual. Scientists do not as a rule make public political statements and certianly not during an election when it is obviously a partisan issue. But then Stephen Harper has targetted sceintists and science itself. Both he and W talk regularly to God so they are absolutely certain they are right.
I have already voted Green, but if you are dithering, take a look at the rest of the article
Stephen Rees's blog 
I live in Vancouver Quadra, so my vote for the environment is clear.
Sungsu
October 12, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Not political,yea right,he is part of Campbell`s team,shame on Weaver to shit all over the Green party,especially when the Liberals who failed for a decade reducing emissions,they rose every year,
13 years of Liberal promises,remember the RED BOOK,I know Mr. REES has mentioned the Liberal red book on a post last week.
My point on any carbon tax is this—If you are going to have a carbon tax the money MUST go to green transit,sequestration,green technology,a carbon tax that gets taken out of one pocket and put into another pocket is stupid.
MR. Weaver, you must be real happy with Campbell who has started to do back flips by allowing municipalities,schools,hospitals to be exempt,who`s next on the exemption list,truckers.
Mr. Weaver real class having BCers pay carbon tax through out BC when no options exist.
Sorry Mr. Weaver, the Liberals are done,federaly and provincialy
Grant G
October 12, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I respect the work of Dr. Weaver as a scientist, although I know of other professors who might be perhaps better suited to make political analyses based on their research. I am not sure Dr. Weaver does research on the politics of climate change, but his good reputation precedes him, he’s well-respected in many academic/scientific circles.
Raul
October 13, 2008 at 11:03 am
I agree with Raul. Andrew Weaver’s qualifications as one of Canada’s foremost climate scientists place him in the eminent position to criticize any individual, party or government who he determines act in detrimental ways regarding lowering emissions. If “going political” is necessary to draw attention to the nefarious action by those in power to suppress climate change science, then so be it.
Meredith
October 15, 2008 at 1:05 pm