Ian Plimer

{{Denialism|1}}
'''Ian Plimer''' (1946-) is an [[Australia]]n [[geologist]], prominent critic of [[creationism]]… and a [[global warming denier]].

==Gish-Plimer debate==
Plimer has written a couple of books on geology and de-constructing the arguments for creationism (primarily ''Telling Lies for God'') and debated with [[Duane Gish]].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT7nGNguZg8 Full recording of the debate]</ref> The Gish-Plimer debate became famous for its most memorable moment where Plimer asked Gish if he doubted the theory of [[electromagnetism]] as well as [[evolution]], then held out a live wire and offered to let him touch it.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140729142401/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D44LqmktXrg Plimer offers Gish the chance to electrocute himself]</ref> This was seen as either complete [[pwned|pwnage]] or a dick move, depending on your viewpoint; Plimer has been criticized within both [[evolutionist]] and creationist circles for this. 

Plimer is also notable for his occasional use of creationist-style debate tactics (telling [[lie]]s for [[science]]?), most notably his incoherent and baseless accusations of financial fraud against creationist outlets. The adjudicator wasn't impressed, saying that "rather than a debate, the evening was more like a presentation by Dr. Gish and a series of derogatory replies by Dr. Plimer."<ref>See [http://www.discord.org/~lippard/hnta.html How ''Not'' To Argue with Creationists] by Jim Lippard.</ref> This kind of debating style is typical of Plimer, who, when called on anything he has said or done, will immediately make [[Appeal to authority|appeals to authority]] and attempt to denigrate the opposition.{{efn|Many years later, Plimer was asked to comment on these criticisms. In a typically grumpy reply, he said that young Americans are "always trying to give you the benefit of their youth and inexperience."}}

After the debates, Plimer heavily implied in writing that Gish was attended on by a gaggle of [[Pedophilia|young catamites]] who stroked and fondled him throughout the debate, but, when called on it, insisted that he was simply referring to Gish's connections to a "pro-[[Nuclear power|nuclear]] group" when he impugned his morals.<ref>Quoted in Lippard.</ref> Creationists have held up this debate as evidence of how evil the EVILutionists are. [[Creation Ministries International|Creation Ministries]] produced a documentary interviewing those who became creationists as a result of this debate.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LawGTZXBQrQ Facing the Fire with Dr. Duane Gish]</ref>

==Global warming denial==
Plimer has also become the go-to guy for Australian deniers and authored a book, ''Heaven + Earth'', critical of climate science. Most of his objections consist of [[PRATT|long refuted]] talking points about solar cycles and bad models. Ian G. Enting's lengthy analysis of Plimer's book ran to an impressive ''64 pages'' of errors, misrepresentations and other such fudges. 

Impressively, the book misrepresents the content of cited sources 43 times, the nature of recreated graphs twice and recorded data at least 10 times.<ref>[https://bravenewclimate.com/files/2009/04/plimer2a0.pdf A debunking of Plimer's book ''Heaven + Earth''] by Ian Enting. [https://web.archive.org/web/20091025194503/http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2009/10/plimer_the_plagiarist.php#more Tim Lambert also notices a little bit of plagiarism by Plimer.]</ref> However, he did come up with an original [[talking point]] that has become popular in denialist circles: Underwater volcanoes! Plimer argues that volcanic activity releases more CO<sub>2</sub> than all of humanity combined. This was quickly refuted by actual climate scientists who noted that humans released over 100 times more CO<sub>2</sub> than volcanoes.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100509013609/http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hazards/gas/climate.php Volcanic Gases and Climate Change], USGS</ref><ref>''Eos'', [https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vsc/file_mngr/file-154/Gerlach-2011-EOS_AGU.pdf  Volcanic Versus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide], American Geophysical Union</ref> Like any good [[crank]], Plimer has continued to put forth these debunked arguments over and over. 

Any time he is questioned on the accuracy of his claims &mdash; even obvious ones like citing what he says is an ice core study in the southern hemisphere about the Medieval Warm Period when it's actually a borehole study from the northern hemisphere that doesn't address the MWP &mdash; he launches into [[Ross McKitrick|grumpy-old-man rants]] about how young people these days need to learn some manners.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20091218185846/http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2009/s2772906.htm]</ref> When [[British]] journalist [[George Monbiot]] was less than enthusiastic about a flattering article in the ''Spectator'' about his work,<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2009/jul/09/george-monbiot-ian-plimer]</ref> Plimer challenged Monbiot to a debate, though this did not eventuate. Instead, Plimer sent Monbiot what amounted to a homework assignment containing incoherent questions of little to no relevance and frequently no scientific literacy.<ref>[http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2009/08/plimers-homework-assignment/ RealClimate marks Plimer's questions for accuracy and relevance, often poorly in both categories.]</ref> Some have tried to work out what he could possibly have meant by sending this bizarre "quiz", but it seems likely that this was simply an attempt to "pull rank" by a vain and deluded old man irritated that he hasn't been awarded the respect he believes he deserves.

In 2011, he wrote a piece of global warming denialist [[propaganda]] for children (yes, really), entitled ''How to Get Expelled From School''. In truth, Plimer need hardly have specifically aimed his new book at children, as he treats his audience as children regardless of their age, and the arguments contained within were not noticeably different to usual.<ref name="peacock">[https://web.archive.org/web/20120105041913/http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2011/s3390224.htm]</ref>

==Asbestos denial and other crankery==
Like many cranks, Plimer seems to be possessed by [[crank magnetism]]. One-upping [[Christopher Booker]], Plimer has not only denied any health risks from [[Asbestos|chrysotile asbestos]], but that it is even asbestos at all.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120103190621/http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2011/12/plimer_suffers_from_crank_magn.php Plimer Suffers from Crank Magnetism], Deltoid</ref> Unfortunately for him, this view came back to haunt him at the launch of ''How to Get Expelled From School'', when a journalist for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation brought it up. This led to a comically [[Circular reasoning|circular round of argumentation]], before a predictable Plimer appeal to authority: "I’m sorry. You are just a journalist. I have spent my life studying minerals."<ref name="peacock"/> This episode definitively proved that Plimer is impervious to [[irony]], attempting to simultaneously encourage children not to mindlessly accept the word of scientists (see [[sheeple]]) and to silence a questioner with the KO riposte that he is a scientist [[Dunning-Kruger effect|who knows everything]].

Even further into the depths of the uncharted jungles of crankdom, in ''Heaven + Earth'' Plimer repeats virtually word-for-word the conclusions of a paper that asserted (in defiance of all evidence and logic) that the [[Sun]] has a composition resembling that of a meteorite.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111124081733/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/ian-plimer-heaven-and-earth/story-e6frg8no-1225710387147 No science in Plimer's primer], Michael Ashley, The Australian, 9 May 2009</ref> Whether Plimer genuinely sides with lunatics of the [[Immanuel Velikovsky]] school of astronomy or is simply willing to repeat any "evidence" he believes will justify his belief that climate science is bunk is unclear.

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121215083609/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEsygjXunTs George Monbiot vs. Ian Plimer]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19970803190437/http://www.abc.net.au/quantum/info/lxp.htm "Telling Lies for God"?] on ABC
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091218185846/http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2009/s2772906.htm Plimer debates George Monbiot] on ABC
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090718195117/http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2009/07/jim_lippard_on_plimer.php Jim Lippard on Plimer], Deltoid
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080915042235/http://bravenewclimate.com/2008/09/01/spot-the-recycled-denial-iii-%E2%80%93-prof-ian-plimer/ Spot the Recycled Denial III - Prof. Ian Plimer], Barry Brook
*[http://www.skepticalscience.com/Geologists-climate-change-denial.html Geologists and Climate Change Denial], Skeptical Science
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2009/jul/09/george-monbiot-ian-plimer?intcmp=239  Spectator recycles climate rubbish published by sceptic], George Monbiot
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090426053608/http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2009/04/the_science_is_missing_from_ia.php  The science is missing from Ian Plimer's "Heaven and Earth"], Tim Lambert
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100507211009/http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s2889174.htm The ABC's Media Watch program investigates Australian shock jocks' obsession with Plimer.]

==Notes==
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==References==
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{{Down Under}}
[[Category:Geologists]]
[[Category:Global warming denialists]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience promoters]]
[[Category:Atheists]]
[[Category:Denialists]]
[[Category:Plagiarists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australians]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plimer, Ian}}

Categories: Geologists, Global warming denialists, Pseudoscience promoters, Atheists, Denialists, Plagiarists, Living people, Australians