Katherine Hayhoe, The Interview: “..Much of This is Intended to Intimidate.”
January 24, 2012
The latest climate scientist to come under fire from the climate denial extreme is Katharine Hayhoe, Atmospheric Scientist at Texas Tech University.
After coming into the public eye as the author of proposed chapter on climate change for GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich’s forthcoming book, Hayhoe had her name and email contact published by the ever-cuddly Marc “climate scientists should be flogged” Morano, grand Wazir of the Sharia school of Climate denial.
The climate deniers are kicking puppies now.
That was my reaction when I heard that Katharine Hayhoe was being deluged with hate mail after stories surfaced that she had written a chapter on climate change for Newt Gingrich’s upcoming book, a chapter quickly dropped when conservative commentators began making a big fuss about it. Similar attacks have been leveled against MIT scientist Kerry Emanuel following his speech at a forum for Republicans concerned about climate change. The “frenzy of hate” he’s received include threats to his wife.
Anyone who has ever listened to Hayhoe would be as sickened as I was over the vitriolic attacks she has endured in the past week. Being both a climate scientist and an evangelical Christian, Hayhoe speaks to faith communities, explaining the science of climate change in easy-to-understand language and also offering the spiritual perspective on global warming: What would Jesus do about climate change?
I had the privilege to interview Dr. Hayhoe this past weekend at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, where the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise was conducting a workshop and Town Hall meeting entitled “Cures for Climate Confusion”. (web video of the public Town Hall meeting here)
I wish to thank the organizers, Andy Hoffman of the Erb Institute, and the Union of Concerned Scientists, for graciously, and inexplicably, welcoming me when I arrived somewhat, uhm, unexpectedly, to the gathering.
More on Medieval enthusiast Marc Morano below:
Climate Denial Crock of the Week 
February 3, 2012 at 12:03 pm
[…] invective at his targets. In a recent interview here at Climate Crocks, Texas Tech Climate expert Katharine Hayhoe described the vicious, misogynist tone of the attack leveled at her by the denial machine. Recently, some of those emails were released […]
February 9, 2012 at 11:26 pm
[…] Katherine Hayhoe, The Interview: “..Much of This is Intended to Intimidate.” […]
April 5, 2012 at 3:21 pm
[…] Katherine Hayhoe, The Interview: “..Much of This is Intended to Intimidate.” (climatecrocks.com) […]
October 18, 2012 at 11:18 pm
[…] Society of Environmental Journalists conference, where I’ll be on a panel friday morning with Katherine Hayhoe, and ABC’s Bill […]
January 24, 2013 at 3:13 pm
[…] more context, I added in pieces of conversations I’ve had recently with Katharine Hayhoe and Mike Mann – as well as my favorite Republican Meteorologist, Paul […]
April 7, 2014 at 7:48 am
[…] climate and their problems. They prefer to believe the problems come from God, or natural cycles. Climate Scientist Katharine Hayhoe is profiled in her battle against entrenched attitudes and scientific ignorance in that part of […]
September 18, 2014 at 10:42 am
[…] been putting this together, Dana responded smartly, a few days ago, himself challenging Mike Mann, Katharine Hayhoe, and Kevin Cowtan to take up the […]
December 18, 2014 at 2:48 pm
[…] I first interviewed Katharine Hayhoe a few years ago, shortly after she had come under attack and vilified by right wing radio shouter Rush Limbaugh as a “climate babe”. Since then, she has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, for her outreach, as a scientist, to her fellow Christian evangelicals. […]
November 8, 2016 at 3:19 pm
[…] Read Peter Sinclair’s interview with Katherine Hahoe. […]