2024-02-09

Michael Mann climate scientist wins defamation case

"After a day of deliberations, the jury ruled that Simberg and Steyn defamed Mann through some of their statements. The compensatory damages were just $1 for each writer. But the punitive damages were larger. The jury ordered Simberg to pay Mann $1000 in punitive damages; it ordered Steyn to pay $1 million in punitive damages.

Mann did not respond to requests for comment. But in a statement posted to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, he said: "I hope this verdict sends a message that falsely attacking climate scientists is not protected speech."

Simberg's attorney sent an email that cast the decision as a victory for him. In an email, Steyn's manager Melissa Howes said, "We always said that Mann never suffered any actual injury from the statement at issue. And today, after twelve years, the jury awarded him one dollar in compensatory damages."

Mann's trial comes at a time of increasing attacks on climate scientists, says Lauren Kurtz, executive director of the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund, who notes that her fund helps more scientists each year than the year before."

Just for the record, Michael Mann's hockey stick graph showing a rise in atmospheric temperature in the last few decades has been widely criticized.  The main complaint is that it leaves out the medieval warm period, making the current warming trend look unprecedented.  Poeple have also complained about his methodology.

Michael Mann has made failed predictions.  It seems somewhat justified to call him a fraud, and expressing this opinion should be protected free speech.

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