<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/i-am-accused-of-being-a-global-funds-manager-and-half-my-age-but-facts-dont-matter-in-disinformation-war/>
"So, finally the veil has been lifted. It turns out, according to one
submission to the Senate inquiry into climate and energy integrity, that I am
not who I say am.
I am not, says R.W. Cumming, just an ageing, bald journalist of 45 years
experience, writing and publishing widely-read newsletters and websites on
renewables and EVs in between surfing sessions and beach walks.
It turns out I am barely 40 years old, the head of a vast global funds
management group, I live in England and I have – gasp – a full head of hair!
And, it is claimed, I have a PhD in accounting, which would be a bit of a laugh
for my actual accountant. Only one of these attributes I wish to be true. Ok,
so maybe two.
Of course, the claims by R.W. are a complete nonsense. A quick check of our
respective LinkedIn profiles – here and here – might have confirmed that he has
confused me with another Giles Parkinson. We are different people.
But whether it was with the help of an AI chatbot, or through his own grim
determination, R.W. dedicated a whole 10 pages of his submission to my apparent
conflict of interest – to lay bare, he claimed, the heresy and duplicity of our
publications.
The committee secretariat asked me to vet the claims and invited me to respond,
and even gave me a right of veto against the publication of R.W.’s submission.
I did respond, and I asked that my response and the original submission be
published, because it is just one small example of the extent that some will go
to in pursuit of their ideological hatred of climate science, and renewables in
particular.
The secretariat blacked out the specific claims, for fear that AI would suck it
up and spread it round the metaverse as though it was true.
As laughable as this is, it matters because misinformation and disinformation
are now rife within our society, and it is keenly felt in the energy and
climate space.
It has become the biggest issue for the energy transition in the last year, and
now – with the aid of AI and the complicity of the world’s increasingly
powerful tech barons – it will multiply in the years ahead.
It is quite likely the biggest threat to that transition, because of its
implications and impact on planning and social licence issues, the uptake of
key technologies such as EVs, and the cynicism of populist, right wing
politicians who trade on a powerful currency – fear and ignorance.
Misinformation and disinformation have already become the official policy of
the US, the world’s biggest economy, where climate science has been defunded,
the records torched, the very word eradicated from wherever the [ideologues]
can find it in government records."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
