Viv Forbes

Viv Forbes at Mises Seminar

Viv Forbes

Credentials

Background

Viv Forbes is the chairman of the Carbon Sense Coalition, which was created to “defend the role of carbon on earth and in the atmosphere,” and which describes Forbes as a “pasture manager, soil scientist and geologist from Rosevale in Queensland.”2Climate Smart?The Carbon Sense Coalition, July 1, 2007. Archived September 4, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/21Pok

Forbes has also had a long association with the coal industry. According to his archived biography at Stanmore Coal where he acts as director, Forbes has over 40 years of coal industry experience and has worked with Burton Coal, Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal, South Blackwater Coal Mine, Tahmoor Coal Mine, Newlands/Collinsville Coal Mines, MIM, Utah Goonyella/Saraji, Gold Fields, Austral Coal, and others.3Directors and Management,Stanmore Coal. Archived April 7, 2011. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/1FTWw Forbes was also appointed general manager of Rocklands Richfield coal company in 2006.4(Press Release). “Bowen Basin expert joins Rocklands Richfield coal company: Viv Forbes appointed General Manager” (PDF), Rocklands Richfield Limited. PDF archived at DeSmog.

He is also associated with other skeptical organizations including the International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC) and the Australian Climate Science Coalition (ACSC)

According to Viv Forbes, the “Green Elite” has a “long-term agenda […] to destroy human industry and reduce human population. Thus they are opposed to farming, mining, fishing, forestry, exploration and cheap power.”5The New Dark (Green) Age by Viv Forbes,” Just Grounds Community, June 27, 2011. Archived November 1, 2011. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/H0lTJ

Stance on Climate Change

November 26, 2011

“We’re not controlling the climate and the carbon dioxide is certainly not one of the things we need to be concerned about,” Forbes said at a Mises Seminar.6‘Many Battles, Same War’ | Viv Forbes,” YouTube video uploaded by user “LibertyAus,” April 12, 2012.

July 1, 2007

“It is unbelievable that many in politics and the media are whipping up public hysteria about ‘global warming’ when the best evidence suggests that for the 100 years ending in the year 2000, the century of coal, steel, electricity, the internal combustion engine, jet planes, two world wars and a population explosion, the average surface temperature rose by only 0.6 deg, and there has been NO increase in temperature since 1998. In many areas, surface temperatures have been falling for decades.”7Climate Smart?The Carbon Sense Coalition, July 1, 2007. Archived September 4, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/21Pok

Key Quotes

January 4, 2011

“Queensland has wasted millions on the global warming industry. Residents would be better off had they spent it on water storage, flood gauges and flood-proofing of highways, railways and airports.”8Viv Forbes: adapting to climate is a better policy,” Australian Conservative, January 4, 2011. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/O0fUe

“Even if the water vapour and carbon dioxide produced by man did cause some slight warming of the earth, is this a problem? Eons of geological history show that a warm, moist, carbon-rich atmosphere encourages all life on earth. These periods are referred to as ‘Golden Ages’. The cold barren periods are those to be feared – they get called ‘The Dark Ages’.”9Viv Forbes: adapting to climate is a better policy,” Australian Conservative, January 4, 2011. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/O0fUe

“Carbon dioxide plays a wholly beneficial role in the atmosphere, and there is no evidence that this would change should carbon dioxide levels rise. It is being vilified because it is a so-called ‘Greenhouse Gas’.”10Viv Forbes: adapting to climate is a better policy,” Australian Conservative, January 4, 2011. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/O0fUe

“There is no evidence, no consensus among scientists, no clear benefits, no reliable projections but huge potential costs if Australia does indeed pursue a ‘low Carbon Future’.”11Viv Forbes: adapting to climate is a better policy,” Australian Conservative, January 4, 2011. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/O0fUe

Key Deeds

February 14, 2022

In an article at American Thinker, Forbes claimed “The destruction of Australia’s ancestral grasslands has received a massive boost in recent years by green extremists aiming to remove human activities from rural Australia by promoting more national parks, reservations, crown land, heritage areas, and ‘Wild Rivers.’ Their bans on logging, hunting, grazing and regrowth clearing have turned many national parks into weed and pest havens.”12Viv Forbes. “Greenism destroying Australia’s ancient grasslands,” American Thinker, February 14, 2022. Archived September 8, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/LkTof

Forbes described solar panels as “another insidious green enemy” of grasslands, claiming “The deliberate sacrifice of grasslands to solar panels and woody weeds is another suicidal green policy.”13Viv Forbes. “Greenism destroying Australia’s ancient grasslands,” American Thinker, February 14, 2022. Archived September 8, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/LkTof

April 23, 2018

Viv Forbes, representing the Climate Science Coalition, was among 22 groups signed on to an open letter asking President Trump to ignore recent criticism of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.14“Coalition letter to the President on Scott Pruitt,” (PDF) Heartland Institute, 2018. Archived .pdf on file with DeSmog.

In a speech to the U.S. Senate, a group of Democratic senators identified the organizations as front groups for the Koch Brothers and other wealthy donors, nicknamed the “Web of Deceit.” The senators outlined how, in addition to funding from the Koch network, many of the groups use untraceable “dark money” funneled through groups like Donors Capital Fund and Donors Trust to influence legislation, particularly with regards to climate and pollution.

Senator Whitehouse outlined it as “a web of deceit conceived and bankrolled by the Koch brothers and other self-interested billionaires to advocate for very selfish and unpatriotic policies.” Whitehouse added: “This web of deceit has infiltrated and populated the Trump administration, and it is swamping the interests of everyday Americans.15Senator Whitehouse. “Time to wake up: Web of Deceit” April 23, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.li/HzIsa

The full list of pro-Pruitt signatories and their respective organizations is as follows:

February 4, 2018

In January 2018, more than 200 scientists endorsed an open letter calling on the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) to remove climate change denier Rebekah Mercer from its board and to “end ties to anti-science propagandists and funders of climate science misinformation.” The New York Times reported that those among the AMNH letter calling for Mercer to step down were Michael E. Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, and Katharine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University.16Robin Pogrebin and Somini Sengupta. “A Science Denier at the Natural History Museum? Scientists Rebel,” The New York Times, January 25, 2018. Archived February 13, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/tAIv4

Forbes was among a group of climate change deniers who responded with their own open letter, calling for the AMNH “not to cave in to this pressure.” The letter was signed by numerous individuals with ties to groups funded by the Mercer Family Foundation such as Will Happer of the CO2 CoalitionRichard Lindzen, a fellow at the Cato InstituteCraig Idso, the chairman of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change. There are a number of signatories affiliated with the Heartland Institute, which has received over $5.78 million from the Mercer Family Foundation since 2008.17Graham Readfearn. “Climate Science Deniers Defend New York’s American Museum of Natural History From Calls to Drop Trustee Rebekah Mercer,” DeSmog, February 6, 2018.

The letter reads:18mnh18-feb4-petitionletter (PDF – Untitled). Retrieved from Watts Up With That. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

The Earth has supported abundant life many times in the geological past when there were much higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It is quite likely that future generations will benefit from the enrichment of Earth’s atmosphere with more carbon dioxide.

Make no mistake, the agitators are not defending science from quackery — quite the contrary!”

February 23, 2017

Forbes was a signatory of a petition organized by Richard Lindzen of the Cato Institute urging President Donald Trump to pull the United States out of the United Nations international convention on climate change (UNFCCC).19“PETITION” (PDF), February 23, 2017. Richard Lindzen. PDF Archived at DeSmog.

In just a few weeks, more than 300 eminent scientists and other qualified individuals from around the world have signed the petition below,” Lindzen wrote in the letter.20“PETITION” (PDF), February 23, 2017. Richard Lindzen. PDF Archived at DeSmog.

DeSmog investigated the list, and found that only a small handful of the signatories could be considered “even remotely ‘qualified’ or ‘eminent’ — but not in the field of climate science.” The list included individuals “interested in climate,” and one signatory who only identified as an “emailer who wished to sign the petition” while some signers provided no affiliation or address whatsoever.21Graham Readfearn. “Climate Science Denier Richard Lindzen’s List of 300 “Scientists” Sent to Trump Is the Usual Parade of Non-Experts,” DeSmog, February 27, 2017.

August 2016

Viv Forbes is listed as the “secretary” of a group titled Climate Exit (Clexit) founded in the summer of 2016.22The Clexit Committee comprises” (PDF), Clexit.net. Archived.pdf on file at Desmog. According to Clexit’s founding statement (PDF), “The world must abandon this suicidal Global Warming crusade. Man does not and cannot contro23l the climate.”“After Brexit, Clexit” (PDF), Clexit.net. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

As DeSmog reported, another key member of Clexit’s “60 well-informed science, business and economic leaders” is Hugh Morgan, a former board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia and former CEO of Western Mining Corporation with close ties to Australia’s Liberal party.24Graham Readfearn. “After Brexit, Climate Science Denialists Form New Group to Call for a Clexit,” Desmog, August 3, 2016. 25Hugh Morgan AO,” Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Archived February 22, 2002. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/1ObOB

According to Clexit’s founding statement

If the Paris climate accord is ratified, or enforced locally by compliant governments, it will strangle the leading economies of the world with pointless carbon taxes and costly climate and energy policies, all with no sound basis in evidence or science […]”26“After Brexit, Clexit” (PDF), Clexit.net. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

November 26, 2011

Viv Forbes spoke at the 2011 Mises Seminar in Sydney. Forbes’s speech, “Many Battles-Same War” was originally titled “My libertarian journey.” Video below. 27Historical Events,” Mises Seminar Australia, Liberty Australia Institute. Archived September 7, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Y0ypE

Forbes said in his speech: “I went to a meeting of the National Pollution Inventory Committee who was telling us in the mining industry what we were going to have to report to the government every six months about what terrible polluting things we were doing. And they listed all the pollutants and they’re listing all the ways and how we were going to have to report all this stuff. And one of the pollutants listed was carbon dioxide. And that really hit me like a sledgehammer. I’m a farmer. I’m a soil scientist. I understand the carbon cycle. I could not believe that even someone so stupid as those in the Department of Climate Change could consider carbon dioxide a pollutant for any stretch of anyone’s imagination. I decided then and there that I was going to have to expose this stupid scheme.”

[…]

“We’re not controlling the climate and the carbon dioxide is certainly not one of the things we need to be concerned about,” he added.

June 2011

Forbes and the Carbon Sense Coalition supported climate change skeptic Christopher Monckton’s Australian tour.

“We urge people to attend the Monckton functions because the opposition will try to frighten us away with smears and personal attacks on him and his associates. His cause is our cause,” Forbes said.28Viv Forbes. “Australian Tour by Christopher Monckton,” Canada Free Press, June 27, 2011. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/PO8H0

June 13, 2009

Forbes released a statement in which he opposed The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), claiming that it would “not change the climate, it will do nothing useful for the planet and it will destroy real jobs faster than green jobs can be created.” His hope was that Australia would refuse to pass “this dangerous legislation.”29The RAT Scheme will destroy jobs, jobs jobs,” Canada Free Press, June 12, 2009. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/SSaSE

October 9, 2008

Forbes authored an open letter (PDF) criticizing carbon trading on behalf of the Carbon Sense Coalition. The letter, addressed to the Premier and Members, describes carbon dioxide as “harmless … plant [food].”

Forbes also suggested carbon trading would increase the price of petrol, grain, beef and other farm products, and that carbon trading would result in something “worse than the sub-prime crisis.” The Carbon Sense Coalition’s Advisory Committee includes individuals representing the beef and mining industries.30“Introducing The Carbon Sense Coalition” (PDF), Carbon-Sense.com. Archived April 12, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

The letter concludes that “There is no consensus on the science of global warming, and no evidence beyond computer models that carbon dioxide is causing or will cause dangerous climate changes. Climate is always changing, and there is no evidence that man has or can affect world climate trends. Therefore there is no basis to embark on a massive dislocation of Queensland’s backbone industries. There are zero proven benefits.”31Viv Forbes. “An Open Letter to Premier Anna Bligh and All Elected Members in Queensland” (PDF), Carbon Sense Coalition, October 9, 2008. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

February 11, 2008

Forbes, on behalf of the Carbon Sense Coalition, sent a submission to the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change (DOCC), criticizing its proposal for a national greenhouse and energy reporting (NGER) system.

The NGER act would provide a national framework in Australia to report the greenhouse gas emissions by major corporations.

Forbes suggests that the NGER system (if implemented) should “minimize the data demanded, the people who must report and the matters reported on.” His suggestions include to32:“’Keep it Simple, Stupid’: A Submission from The Carbon Sense Coalition to the Commonwealth  Department of Climate Change (DOCC) on its proposal for a National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting System” (PDF), February 11, 2008. Retrieved from Climatechange.gov.au. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

  • “Delete all requirements to report all energy produced, transported and consumed…”
  • “Delete all reporting on guesses of carbon gases produced by the disposal, decay, composting or burning of organic waste, agricultural products, dead pasture, scrub re-growth, waste water, animal manure, human sewerage, land fill etc…  
  • “Delete all references to ‘Indirect Emissions’…”

The submissions’s conclusion is that there should be an “Independent Enquiry” into climate change science before any de-carbonisation proposals are applied in Australia.

Forbes’s reasoning is that the climate is “unusually benign,” that carbon dioxide has “encouraged plant growth, causing a large increase in food production on earth since the 1850’s (‘the green revolution’).” He also believes that “a period of global cooling is likely.”

Although he mentions “scientists who study the sun,” he does not cite any scientific studies in his report.

Affiliations

Coal Companies

Social Media

Publications

According to a search of Google Scholar, Viv Forbes has not published any articles in peer-reviewed journals on the subject of climate.

Forbes has published a study (through the Carbon Sense Coalition) called “All Cows are Green” in the journal Australian Sugarcane.47Viv Forbes. “All Cows are Green,” Australian Sugarcane, Vol. 12, No. 2, Apr/May 2008.

The study calls on farms in New Zealand and Australia to “raise their voices in opposition to the proposals of Australian and New Zealand governments to include emissions and motions from farm animals as a taxable carbon emission.”

Other Resources

Resources

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