By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/ipcc2pachauri031010.html
UNITED NATIONS, March 10 -- Seeking to dampen controversies about the Inter governmental Panel on Climate Change's use of NGO press releases as science and about IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri's outside income from sources like Deutsche Bank, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Pachauri "encountered" the Press on Wednesday.
It was a one way encounter. Each man made a statement, each praising the other and the IPCC -- and then they left the stakeout, taking not a single question. Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe was left telling reporters, no questions, no questions. Video here.
The UN press corps was essentially used as a prop or as extras, to make it appear to viewers not paying attention that this was a legitimate press conference or Q&A. In fact, as put by one climate change activist, this was mere propaganda, like "something out of North Korea."
Or perhaps Tiger Woods is the more apt analogy, given the "racy" novel recently published by Mr. Pachauri, another correspondent noted, in which an aging Indian scientist flies around the world bedding young followers.
Back on December 21, Inner City Press asked Ban about Pachauri's presumptive financial conflicts of interest and failure to disclose, but Mr. Ban did not answer the question.
Later, Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky said that Ban did not have to respond to the controversies surrounding the IPCC, and that Pachauri would answer questions himself.
On Wednesday, Pachauri did not allow or answer any questions, and neither did Ban Ki-moon. What was first advertised as a sit down press conference at 12:30 was converted into a stand up stakeout from which the two men left immediately after speaking. So much for transparency. Watch this site.
And see, www.innercitypress.com/ipcc2pachauri031010.html
