In the climate scientist Michael Mann’s defamation case against two writers who authored blog posts characterizing Mann’s work as fraudulent and attributing misconduct to him, a jury in D.C. Superior Court found that statements made by the writers were defamatory, relied on provably false facts, and were false. For the defendant who called Mann “the Jerry Sandusky of climate science, except for instead of molesting children, he has molested and tortured data,” the jury found that the plaintiff proved that the defendant acted with reckless disregard for whether the fact was false. The jury awarded Mann $1 in compensatory damages and $1,000 in punitive damages against that defendant. The jury found that the plaintiff proved that the other defendant made the defamatory statements with knowledge of their falsity and reckless disregard for whether they were false. The statements included the defendant’s quotation of the other defendant’s comparison of Mann to Jerry Sandusky and a statement describing him as “the man behind the fraudulent climate-change ‘hockey-stick’ graph, the very ringmaster of the tree-ring circus.” The jury awarded $1 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages against this defendant.

Defamation action brought by climate scientist against authors and publishers of articles about scientist's work.

Mann v. National Review, Inc.

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Jury Found Blog Post Authors Liable for Defamation of Climate Scientist, Awarded $1 Million in Punitive Damages

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

Groups  of people who are adversely affected by climate change or the response to it

A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Justice is the ethical and political framework that addresses fairness, including issues of responsibility, rights, and structural inequity.

Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

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Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Jury Found Blog Post Authors Liable for Defamation of Climate Scientist, Awarded $1 Million in Punitive Damages

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