The nominations for 2011 so far:
Nominee: Stephanie Messenger, Healthy Lifestyles Naturally
Nominated by: Phil Kent aka @Skeptimite
Date: 06/05/2012
I would like to nominate Ms Messenger for her efforts at promoting pseudo science in a number of feilds including SIDS (toxic gas theory!), homeopathy, flouride, home births, negative ion toothbrushes and panty liners, GM foods and particularly for her anti-vax lunacy. The clincher for me are her books called “Melanies Marvelous Measles” and “Sarah Visits a Naturopath” which are clearly intended to indoctrinate kids.
Her books: http://naturematters.info/
My blog on her seminar http://skeptimite.blogspot.com.au/
Her upcoming seminar electromagnetic field testing and solutions.
Nominee: Ian Plimer
Nominated by: Tim Scanlon
Date: 07/05/2012
I’d like to nominate Ian Plimer for the Bent Spoon Award for 2012.
Plimer is a very vocal climate change denier and is often quoted in the media. I’d like to nominate him for the book he published at the end of 2011 that was aimed at children and teachers to further his climate denial agenda entitled: How to Get Expelled From School: A guide to climate change for pupils, parents and punters.
This book is a another attack on science, with many pseudo-science claims, factual errors and made up figures/diagrams. See http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ian_Plimer and http://www.desmogblog.com/ian-plimer. Professor Ian Enting has provided reviews of both of Plimer’s climate books and pointed out the pseudo-science involved.
Plimer is involved with many climate denier groups, many with mining and oil funding. Plimer is listed as an expert with the Heartland Institute is a director and investor in several mining and coal companies, and his book has some interesting ties. The book is published by Conner Court, a small company that is owned by one of the directors of the IPA (Institute of Public Affairs). The IPA bought hundred of copies of the book and sent them to schools. The IPA is funded by gas, oil, mining, tobacco and logging companies. The IPA also founded and funds the ACSC (Australian Climate Science Coalition) of which Plimer is a member. Other members of the ACSC have received funding from the Heartland Institute for their climate denial.
Now, I’m not claiming that Plimer’s opinion is being bought by mining and oil. What I am saying is that rather than promoting science, he is promoting ideology. His ideology is heavily biased by his involvement with the mining and oil industry and thus groups like Heartland and the IPA are willing to promote his work heavily as their agendas mesh. Thus his pseudoscience is essentially to promote climate anti-science because he likes mining.
Nominee: Fran Sheffield of Homeopathy Plus!
Nominated by: Multiple
Date: 09/05/2012
A runner up for the Bent Spoon in 2010, Fran Sheffield via her website ‘Homeopathy Plus!’ is still advocating the use of magical sugar and water in place of tried and true vaccination for many deadly diseases, most notably Whooping Cough.
In May 2012 in a press release, the ACCC said they “…examined content on the Homeopathy Plus! website following a complaint from the medical profession. The ACCC considered that the Homeopathy Plus! claims that the current whooping cough vaccine is dangerous and ineffective, while the homeopathic remedy is a proven and safe alternative, were likely to be misleading or deceptive.”
ACCC tackles Homeopathy Plus! Whooping Cough claims
Archive of the offending Whooping Cough page at Homeopathy Plus!
Fran Sheffield would make a most worthy winner of the Bent Spoon Award.
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