Ben Pile

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Ben Pile of the Climate Resistance blog.

Ben Pile is a editor and co-founder of the 'sceptic' Climate Resistance blog.[1] Amongst its 16 'starting position' statements are: 'The evidence for anthropogenic climate change is neither as strong nor as demanding of action as is widely claimed'.[2]

LM network connections

Pile has a range of connections with the LM Network via speaking at the Institute of Ideas[3], providing articles for Culture Wars[4], Battle of Ideas[5] and Spiked[6], and acting as a judge for Debating Matters.[7] In December 2011, he was central to setting up the LM linked Oxford Salon. This is clear from his entries in the salon's Facebook group, such as "Just setting the site and social networking up. Please invite anybody you think may be interested."[8], his profile in the Independent, which says "Ben Pile is the convenor of the forthcoming Oxford Salon, which launches in January."[9] and his byline in Spiked, which says the same thing.[10]

Pile’s Facebook interests and friends include the LM network linked Big Potatoes, Bookshop Barnies, Ferraris for All, Institute of Ideas, WORLDwrite, WORLDbytes, Simon Belt, Daniel Ben-Ami, Sarah Boyes, Dolan Cummings, Suzy Dean, Thomas Deichmann, Ceri Dingle, Claire Fox, Liz Frayn, Tony Gilland, Timandra Harkness, Dennis Hayes, Patrick Hayes, James Heartfield, Brid Hehir, Alex Hochuli, Tiffany Jenkins, Angus Kennedy, Geoff Kidder, Rob Killick, Michele Ledda, Rob Lyons, James Panton, Jane Sandeman and James Woudhuysen. [11]

UKIP Climate Change Researcher

In November 2012 it was reported that Ben Pile was contracted as a 'climate and environment researcher' for UKIP's Godfrey Bloom MEP. Pile began research work for UKIP in 2009 and since the summer of 2011 was paid approximately £2,000 per month for this work.[12]

According to an email from Pile cited in the Guardian his financial relationship with UKIP was as follows:

Salary 2009 - Jul 2010: £700/month.
Salary Jul 2010 - Aug 2011: £26.4kpa.
Since Summer 2011, I have been contracted, rather than salaried to work for Godfrey Bloom/EFD. :Works out at about £2,000/month including expenses +/- other projects.[12]

Due to conflicting statements as cited by Hickman, it is unclear whether Pile's research is paid for by Bloom or the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group of the European Parliament.[12]

In May 2012 Pile appeared on behalf of UKIP's Godfrey Bloom MEP and Paul Nuttall MEP at a public inquiry by North Devon Council regarding the development of a wind farm at Batsworthy Cross. Documents submitted by UKIP to the inquiry state that Pile has a BA in Politics and Philosophy from the University of York.[13] Pile also spoke at the 2011 UKIP Party Conference on behalf of the 'Fight the Turbines Campaign'[14] and he is also the director and producer of the anti-windfarm film 'Lost Horizons' which was produced for the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group.[15]

Education

  • BA in Politics and Philosophy from the University of York.[16]

During his time at York University Ben Pile was a member of the New Generation Society York. The NGS is 'a non-partisan group of young people and students dedicated to developing new thinking on the challenges and opportunities for our generation.'[17] Pile contributed to the NGS Journal with an article entitled 'Environmental Catastrophism'. Other contributors to the journal include David Miliband, Godfrey Bloom, Jo Swinson and Brendan O'Neill.[18]

Career

  • Freelance Writer: 2006 - Present[19]
  • Polmedia Ltd - Director (Researcher): September 2010 - unknown

Publications

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

Resources

Affiliations

LM Network | Oxford Salon | Climate Resistance | Spiked | Battle of Ideas | New Generation Society | Fight the Turbines Campaign | UKIP

Notes

  1. "About", Climate Resistance website, accessed 4 Sep 2010
  2. Climate Resistance About, Accessed 16 April 2014.
  3. "Science and Health Forum", Institute of Ideas website, accessed 8 May 2010
  4. "Ben Pile", Culture Wars website, accessed 8 May 2010
  5. "Climate science: truth you can wear on your hands", Battle of Ideas website, accessed 9 Dec 2010
  6. "Political prejudice dressed up as science", Spiked website, accessed 2 May 2010
  7. "People: Judge", Debating Matters website, accessed 8 May 2010
  8. Oxford Salon Facebook, accessed 6 Jan 2012
  9. Ben Pile Independent, accessed 12 May 2012
  10. Ben Pile Spiked website, accessed 20 May 2012
  11. "Ben Pile profile", Facebook website, accessed 9 Dec 2010
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Leo Hickman, Ukip's Godfrey Bloom and the £2,000-a-month climate researcher, The Guardian, 6 November 2012.
  13. North Devon Council Document UKIP/2/1 Proof of Evidence, 22 May 2012.
  14. Wind Turbines and the Countryside Blight, UKIP website (retrieved via the Internet Archive), 12 September 2011.
  15. Lost Horizons Watch the film.
  16. North Devon Council Document UKIP/2/1 Proof of Evidence, 22 May 2012.
  17. New Generation Society, About, website, Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 10 December 2013 on 15 April 2014.
  18. Ben Pile, Environmental Catastrophism, New Generation Society. 23 April 2008. Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 10 December 2008 on 14 April 2014..
  19. LinkedIn, Ben Pile. Accessed 14 April 2014.