By now, it is fairly common knowledge that Rajendra Pachauri – the “voice and face” of the oh-so-prestigious (but, as I had noted in my previous post according to its putative UN parents, “unchartered”) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – quite suddenly resigned from his far-too-long-held position as Chair.
Back in his “glory” days (circa Jan. 10, 2008), the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) had no problem recycling Pachauri’s prose and false (Nobel) poses:
Tata Motors rolls out Nano, the world’s cheapest car
India’s Tata Motors on Thursday unveiled its much anticipated $2,500 US car, an ultra-cheap price tag that brings car ownership into the reach of tens of millions of people.
But critics worry the car could overwhelm the country’s roads and create an environmental nightmare.
[…]
Chief U.N. climate scientist Rajendra Pachauri, who shared last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, said last month that “I am having nightmares” about the prospect of the low-cost car. [emphasis added -hro]
I’d have to double-check, but to the best of my knowledge, there’s no evidence that anyone at the U.N. objected to this glorified depiction of Pachauri as “Chief U.N. climate scientist.” Nor am I aware of any pics portraying Pachauri riding on a bicycle. Although the thought does occur to me that perhaps it was his “nightmares” (or daydreams) that were the inspiration for the execrable prose that can be found in his “novel”, Return to Almora.
As Walter Russell Mead had (quite presciently, it would seem!) noted in his 2010 review, which I had somewhat belatedly spotted a little over a year ago:
A family friendly website like this one is not the proper place to describe Pachauri’s portrait of Sanjay’s sex life. It is not a pretty picture; parts of the book read like the Memoirs of a Disgusting Old Goat — by the kind of Old Goat that doesn’t understand the concept of too much information.
The difficulty in reading [Pachauri’s] Return to Almora isn’t rendering judgment on a vacuous ninny like Sanjay. The libraries of world literature are rich, but there are few main characters as vain, as blind, as ludicrous and as lacking in self-awareness as Pachauri’s protagonist.
The question is whether Pachauri understands what a fool he’s created: is Pachauri in on the joke or is he part of the joke? Is he mercilessly and cleverly exposing the absurdities and obsessions of a certain type of unreflective smoothie, or is he naively celebrating that success because he himself is so vain, so blind and so caught up in fame that he is as clueless as Sanjay? [emphasis now added -hro
In light of all the above, not to mention the far more recent charges against him – as reported by Donna Laframboise and Shub Niggurath, amongst others – I would certainly be interested in knowing why all we hear from the CBC is continued sounds of silence on this matter.
By remarkable contrast, CBC (British Columbia) had absolutely no difficulty reporting, today on a single “alleged assault”:
SkyTrain sex assault victim searched for via Facebook
Fellow transit rider Kathy Yu posted details of alleged assault to UBC Confessions Facebook page
For some reason, the words “hypocrisy” and “double standards” spring to mind. As they far too often do when it comes to CBC’s reporting choices**.
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**In the interest of “balance” – a concept that is very rarely evident in the CBC’s coverage pertaining to Israel (or Israelis) – and because it’s Friday … I must highlight a story from yesterday, in which the CBC (British Columbia)’s “Citizen Shane” reported on a variant of Canada’s favourite game, i.e. hockey … as played by Jewish and Arab Israeli kids.
Much to my amazement, there was not a single disparaging word to be heard in the entire four minutes and twenty-six seconds.
The View From Here 
when i searched not a single scottish paper mentioned the story despite pachauri imminently coming to scotland to meet goverment minister.
Talk about Robert Frost (one of my all-time favourite poets)’ The Road Not Taken, eh?!
Mind you, I seem to recall reading (perhaps at Donna’s) that Pachauri has been banned from leaving the country … Not to mention that he has been (supposedly!) hospitalized for at least a month.
Oh, well, perhaps Pachauri will find the strength and will (if not the wit) to do one of his video “performances” from his sick-bed?!
Clearly (IMHO) what Scotland needs is the equivalent of Canada’s National Post. Consider, for example, the variety of views expressed in their recent Today’s letters: Iran and ISIS — two sides of the same coin
Not to mention IPCC-nik Andrew Weaver’s recent “victory” against that publication by virtue of a $50,000 “judgement” rendered by no less an “authority” than a person whose “expertise” is totally unrelated to matters on the “libel” front!
From here: “Few other gifts handed over by Pachauri including a small duck (Trojan duck which was of Luftansa Airlines first class services) given along with a handwritten note; one stuffed toy dog of Mini brand; one small plastic planter with three tulips in it and one heart shaped candle red in colour.”
Harold, we must be following each other around! I saw that a few minutes before your comment arrived and was debating whether or not to comment on it, myself!
But, while you were at India’s Economic Times, did you happen to see their (Mar. 5) UN rules out inquiry into allegations against Rajendra Pachauri, where one finds (inter alia and my bold):
Not the “climate chief”, eh?! Too bad no one told him this back in 2008 when – as noted in my post above – he was being touted as “Chief U.N. climate scientist”. Not to mention several similar – and unchallenged – “elevations” in the interim.
And notice, of course, the repetition of his faux “Nobel” prize. It’s almost as if someone somewhere is hoping that this will shield him from the far more serious allegations that have come to light.
I wonder if the Nobel Peace Prize powers-that-be will be voicing appropriate objections to this (further) discrediting of this particular award.
But, on the bright side, I suppose it’s really just as well that the UN has ruled out conducting its own investigation – particularly when one considers how appallingly abysmal their record of “investigations” has been in the past.
I’m reminded of the Groucho Marx line (from “A Night at the Opera”?): “Do you follow me? Well, stop following me or I’ll have you arrested.”
Actually, I didn’t notice that other article. But (aside from the expectation that such a self-investigation, might, as similar efforts in the past, not look very hard for misbehavior), I don’t see why the UN would involve itself, except as a PR exercise. Pachauri’s alleged misconduct occurred in his capacity at TERI and not in his IPCC capacity.
I don’t disagree, Harold! But, considering his (very far from credible, IMHO) initial “defense” to the effect that his computer had been “hacked”, perhaps the various and sundry UN bodies, arms and fingers with which he has been associated** over the years would – at the very least – want to assure themselves that none of their “confidential” emails and/or attachments had been included in this alleged “hack”;-)
** Interestingly, his (presumably) official TERI profile still includes (inter alia) [edit: pdf for posterity and h/t the ever-vigilant DAmbler]:
Instead, all we’ve been given by the UN is a virtual act of “airbrushing”!
I’ll never look at the Nobel Peace Prize the same way again.
Can you imagine Arafat being accused of ogling, Frenching or feeling up his female employees? I can’t.
The Nobel used to stand for something.
@Brad Keyes … IMHO, when one examines the roster of Nobel Peace Prize winners, it strikes me that the “standards” to which they’ve adhered have been in steady decline for quite some time.
Consider, for example, peanut farmer and former US President, Jimmy Carter (2002) – not to mention Obama (for having done virtually nothing) in 2009. So, to some extent, this might explain the otherwise inexplicable 2007 award to the IPCC and Al Gore.
As for Arafat (who co-shared with Peres and Rabin) in 1994 …
Over the years, I certainly had heard rumours to the effect that he was far from being a devoted model husband to his spouse (whose primary residence, for the most part, was far, far away, in France).
Such rumours, as I recall, were no doubt somewhat over-shadowed by his other (considerably less than Peace Prize deserving) activities – not to mention very quickly squashed by the protective “PR army” with which Arafat surrounded himself.
Who knows, perhaps the exceedingly generous transfer of funds to his overseas spouse were sufficient to “buy” her silence on such matters which – lets face facts – could have transpired during an era in which relatively few women (even of the Western kind) would speak publicly about them.
Besides, back in those “halcyon” days, internet usage was far less prevalent;-) I’d also concede that, in all probability, Arafat was not only more discreet, but also a hell of a lot smarter than Pachauri!
Hi Hilary,
what an honor to have my comment answered by a celebrity blogger in person! :-)
I do know what you mean about Arafat. My joke would have worked better if I’d somehow been able to place the accent on the penultimate word:
“Can you imagine Arafat being accused of ogling, Frenching or feeling up his female employees?”
As promiscuous as Sanjay Nath’s appetites may have been, I doubt Pachauri is going to die of complications of HIV.
The Canadian Broadcorping Castration . . pushing false agendas and Liberal/Progressive agitprop since whenever.
Because they just know what is best for ordinary Canadians to think.
I have been unable to find any references to the resignation of Pachauri on the CBC, CTV or Global TV networks nor mention of his sexual pecadilloes. Both activites have been mentioned in the Globe and Mail.
We certainly are well served by having both public and private TV networks in Canada (Sarc)!
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The CBC ran numerous stories about IMF chief, Dominique Strauss Kahn, and his various sex scandals. To the CBC mind, the head of an international “financial” organization was fair game, while the head of an international organization promoting man-made global warming has to be protected. The CBC bias on the man-made global warming issue is transparent. They report press releases from green activist organizations like they’re the gospel; they treat eco-quack David Suzuki like a God; they breathlessly report the activities of eco-loon Bill Mckibbon; Bob McDonald on his supposed science show calls skeptics “deniers”.
C.S. Lewis’ warning about the danger of the self-righteous do-gooder dictator comes to mind, for some reason.