Chip Knappenberger

Paul C. ("Chip") Knappenberger is the Administrator of the World Climate Report, a blog published by New Hope Environmental Services, "an advocacy science consulting firm" run by global warming skeptic, Patrick J. Michaels. New Hope Environmental Services does not disclose its clients but these have included fossil-fuel based power utilities including Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association and Intermountain Rural Electric Association. In an affidavit in a court case Michaels argued against disclosure of his clients on the grounds that "large companies are understandably adverse to negative publicity. Thus, the global warming controversy has created an environment in which companies who wish to support New Hope's research and advocacy about global warming science are increasingly willing to do so only if their support remains confidential."

Knappenberger has co-authored several papers with fellow warming skeptic Patrick Michaels (see the resources section below) and is a contributor to MasterResource, a "free-market energy blog."

Background
A biographical note states that Knappenberger "holds an M.S. degree in Environmental Sciences (1990) from the University of Virginia as well as a B.A. degree in Environmental Sciences (1986) from the same institution. His over 20 years of experience as a climate researcher have included 10 years with the Virginia State Climatology Office and 13 years with New Hope Environmental Services, Inc. During his career, he has studied such diverse topics as patterns of global warming, causes of global warming, hurricanes, behavior of U.S. temperature and precipitation change, weather/mortality relationships in the United States, Greenland ice melt, diurnal temperature change, weather and agriculture, circulation changes in the eastern United States, snowfall/temperature relationships in Canada, wintertime coastal storm tracks in the eastern United States, and winter weather forecasting techniques. From this research, he has authored or co-authored over 20 papers appearing in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, and numerous others appearing in scientific conference proceedings, professional journals, and the popular press."

Disputed background
The ExxonSecrets site lists Knappenberger and Michaels as having worked on the Marshall Institute's Independent Commission on Environmental Education (ICEE), but this information appears to be incorrect, as the ExxonSecrets list of ICEE personnel matches neither the Marshall Institute's ICEE list nor Knappenberger's recollections

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Global warming skeptics

Articles co-authored by Knappenberger

 * Patrick J. Michaels, P.C. Knappenberger, and R.E. Davis, "The way of warming", Regulation, Cato Institute, January 1, 2000, Volume 33, pages 10-16.
 * Patrick J. Michaels, and P.C. Knappenberger, "Natural signals in the MSU lower tropospheric temperature record", Geophysical Research Letters, August 2, 2000, Volume 27, pages 2905-2908.
 * P.C. Knappenberger, Patrick J. Michaels and R.E. Davis, "The Nature of Observed Temperature Changes Across the United States During the 20th Century", Climate Research, July 2001, Volume 17, pages 45-53.
 * J.D. Hux, P.C. Knappenberger, Patrick J. Michaels, and P.J. Stenger, "Development of a discriminant analysis mixed precipitation (DAMP) forecast model for mid-Atlantic winter storms", Weather and Forecasting, Number 16, 2001, pages 248-259.