Introduction
Chris de Freitas is an Associate Professor in the School of Environment at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
Education and professional career
De Freitas, born in Trinidad, received both his Bachelor's and his Master's at the University of Toronto, Canada, after which he earned his PhD in Climatology as a Commonwealth Scholar from the University of Queensland, Australia. During his time at the University of Auckland, he has served as Deputy Dean of Science, Head of Science and Technology, and for four years as Pro Vice-Chancellor. He is a former Vice-President of the Meteorological Society of New Zealand and is a founding member of the Australia-New Zealand Climate Forum as well as serving on the Executive Board of the International Society of Biometeorology from 1999 to 2001. He has written extensively in popular media on an array of environmental and climate-related issues. The New Zealand Association of Scientists has made him a four-time recipient of their Science Communicator Award.
Global warming and scepticism about anthropogenic causes
De Freitas has concerns about the way in which anthropogenic global warming has been distorted by speculation and politically motivated interests. He believes there is a great deal of misinformation and confusion caused by the way material is represented and interpreted. He has been quoted as saying that he is not a global warming sceptic. Indeed, he has always acknowledged that rising human-caused CO2 from fossil sources could change the climate. The basic physics is there to support this view. See: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/671229. He is critical of unsupported and unscientific claims that the anthropogenic effect on the climate will be large or damaging. De Freitas has consistently denied alarmist theories based on hypothetical computer models.
As an editor for the journal Climate Research he processed a manuscript that gave rise to the Soon and Baliunas controversy. Publication of this work resulted in a prolonged and malevolent attack on de Freitas, but his role as editor was found to be sound and above reproach. For discussion of the topic see: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/11/27/the-tribalistic-corruption-of-peer-review-the-chris-de-freitas-incident; https://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/11/28/a-response-from-chris-de-freitas/
Selected publications
- Carter, R.M., de Freitas, C.R., Goklany, I.M., Holland, D. and Lindzen, R.S., 2007. Climate Science and the Stern Review. World Economics, 8 (2), 161–182.
- Khan, B.A., C.R. de Freitas and D. Shooter, 2007. Application of synoptic weather typing to an investigation of Nocturnal ozone concentration at a maritime location, New Zealand, Atmospheric Environment, 41, 5636–5646.
- Carter, R.M., de Freitas, C.R., Goklany, I.M., Holland, D. and Lindzen, R.S., 2006. The Stern Review: A Dual Critique. Part I: The Science. World Economics, 7 (4), 165–232.
- De Freitas, C.R., 2003: Tourism climatology: evaluating environmental information for decision making and business planning in the recreation and tourism sector. International Journal of Biometeorology, 48 (1), 45–54.
- De Freitas, C.R. and A.A. Schmekal, 2003: Condensation as a microclimate process: Measurement, numerical simulation and prediction in the Glowworm Tourist Cave, New Zealand. International Journal of Climatology, 23 (5), 557–575.