It's almost impossible to quote this story without snark, but I'm going to try. At Michigan State University, a conservative group sponsored a presentation by a notorious climate change skeptic named Willie Soon, an astrophysicist. A small group of students, 21 in all, showed up to hear him, five of which were affiliated with a campus group, MSU Greenpace.
Greenpeace, MSU Greenpeace’s parent organization, released an investigation in 2011 based upon documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act alleging Soon has become increasingly under the thumb of the fossil fuel industry. From 2001 to 2012, Soon received about $1.33 million in funding from sources such as the American Petroleum Institute, the ExxonMobil Foundation and the Charles G. Koch Foundation , according to Greenpeace.
Soon's reaction is fascinating/horrifying.
When asked about these criticisms, Soon looked haggard and asked to sit down. He complained that he had been “tortured” by environmental activists throughout the four-stop university tour.
“It’s just not about money. I know that it looks bad. Since 2004, I am first unable[sic], then I decided to not take (government) money anymore,” Soon said. “I’ve been trying to get funding from whoever foundation or anybody who wants to give me money. Coal, anything, I don’t care. Really, I don’t, because I know that I’m not being influenced by money.”
It's the denouement of a bad horror movie, in which the villain breaks down and confesses.
Related articles
Kit Stolz 
“From 2001 to 2012, Soon received about $1.33 million in funding from sources ……. Soon’s reaction is fascinating/horrifying.”
His reaction should be fascinating/horrifying. That’s $1 million over 10 years, while James Hansen makes over $1 million EVERY YEAR and that’s while still being a NASA employee. If I were Soon I’d be a bit horrified as well, he obviously backed the wrong side, being a climate skeptic does not pay.
These students were right to protest, he needs a pay raise.
LikeLike