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Very sad news. One of Europe’s most vocal critics of the climate alarmism movement, lecturer and chemist Prof. Istvan Marko, recently passed away on July 31, 2017.

Not only was Prof. Markó a distinguished scientist and researcher, but also a noted critic of authoritarian governments, climate alarmism and a fighter for human liberty.

Born in Hungary in 1956, his parents fled communist oppression soon after his birth.

Prof. Istvan Markó , Professor of Organic Chemistry, Université Catholique de Louvain; 1956 – 2017. Photo: Facebook.

Markó was often a frequent guest on French-language television and radio on topics concerning climate policy and was featured at NoTricksZone.com on several occasions, for example here, here and here. His death was unexpected, a shock, and deeply saddening. He was also featured at Climate Depot.

The Université Catholique de Louvain professor and researcher died prematurely of complications from surgery on July 31. He was only 61 years old.

Last year he was among the signatories to an open letter disputing alarmist claims publicly made by 377 members of the National Academy of Sciences to draw attention to the “serious risks of climate change”. More here.

IPCC theories “sordid”, “failed”

Prof. Markó was an especially outspoken and harsh critic of alarmist climate science and the IPCC. In March 2016 he responded to an article posted by NTZ guest author and weekly contributor Kenneth Richard, writing that observations made by many scientists once again “contradict the sordid theories of the IPCC” and that atmospheric CO2 concentrations “absolutely do not correlate with the fluctuations of the levels of the oceans and the movements of advances and withdrawals of glaciers“.

He wrote that the IPCC science had “failed again”.

He also blasted the COP21 Paris Climate Accord (which President Donald Trump has since thankfully rejected). Markó called the COP21 agreement “a resounding failure” and “grand illusions” based on “delirium“.

“Wishful thinking” by rich countries

In an English-language interview he blasted COP 21, claiming that it essentially resulted in nothing. He commented:

The result of COP 21 is no result …because there is nothing binding in this particular treaty.”

Markó added the only thing that motivates CO2 reductions is the lack of shame by officials:

To my knowledge no politician knows what shame is at all. They are totally not subject to shame.”

In an interview with the Belgian online Le Peuple here in December, 2015, Markó called the COP21 agreement an “obvious failure” because nothing was binding and that it was merely rich countries engaging in “wishful thinking“.

On the 2°C target, Markó said it had “strictly no physical or scientific basis”, was “nothing serious“ and was a randomly picked number by Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, which Markó called “the green lobby in Germany” and “a voice of the Church of climate alarmism”.

“A prince among men”

Fellow Belgian skeptics wrote in an e-mail to NTZ that Prof. Markó was “a great man” and one of the “leading spirits” among the skeptic side of the debate. “István was a prince among man, a true scientist.”

A true inspiration

Europe and the world has lost an important foot soldier in the fight for scientific integrity and human freedom, and he will continue to inspire us to never relent. According to sources, Istvan Markó’s body will be cremated today.