"One of the world's leading climate scientists has launched a libel lawsuit against a Canadian newspaper for publishing articles that he says 'poison' the debate on global warming.

In a case with potentially huge consequences for online publishers, lawyers acting for Andrew Weaver, a climate modeller at the University of Victoria, Canada, have demanded the National Post removes the articles not only from its own websites, but also from the numerous blogs and sites where they were reposted.

Weaver says the articles, published at the height of several recent controversies over the reliability of climate science in recent months, contain 'grossly irresponsible falsehoods'. He said he filed the suit after the newspaper refused to retract the articles."

The newspaper is the conservative National Post, owned by CanWest.

David Adam reports for the UK Guardian April 22, 2010. [2]