Piers Corbyn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Piers Corbyn
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Corbyn in 2020
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Piers Richard Corbyn
10 March 1947 Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
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| Relatives | Jeremy Corbyn (brother) |
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| Education | Castle House School Adams' Grammar School |
| Alma mater | Imperial College London Queen Mary University of London |
Piers Richard Corbyn (born 10 March 1947) is a British weather forecaster, businessman, and activist. He is known for his company WeatherAction, which makes long-range weather predictions. He is also known for his controversial views, including his rejection of the scientific agreement on climate change and his theories about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Piers is the older brother of Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the Labour Party. Piers was also involved in politics, serving as a local councillor in London from 1986 to 1990. He left the Labour Party in 2003 because he disagreed with the Iraq War.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Corbyn became a well-known figure for spreading unproven ideas. He called the virus a "hoax" and campaigned against lockdowns and vaccines. He faced legal issues several times for taking part in protests against public health rules.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Piers Corbyn was born in Wiltshire, England, and grew up in a historic country house in Shropshire. He became interested in the weather when he was a teenager. At age 15, he started recording weather patterns and even built his own equipment to do so.
He attended Imperial College London and earned an excellent degree in physics in 1968. Later, in 1981, he received a master's degree in astrophysics (the study of stars and planets) from Queen Mary University of London.
Student Leader
While at Imperial College, Corbyn was elected president of the student union in 1969. He successfully worked to give students a bigger voice in how the college was run. When Queen Elizabeth II visited the college that year, Corbyn spoke to her directly, asking for students to have more say in college decisions.
Career
Early Activism and Politics
In the 1970s, Corbyn was an activist for housing rights in London. He helped people who were living in empty buildings, a practice known as squatting. He believed everyone deserved a decent place to live.
He was a member of the Labour Party for many years. From 1986 to 1990, he was a councillor for the London Borough of Southwark. He left the party in 2002 because he was against the plan to invade Iraq. His brother, Jeremy, became the leader of the Labour Party in 2015, and Piers supported his campaign.
WeatherAction Business
In 1995, Corbyn started a business called WeatherAction. The company makes long-range weather forecasts based on his unique methods. He claims to predict the weather by studying patterns in the sun's activity and how it affects Earth.
His methods are different from those used by official weather services like the Met Office. Most scientists say that the sun's activity has only a very small effect on our daily weather. Because of this, many experts are skeptical of his predictions.
Some people have praised his forecasts, while others have pointed out when they were wrong. For example, he once incorrectly predicted a snowy Easter. His business has received a lot of media attention over the years.
Let London Live Party
In 2021, Corbyn started his own political party called Let London Live. He ran for Mayor of London with the promise to end all lockdown rules on his first day. He did not win, coming in 11th place. He also ran for other local elections but was not successful. The party was officially closed in 2023.
Controversial Views
Corbyn is well-known for promoting ideas that go against mainstream science and official information. These are often called conspiracy theories.
Climate Change Views
Corbyn does not believe that human activity is the main cause of climate change. This view is known as climate change denial. The vast majority of scientists around the world agree that pollution from humans is warming the planet.
Instead, Corbyn claims that changes in the Earth's climate are caused by the sun's activity. He has appeared in documentaries and at conferences to share these ideas. In 2019, he posted a controversial tweet about the young climate activist Greta Thunberg.
COVID-19 Pandemic Views
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Corbyn claimed the virus was a "hoax" created by powerful people to control the world's population. He spoke out against lockdowns, face masks, and vaccines. He called the vaccines dangerous, even though health organizations worldwide confirmed they were safe and effective.
He organized and attended many protests against public health measures. Because of his role in these gatherings, he was fined £10,000 and faced legal trouble on other occasions.
In late 2020, he helped create a leaflet that was handed out in London. The leaflet compared the COVID-19 vaccine program to the Holocaust, a terrible event in history. This caused a lot of public anger, and many people accused him of being deeply disrespectful.
In December 2021, he gave a speech at a protest where he encouraged people to use violence against politicians who supported new COVID-19 rules. This led to more public criticism and legal issues.
See also
In Spanish: Piers Corbyn para niños
- Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic § United Kingdom
