ignoratio elenchi n.
A logical fallacy of presenting an argument that may in itself be valid, but has nothing to do with the proposition it purports to prove. Also known as “irrelevant conclusion”. [Lat. ignorance of refutation.]
The recent NY Times piece on the scientists who have criticized the movie An Inconvenient Truth has generated a flurry of discussion. What I saw when I read it was a series of Ignoratio Elenchi fallacies, so the scientists featured in the article win this week’s Ignoratio Elenchi Award.