NOAA climate scientists cleared in U.S. report
Federal climate scientists whose e-mails were leaked in the debate over climate change did nothing wrong, concludes an investigation by the U.S. Commerce Department’s inspector general.
The IG report, released Thursday, is the latest to exonerate climate scientists whose e-mails with the Climate Research Unit (CRU) at England’s University of East Anglia were stolen and publicized in November 2009. It reviewed all 1,073 leaked e-mails but focused on 289 involving scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“We did not find any evidence that NOAA inappropriately manipulated data comprising the GHCN-M (Global Historical Climatology Network – monthly] dataset or failed to adhere to appropriate peer review procedures,” Todd Zinser wrote in a letter to Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who had requested the probe.
Climate change skeptics have tried to use some of the e-mails to suggest scientists altered data or made mistakes. Yet the scientists have been cleared of wrongdoing in several independent investigations, including those by the United Kingdom’s House of Commons, the National Research Council and Pennsylvania State University.
“None of the investigations have found any evidence to question the ethics of our scientists or raise doubts about NOAA’s understanding of climate change science,” said Mary Glackin, NOAA’s deputy under secretary for operations, in announcing the IG’s findings.
In his report, however, Zinser questioned NOAA’s handling of some freedom of information requests and its transfer of funds to CRU researchers in England. Glackin said the money supported workshops in 2002 and 2003 that helped the governments of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam improve their climate forecasting abilities.
He also questioned a 2007 e-mail by two NOAA scientists with a picture – entitled “marooned” – that depicts Sen. Inhofe and five other people as characters from the TV show Gilligan’s Island stranded on a melting ice cap at the North Pole or floating nearby in the ocean. In is press release, NOAA says it’s recently taken action to address the scientists’ conduct.
The IG report, released Thursday, is the latest to exonerate climate scientists whose e-mails with the Climate Research Unit (CRU) at England’s University of East Anglia were stolen and publicized in November 2009. It reviewed all 1,073 leaked e-mails but focused on 289 involving scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“We did not find any evidence that NOAA inappropriately manipulated data comprising the GHCN-M (Global Historical Climatology Network – monthly] dataset or failed to adhere to appropriate peer review procedures,” Todd Zinser wrote in a letter to Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who had requested the probe.
Climate change skeptics have tried to use some of the e-mails to suggest scientists altered data or made mistakes. Yet the scientists have been cleared of wrongdoing in several independent investigations, including those by the United Kingdom’s House of Commons, the National Research Council and Pennsylvania State University.
“None of the investigations have found any evidence to question the ethics of our scientists or raise doubts about NOAA’s understanding of climate change science,” said Mary Glackin, NOAA’s deputy under secretary for operations, in announcing the IG’s findings.
In his report, however, Zinser questioned NOAA’s handling of some freedom of information requests and its transfer of funds to CRU researchers in England. Glackin said the money supported workshops in 2002 and 2003 that helped the governments of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam improve their climate forecasting abilities.
He also questioned a 2007 e-mail by two NOAA scientists with a picture – entitled “marooned” – that depicts Sen. Inhofe and five other people as characters from the TV show Gilligan’s Island stranded on a melting ice cap at the North Pole or floating nearby in the ocean. In is press release, NOAA says it’s recently taken action to address the scientists’ conduct.
You can return to the main Market News page, or press the Back button on your browser.
