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Now about those emails...
The emails stolen from East Anglia University don't seem to be having much of an impact on the COP so far. They've been mentioned a few times, and people are stepping up to defend the science that informs us about climate change, but it seems to me that most people are treating it more like an unwelcome distraction than a major issue.
Dr. Pachauri did make some note of it during his opening speech. He defended the work of the IPCC, and outlined the process that the IPCC used to ensure scientific integrity (multiple lines of evidence, multiple rounds of peer review, etc.) He also acknowledged the heavy responsibility that a group like the IPCC has to provide "fair, comprehensive and objectively produced assessments of climate change" and went on to call it a "sacred trust" between the IPCC and the UNFCCC. His full statement can be downloaded from the IPCC website.
Dr. Johnathan Pershing, lead negotiator for the US was asked a question about the emails during his daily press briefing, and he said that if anything, this stunt backfired on the perpetrators, because now so many people are coming out and showing how robust the science really is. He also expressed displeasure that scientists were being "pilloried in the press without regard for process." (Yes, this one stuck with me because of the alliteration.)
While on the subject of the stolen emails, I want to point out what a great job Dr. John Holdren and Dr. Jane Lubchencho did during a hearing of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming last week. They methodically explained the state of climate science, how the scientific process works, and how the scientific community deals with issues of integrity and situations like these emails. The were able to push back on every accusation and claim of the science being suspect or incorrect. Dr. Lubchencho also did a great demo on ocean acidification. It was a wonderful hearing - I felt particularly proud to be a scientist that day. The video can be found on the Select Committee website.
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Posted By: Thomas Lee @ 1:03 AM |