Volume 1

The disclosure of climate data from the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia : eighth report of session 2009-10.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Science and Technology
Date:
2010
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: The disclosure of climate data from the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia : eighth report of session 2009-10. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    CRU may have attempted to abuse the process of peer review to prevent the publication of research papers with conflicting opinions about climate change. 7.In a statement released on 24 November, Professor Trevor Davies, UEA pro-Vice- Chancellor with responsibility for research, rejected calls for Professor Jones’s resignation: “We see no reason for Professor Jones to resign and, indeed, we would not accept his resignation. He is a valued and important scientist.”’? He also contested several of the claims of malpractice: “It is well known within the scientific community and particularly those who are sceptical of climate change that over 95% of the raw station data has been accessible through the Global Historical Climatology Network for several years. We are quite clearly not hiding information which seems to be the speculation on some blogs and by some media commentators”. He added: There is nothing in the stolen material which indicates that peer-reviewed publications by CRU, and others, on the nature of global warming and related climate change are not of the highest-quality of scientific investigation and interpretation. CRU’s peer-reviewed publications are consistent with, and have contributed to, the overwhelming scientific consensus that the climate is being strongly influenced by human activity.” 8. On 1 December, Professor Jones announced that he would step aside from the Director’s role during the course of the independent review.” The independent inquiries set up by UEA 9. On 3 December UEA announced that an independent review—the Independent Climate Change Email Review—into the allegations made against CRU would be carried out by Sir Muir Russell.” Professor Acton explained in a letter to us why Sir Muir was chosen to head the review: Sir Muir is extremely experienced in public life, has an understanding of the conduct of universities and research, and is entirely independent of any association with this University and with the climate change debate.” 10. Alongside the Independent Climate Change E-Mails Review, UEA decided on a separate scientific assessment of CRU’s key scientific publications; an external reappraisal of the science itself. The Royal Society agreed to assist UEA in identifying assessors with the requisite experience, standing and independence. UEA announced on 22 March that Lord Oxburgh FRS would “chair an independent Scientific Assessment Panel to examine 18 For examples see Ev 90 [Phillip Bratby]; Ev 115 [David Holland], para 2; Ev 144 [Stephen Mcintyre]; Ev 194 [Peabody Energy Company], para 24. 19 “Climate scientist at centre of leaked email row dismisses conspiracy claims”, The Guardian, 24 November 2009 20 UEA, “CRU update 2”, 24 November 2009, www.uea.ac.uk/madcomm/media/press/2009/nov/CRUupdate 21 UEA, “CRU update 3”, 1 December 2009, www.uea.ac.uk/mac/comm/media/press/2009/nov/CRUupdate 22 “Sir Muir Russell to head the Independent Review into the allegations against the Climatic Research Unit (CRU)”, UEA Press Release, 3 December 2009, www.uea.ac.uk/mac/comm/media/press/2009/ded/CRUreview 23. enEV 1G 24 Ev 18, para 2.3
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