More on Climategate at PJM, from Charlie, who emphasizes that with an information leak this massive, we must proceed with caution. Not all of the leaked emails have been authenticated, after all.
But if the bulk of the material is truly authentic, what are the implications?
[I]t appears that the three scandals are:
• First, a real attempt by a small group of scientists to subvert the peer-review process and suppress dissenting voices. (For another look at this, by a respected climate scientist who was one of the targets, see these posts on Roger Pielke Sr.’s blog.) This is at best massively unethical.
• Second, a willingness to manipulate the data to make a political case. This is certainly misconduct and possibly scientific fraud. This, if it proves true, should make these scientists subject to strong disciplinary action, even termination of their tenured positions.
• Third, what gives every appearance of an actual conspiracy to prevent data from being released as required by the Freedom of Information Acts in the US and UK. If this is proven true, that is a federal crime.
These emails and the data associated, taken together, raise really important questions about the whole scientific structure of AGW. Is the data really valid? Has the data been effectively peer reviewed and have attempts to falsify been fairly treated? Is CO2-forced AGW really the best hypothesis?
The emails are crazy; it’s like real life imitating art. Didn’t Iowahawk do some sort of Academicians Gone Wild parody? And now, they have. There is a true sort of bunker mentality in some of that leaked material that is 180 degrees removed from the notion of scientific inquiry.
(Also, you might check out Charlie’s blog, Explorations.)
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Thanks, dear. More coming tonight.
It is simply amazing, that scientists are complaining that the release of this “stolen” material does not prove anything, and that’s just scientists being scientists.