Climategate is a media ruse based on sensationalism, not investigative journalism. When the climategate story broke, a number of people welcomed the news and eagerly offered their emotional support. Now that the scientists involved were vindicated by three investigations, one would expect to see retractions or at least addendums to the coverage. Unfortunately this is not the case.
Climategate refers the scandal that began when hackers penetrated the computers of the Climate Research Unit at the United Kingdom’s University of East Anglia, exposing thousands of e-mails. Climate change skeptics immediately claimed the e-mails brought into question the veracity of climate change science.
Popular media jumped aboard the bandwagon and climate change conspiracy theories abounded. There were a host of outlandish claims like suggestions that that global warming is a ‘hoax’ and climategate is the ‘final nail in the coffin’ of anthropogenic climate change. Other headlines did not mask their hostility, an example of which reads, “Climategate Conspiracy: Massive Coverup By UN’s IPCC Scumbags”.
Three separate inquiries have decisively proved these allegations to be false. The first inquiry, conducted by MPs, cleared the UEA scientists of wrong-doing. So did the second inquiry, from Lord Oxburgh in conjunction with the Royal Society.
The July 5, 2010 Independent Climate Change Email Review from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), suggested greater openness, but it cleared the scientists of wrongdoing and it further indicated that the science of climate change is sound. “We find that their rigor and honesty as scientists are not in doubt,” said Muir Russell, who headed the inquiry.
“The review is explicit in its finding that the key conclusions of the IPCC 4th Assessment Report are accurate, correct and supported entirely by the leading science in the field,” said Martin Parry, Co-Chair of AR4 Working Group II. He went on to say that, “none were found to contain any significant errors”. The Independent Climate Change Email Review clearly states that projections for the deleterious effects of climate change remain unchanged, “The Working Group II contribution to the Fourth Assessment Report shows ample observational evidence of regional climate-change impacts, which have been projected to pose substantial risks to most parts of the world, under increasing temperatures.”
In response to the Independent Climate Change Email Review report, the University of East Anglia said:
Nine months ago there was an unjustified attack on the scientific integrity of researchers at the University of East Anglia and, as a result, on climate science as a whole. Emails stolen from this university were selectively misused to make serious allegations about the work of the Climatic Research Unit and the people who worked there or were connected to it. Some people accepted those misrepresentations at face value without question and repeated them as fact. Today, for the third and hopefully for the final time, an exhaustive independent review has exposed as unfounded the overwhelming thrust of the allegations against our science. We hope that commentators will accurately reflect what this highly detailed independent report says, and finally lay to rest the conspiracy theories, untruths and misunderstandings that have circulated. Sir Muir Russell’s team concludes about the staff of CRU that their rigor and honesty as scientists are not in doubt”.
Edward Acton, vice-chancellor chair of the University of East Anglia, where the research was carried out, told the BBC the review should “finally lay to rest the conspiracy theories, untruths and misunderstandings that have circulated. We hope this exoneration of UEA climate scientists and their research collaborators around the world, some of whom have suffered considerably during this experience, will be widely reported.”
However, instead of retractions and apologies, many news outlets are grasping at straws to keep the story alive. After the release of the IPCC report, the Bloomberg News headline was “Climategate’ Scientists Wrongly Withheld Data, Probe Finds“. This is a blatant misrepresentation of the report. The report recommends being more open to scrutiny, it does not say that any information was withheld.
Bloomberg is not alone, other allegedly reputable sources like the Wall Street Journal, the Daily Mail and the Associated Press continue to place the onus on scientists. On July 5, 2010, the Associated Press reported that, “Dutch agency admits mistake in UN climate report”. A Wall Street Journal headline dated July, 6 2010 exclaims, “Review Finds Issues at Climate Panel”. Another Wall Street Journal article dated July 8, 2010 reads,”Report Backs Climate Data, Scolds Scientists”. A Daily Mail headline dated July 7, 2010 indicated that, Climategate scientists were “secretive” and “unhelpful“. Similar coverage can be found on many of the major networks.
Despite the vindication of climate change scientists and climate change science, deniers will continue to try to exploit this issue. Even after three investigations, climate skeptics are not ready to accept the facts. Dr Benny Peiser, director of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, a skeptic think-tank, told the BBC the issue would “not go away with this report”.
To the scientific mainstream, this has all been a massive distraction. Recent research indicates that 98% of the leading climate scientists are convinced that human activities are behind global warming. But for those who have an emotional resistance to the facts there is still plenty of room for debate on the details.
There is no evidence of scientific malpractice, but popular media sources are helping to keep climate change conspiracies alive. Climategate is an important issue because it reveals how the media is willing to eschew the facts in favour of selling more copies or increasing ratings.
It is bad enough that the Fourth Estate presented this story as fact nine months ago, it is even more deplorable that they refuse to properly retract their irresponsible reporting now that three separate reports have vindicated climate change scientists and climate change science.
The coverage of the climategate issue panders to climate deniers with a vested interest in the old economy.
If there is a conspiracy, it is that climategate is a deliberate attempt to disrupt efforts to combat climate change.
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Richard Matthews is a consultant, eco-entrepreneur, sustainable investor and writer. He is the owner of THE GREEN MARKET, one of the Web’s most comprehensive resources on the business of the environment. He is also the author of numerous articles on sustainable positioning, green investing, enviro-politics and eco-economics.
You are a clown. This is the most bogus site I have ever had the displeasure of coming across. Keep preaching your doomsday scenarios Mr. Richards, but you will never win because not all American’s are as blatantly stupid as you. And the Wall Street Journal is not “allegedly” reputable, it is the premiere news source in the US, and thus a lot more reputable than this two bit byproduct of Al Gore’s intestinal process. God bless your incompetence as a thinking creature and enjoy Motley Crue.
Hey “nosewater” – thanks for bloviating. Your foolish little rant helps keep us focused.
Nosewater, you effectively illustrate the point of this article. Thinking people will not be swayed by your hopelessly biased rant. Most will see you for what you are, a climate-denier, full of bluster but devoid of substance.
Melissa, thanks for the comment and point of sanity. I fear that those who think like our friend nosewater here will never quite grasp the irony, tragic as it is, of their hateful ignorance.
Although I am on vacation, I had to take a moment to thank Tom and Melissa for their comments.While there may be many who would rather deceive themselves then accept the truth, like a beacon in the fog, GWIR is there to confront the lies of the deluded.
Bravo ladies and gents, you really got me. You have saved me from the dark and lonely shadows of “climate denial”. I am now a registered zombie in your army of climate alarmists and I am ready to recruit new members. Since you Einsteins have now shown me my “hateful ignorance”, I promise to stop bloviating by writing such hopelessly biased rants. You have effectively brought me to sanity with your insightful accusations and I thank you for that. I am just so grateful for this acclaimed website to be that beacon in the fog ( a fog that was caused by glaciers melting in Antarctica, I assume) and to act as a loving shepherd saving lost sheep like myself from the dangers of rational thought. Thankfully I am now fully committed to the hysteria that people like you live for. Not until you convinced me of the truth behind global warming did I realize how pleasurable it was to hear of reports of the environment going to shambles. Glaciers melting? Hell yeah! Rising surface temperatures? You betcha! I am just so excited to finally be an official affiliated with the global warming alarmist school of thought. (By the way Thomas, I think your hair is really groovy, dude!)
Hey, you’re back!
You’re a funny guy Kenneth, though I must say if anyone here is hysterical it’s you. I’m really sorry to disappoint you, but nobody is trying to convince you of anything. Believe what you want. It is a waste of anyones time to try to reason with a mind so full of confusion.
But again, thanks for bloviating. Your increasingly long rants continue to keep us focused.
And thanks for the comment about the hair! It must be unusual in your family. (groovy?)
Feel free to keep up these idiotic rants if you wish, they are somewhat entertaining, in a sad, pathetic sort of way. Or you could just go away.