After leading a six month inquiry into the the “climategate” affair involving leaked emails from the Climate Research Unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia in Great Britain, Sir Muir Russell has concluded that scientists did not manipulate their research into global warming. But Myron Ebell, the director of energy and global warming policy at The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), has raised questions about the investigative process, which did not include key witnesses. His statement is as follows:
“The Muir Russell report on the ClimateGate scandal does a highly professional job of concealment. It gives every appearance of addressing all the allegations that have been made since the ClimateGate e-mails and computer files from the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Institute were released last November. However, the committee relied almost entirely on the testimony of those implicated in the scandal or those who have a vested interest in defending the establishment view of global warming. The critics of the CRU with the most expertise were not interviewed. It is easy to find for the accused if no prosecution witnesses are allowed to take the stand.
The Muir Russell report is thus a classic example of the establishment circling its wagons to defend itself. As was pointed out when the committee was appointed, the members are part of the old boys’ network and have several obvious conflicts of interest.
The professional whitewash attempted by the Muir Russell report will not succeed, however. That is because the evidence that data was manipulated by some of the scientists involved, for example to make the 1930s appear cooler in twentieth century temperature records, is simply too obvious and too strong to cover up.”
There is no question about impact “climategate” has had on the merits of global warming legislation. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who withdrew his support as a co-sponsor of the latest “cap and trade” scheme, has even acknowledged that the bill has no connection with climate concerns.
