UK 8216;Climategate8217; inquiry largely clears scientists

The first of several British investigations into the e-mails leaked from one of the world's leading climate research centres has largely vindicated the scientists involved.

The first of several British investigations into the e-mails leaked from one of the world8217;s leading climate research centres has largely vindicated the scientists involved.

The House of Commons8217; Science and Technology Committee on Wednesday said they8217;d seen no evidence to support charges that the University of East Anglia8217;s Climatic Research Unit or its director,Phil Jones,had tampered with data or perverted the peer review process to exaggerate the threat of global warming 8211; two of the most serious criticisms levied against the climatologist and his colleagues.

In their report,the committee said that,as far as it was able to ascertain,8221;the scientific reputation of Professor Jones and CRU remains intact,8221; adding that nothing in the more than 1,000 stolen e-mails,or the controversy kicked up by their publication,challenged scientific consensus that 8220;global warming is happening and that it is induced by human activity.8221;

The 14-member committee8217;s investigation is one of three launched after the dissemination,in November,of e-mails and data stolen from the research unit. The e-mails appeared to show scientists berating sceptics in sometimes intensely personal attacks,discussing ways to shield their data from public records laws,and discussing ways to keep sceptics8217; research out of peer-reviewed journals.

One that attracted particular media attention was Jones8217; reference to a 8220;trick8221; that could be used to 8220;hide the decline8221; of temperatures.

The e-mails8217; publication ahead of the Copenhagen climate change summit sparked an online furor,with sceptics of man-made climate change calling the e-mails8217; publication 8220;Climategate8221; and claiming them as proof that the science behind global warming had been exaggerated 8211; or even made up altogether.

Phil Willis,the committee8217;s chairman,said of the e-mails that 8220;there8217;s no denying that some of them were pretty appalling.8221; But the committee found no evidence of anything beyond 8220;a blunt refusal to share data,8221; adding that the idea that Jones was part of a conspiracy to hide evidence that weakened the case for global warming was clearly wrong.