Monday, December 7, 2009
CNN Runs Report on ClimateGate, But Only Includes Guests Who Dispute ClimateGate
After Snow’s report aired during the 6:00 p.m. hour, Howard Gould of Equator International opined that “I don't see any importance” in the emails, and later asserted: “I think people are making a big deal out of nothing. I think it's the climate debunkers that are out there, it's their last ray of hope, and they're trying to cling on to something. But it's really, you know, I think it's a bit of a joke.”
After Snow's report aired during the 7:00 p.m. hour, CNN international correspondent Phil Black brought up the timing of the email release and referred to the “broad consensus that the warming of the climate system is unequivocal.” Black:
Don, many climate scientists believe those e-mails were deliberately hacked and leaked to try and destabilize the negotiations here. And they say those e-mails do nothing to discredit the work of thousands of climate scientists around the world…Some climate change skeptics are also traveling to this city to try and make their case. But they shouldn't expect a friendly reception because this conference is based on the scientific theory accepted by a broad consensus that the warming of the climate system is unequivocal.
On the bright side, before presenting the views of those who dispute ClimateGate, Snow’s report informed viewers of the investigation into whether climate data at the University of East Anglia was manipulated, and that “Phil Jones, the head of the university's climate research unit, has stepped down temporarily.” Snow:
This U.N. probe is in addition to an investigation under way at the University of East Anglia which says it's looking to see if there's any evidence that scientific data was manipulated or suppressed. Phil Jones, the head of the university's climate research unit, has stepped down temporarily. Those who questioned the effects of human activity on climate change have seized on the e-mails, accusing scientists of conspiring to hide evidence and trying to destroy data. Among them, Republican Senator James Inhofe, who's called global warming a hoax.
Snow included only one soundbite of a global warming skeptic — Republican Congressman John Shadegg of Arizona — but she used soundbites of two scientists who dispute the significance of the ClimateGate scandal.
Below are transcripts of relevant portions of the 6:00 p.m. hour and the 7:00 p.m. hour of CNN NewsRoom from Sunday, December 6:
#From the 6:00 p.m. hour of CNN Newsroom:
DON LEMON: Well, it’s an issue that is bringing more than 100 world leaders and 15,000 people to Denmark for a two-week summit starting tomorrow. It is global warming. There's wide agreement in many quarters on the issue, but it remains fiercely controversial in others. Why does it matter? Well, for starters, scientists say a warmer Earth has dangerous consequences – storms, droughts and rising sea levels. While they support cuts in greenhouse gases to reduce and even reverse the impact of global warming. But critics say that's foolish. Global warming – if it is happening – they say, is being exaggerated for political purposes. It's this sometimes bitter debate that awaits President Obama when he heads to Copenhagen for the U.N. Climate Summit on December 18th.
Well, the talks in Copenhagen open with a cloud of controversy hovering over the conference. It may be called “ClimateGate”– look for that term to be used a lot – a series of stolen e-mails that may cast some doubt on global warming research. Our Mary Snow has a report.
MARY SNOW: Two weeks after computers were hacked at the UK's University of East Anglia, and e-mails between climate scientists were posted on the Internet, the head of the U.N.'s climate science body told BBC Radio he wants an investigation.
AUDIO OF RAJENDRA PACHAURI, IPCC CHAIRMAN: We are certainly going to go into the whole lot, and then, as I said, we'll take a position on it. So we certainly don't want to brush anything under the carpet. We don't want to sweep it under the carpet. This is a serious issue, and we certainly will look into it in detail.
SNOW: This U.N. probe is in addition to an investigation under way at the University of East Anglia which says it's looking to see if there’s any evidence that scientific data was manipulated or suppressed. Phil Jones, the head of the university's climate research unit, has stepped down temporarily. Those who questioned the effects of human activity on climate change have seized on the e-mails, accusing scientists of conspiring to hide evidence and trying to destroy data. Among them, Republican Senator James Inhofe, who's called global warming a hoax. This week he called for hearings. No decisions yet. And the e-mails were raised at a House hearing this week.
REP. JOHN SHADEGG (R-AZ): Anyone who thinks that those e-mails are insignificant, that they don't damage the credibility of the entire movement, is naive.
SNOW: But at that hearing, a top government scientist said the e- mails do nothing to change the science.
JANE LUBCHENCO, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION: E-mails really do nothing to undermine the very strong scientific consensus and the independent scientific analyses of thousands of scientists around the world that tell us that the earth is warming and that the warming is largely a result of human activity.
GAVIN SCHMIDT, NASA GODDARD INSTITUTE FOR SPACE STUDIES: These are the temperature records from the U.S.
SNOW: Gavin Schmidt is a leading climate scientist with NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. In the weeks since the e-mails were hacked and questions arose, he’s been putting large volumes of data links on the Web site RealClimate.org that demonstrates a consistent trajectory of a potentially dangerously warming climate.
SCHMIDT: So what we've done is we just said, you know, look, you're not aware of that data. But here is all the data that's already existing.
SNOW: His name appeared on those e-mails, and he says he has nothing to hide.
SCHMIDT: There’s nothing in these e-mails that's problematic, you know. Most of the stuff that has been talked about has been taken completely out of context, and there's a lot of nonsense that's being spoken.
SNOW: Debate over these e-mails comes as world leaders head to Copenhagen next week for the U.N. Climate Change Conference. As to what impact these might have? The UK's Energy and Climate Change Secretary is quoted by the BBC as saying the idea that they could derail the conference is in his words, nonsense. Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
LEMON: All right, Mary, so let's talk about all of this now with Howard Gould. He is the president of Equator Environmental, and he joins us from Stanford, Connecticut. Good to see you, Howard. So ClimateGate, ClimateGate, ClimateGate, what's the importance, if any, of these e-mails?
HOWARD GOULD, EQUATOR ENVIRONMENTAL: I mean, I don't see any importance. The fact is that there's going to be an investigation that's ongoing and going to looking to exactly what happens. I mean, I do think that a lot of this stuff was taken out of context. But I also think that let's just take all of it out of the picture, and you still look at all the other scientific institutions that are out there, and they all say the same thing. So it's, you know, I think people are making a big deal out of nothing. I think it's the climate debunkers that are out there, it's their last ray of hope, and they're trying to cling on to something. But it's really, you know, I think it's a bit of a joke.
LEMON: So you don't think it's suppression at all, as they claim, of any evidence about global warming?
GOULD: Oh, I mean, I'm not, I'm not saying that maybe certain scientists out there in their particular data sets might have done something at that university. I mean, that may well have occurred. I can't speak to that. But I, you know, my thought is that, okay, fine, let's just take all of that data that's come out of that university off the table, and look, I mean, you just heard yourself from the people over at NASA that look, look at the data. It's, you know, it says that climate change is occurring, and the globe is warming, and it is probably anthropogenic, or manmade.
#From the 7:00 p.m. hour of CNN NewsRoom, after Snow's report re-aired:
DON LEMON: And CNN has learned that officials at this week's climate conference in Copenhagen will not shy away from the controversy over the leaked e-mails. Let's go now to CNN's Phil Black who is in Copenhagen. Phil?
PHIL BLACK: Don, here in Copenhagen, just hours before the Climate Change Conference opens, United Nations officials admit that ClimateGate is already being discussed by delegates here. The U.N.'s climate change chief Yvo de Boer, says the issue of those e-mails from the University of East Anglia will be addressed directly in speeches during the opening ceremony. I asked Yvo de Boer what he makes of the allegations. And he said he believes there is a positive side to this scandal.
YVO DE BOER, UNFCCC EXECUTIVE SECRETARY: I actually think it's very good that what's, what has happened is being critically addressed in the media because this process has to be based on solid science. And if the quality and the integrity of the science is being called into question, then that needs to be examined.
BLACK: Don, many climate scientists believe those e-mails were deliberately hacked and leaked to try and destabilize the negotiations here. And they say those e-mails do nothing to discredit the work of thousands of climate scientists around the world, independent scientists whose work draws similar conclusions. Some climate change skeptics are also traveling to this city to try and make their case. But they shouldn't expect a friendly reception because this conference is based on the scientific theory accepted by a broad consensus that the warming of the climate system is unequivocal.
—Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
Today, the United Nations Climate Change Conference called COP 15 begins in Copenhagen, Denmark. Over the next 12 days, delegates gathered from around the world will discuss the current state of Earth’s climate. They are also charged with developing an agreement that improves upon and replaces the Kyoto Protocol — the climate treaty ratified by many of the world’s countries which is due to expire in 2012. The main conference portal can be found here, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark has provided a way for all of us to view summaries of the proceedings via webcast here.
In the weeks leading up to the conference, an electronic break-in at the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia and the subsequent posting of emails contained in the servers ignited a contentious debate — dubbed Climategate – between those skeptical of the human role in climate change and mainstream climatologists. Some have charged that the emails show a concerted effort to withhold or manipulate data unsupportive of global warming. It is unknown what effect, if any, the scandal resulting from the email revelations will have on the outcome of the conference. The substance of the debate can be found here.
“Russia believes current rules are stacked against it, and has threatened to pull the plug on Copenhagen without concessions to Kremlin concerns.
The server is believed to be used mainly by Tomsk State University, one of the leading academic institutions in Russia, and other scientific
institutes……..hundreds of hacked emails were released to the world via a tiny internet server in a red brick building in a snow-clad street in
Tomsk.
Computer hackers in Tomsk have been used in the past by the Russian secret service (FSB) to shut websites which promote views disliked by Moscow.
Such arrangements provide the Russian government with plausible deniability while using so-called ‘hacker patriots’ to shut down websites Russia
is the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and lags behind many Western countries in greening its industry.
However, its emissions plunged in the Nineties as its economy collapsed and it now sits on a treasure trove of unused carbon emission permits that
could be sold to other countries. These are due to expire in 2012 with the Kyoto Treaty. The Kremlin wants these to be rolled forward and last week
signalled they would not sign a new deal without this, threatening the whole Copenhagen summit.”
Onward to Copenhagen
Damn The Torpedos full speed ahead
” Damn the torpedos! ” Captain Obama shouted. We'll deliver this load of government cheese come hell or high water! Just what kind of cheese I could not discern. It was the foulest case I had ever encountered. It stunk to high heaven and we were going to be smellng it for weeks on end. When finally I saw the mark of the maker on the cheese disks I saw that it was some sort of circular symbol with a sky and earth. I would say heaven and earth but heaven can not smell like this cheese.
As we sailed at flank speed towards oblivion I could not help but think of the horrible view of the hull below deck. I could not put the ominous hole in the hull of the ship where I saw water gushing out of my mind. The image of the men trying to fix the bilge pumps who looked panicked and shot furtive glimpses that seemed to say without words:
” We are doomed for the fool that runs this ship “
I ran forward on the deck and informed Captain Obama that Ensign Geitner appeared to be having trouble with the pumps not running. The Captain replied that he had already talked with Ensign Geitner and they had discussed opening the hole wider to drain the sea. Their theory being that the sooner it ran dry the sooner the problem would be solved. Top main mastman Judd Gregg argued against this from every angle but the captain's officers all agreed that Geitner was a genius. I had also seen boatswain Bernanke with a crazed look on his face and his eyes bugging out of his head madly scooping up water with a cracker tin only to dump again into `the hold of the ship doing nothing more than a hamster does in its exercise wheel. I could not help but laugh when some of the cracker tins of water would douse Ensign Geitner though the situation appeared dire.
I knew we were near the end of our last voyage on the S.S. Hew Breeze.
The first signs
We saw the first signs the Captain had gone over the edge one very clear blue day. We were on top swabbing the decks with not a care in the world when the captain standing on the poop pointed and called out ” The seas are rising and a disaster is going to befall this grand sea. We will set a course for Europe as I must consult with King Canute on his oceanic experiments…… “. Captain Obama then related how King Canute had performed an experiment wherein he had place his throne on the beach and the oceans level had risen until it swamped him up to his knees as he sat there. The levels of the oceans were rising. The science was clear on this. Only a fool could conclude otherwise. Just the hopelessly stupid could not see it. It was as simple as drawing a line between two points on a piece of paper with a straight edge. The final conclusion by the Captain was as Canute had offered to lend him his throne he would repeat the experiment. This time he would do something completely novel. He would sit there on the throne by the ocean willing the oceans level to go lower while wearing swimming trunks made of special environmentally friendly fabric that only the righteous can see. Admiral Gore had invented said fabric in the fertile laboratory of his mind.
The Captain looked shaken and panicked as he stood there pointing off to the horizon. The deck hands stood looking and straining to see what he saw. All we could see was a faint dot of land on the far horizon that looked like it might be an island or a little nearer and be another ship. We common sailors were not accustomed to the Captain showing fear. Now he was showing a form of imbalance far beyond fear. I tried to reason with him. He responded ” The seas will spill over the land “. We must use every power in our grasp to prevent this” And thus we ate rations short of meat which made the men weak and progress was thus slow going. Captain Obama would stand on the poop and twirl 2 steel balls in his hands with a wild look in his eyes staring off to the horizon and ever repeating ” What would Rear Admiral Gore do ? What would Rear Admiral Gore do? “
I knew then he had cracked but also knew I would have to wait to allow the other hands on the ship to see it too. For I knew the Captain much better than they for I am Larry Sinclair the first mate and I knew if I made mention of this too soon they would not believe. I had privy to knowledge other crew members had not seen. When the Hew Breeze was in port I was the lackey sent to obtain the Captains illicit packages of Chinese tars.
We had no time for caulking the oak planks that constituted our ship. The men grew restless knowing that our lives depend upon the integrity of the might behemoth the S.S. Hew Breeze. The Captain grew ever more petulant when asked for permission to caulk the hull repeatedly. He would reply each time with the cryptic line that ” From tiny oaks might acorns come ” . He would order them to the contrary. The Captain had a plan for every minute of every day. He had plans for everything. Everything was wrong and must be set just right by his design. The deck hands were on edge. They dare not start a job because no sooner had they started but the Captain would be upon them telling them they were doing it wrong and setting them straight. Thus the ship fell into deeper disarray with each passing moment.
Cabin Boy Willy Fox
One time after making my inspection rounds I stopped by the Captains quarters and rapped 3 times quickly on the door and entered. The visage I was treated to next was quite a shock. The well liked cabin boy Willy Fox was tied to the futtocks with pants down and bright red stripes across his gluteus maximus. The captains chief petty officer Emanuel had a bimmy in his hand and was administering corporal punishment abaft the beam while the captain looked on. The position they had him tied in I hope he would not end up broke back. When I looked in Fox's eyes he had a faint glimmer as though he was enjoying the whole process. I quickly excused myself as the whole process appeared a little queerish. Later inquired with Gregg as to why the cabin boy was being punished. The story I got was that Fox had not showed the proper deference towards Captain Obama and it did not take any excuse for petty officer Emmanuel. Emanual hated the innate goodness of Willy Boy. It disgusted me. How could a man with so much responsibility as a ship's captain be so vainly concerned? Did he not know that would only give him only bad press among the crew? And why would he not solicit the company of the foremast-jack Mr. Olbermann. The little toady is constantly polishing the captains woodwork. Surely he could spare the well liked Willy. There had been rumors of Chief Petty Officer Emmanuel wearing a tutu and twirling and prancing to entertain his better friends in private but I always assumed that was just a sailors joke at his expense. Could it be the stories were true and the captain was unwittingly being drawn into the scheme girlish twirling? It all left me worried as a ship is tight space and that fate of one is generally the fate of all on board. Such light hearted silliness did not bode well for such a serious undertaking as putting to sea. I wanted to survive the voyage and as I only had one more voyage before my retirement from the navy the feeling was all the more intense.
The truly odd thing about chief petty officer Emanuel was that he always had bad breath. Not merely bad. Atrocious. I personally witnessed him exiting the head after brushing his teeth. Even immediately after brushing his teeth his breath smelled that of a foul wind eminating from the wrong end of a man. How could this be? What was he eating?
Update: There's additional info via Ed Driscoll here. While I can appreciate that some are questioning why Russia would do this if it meant more energy exploration in the West. I think it's possible that view may be underestimating the influence of the Earth Firsters, with or without Global Warming. The fact is we have held off on Nuclear and much energy exploration long before AGW became big news. I've little faith it would simply turn on, again with AGW debunked.
Was Russia behind the Climate email disclosures?
Suspicions were growing last night that Russian security services were behind the leaking of the notorious British ‘Climategate’ emails which threaten to undermine tomorrow’s Copenhagen global warming summit.
An investigation by The Mail on Sunday has discovered that the explosive hacked emails from the University of East Anglia were leaked via a small web server in the formerly closed city of Tomsk in Siberia.
Well, it's a thought – or was on November 26, anyway.
A climate change scandal round-up and a question: Is anyone else having fun pondering as to whether or not there's an old KGB rat named Vlad behind the still growing potential climate change fraud? Of various suspects, Russia would have means, access and plenty of motivation. The original data leak went up on a Russian server, which could easily be spun, or interpreted, as a reason to not suspect Russia, as much as it could be a reason to suspect they were involved. Actually, it may serve even better as a reason for doubt.
Given the scope of this still exploding story in a matter of about two days, one at least has to wonder if there isn't some force driving the thing from start to end. Yet, few people are speculating as to who pulled off the original hacking, or why. Coming as it does just before potentially significant buy in from the US thanks to Obama, there are more than a few players involved who have a lot at risk relevant to climate change speculation.
So, I can't help but wonder who has the kind of resources it would take and plenty of motivation. If it's one potential suspect, I'm betting it never gets found out. Given Russia's willingness to engage in political assassination even relatively recently, isn't it at least fair to speculate? They certainly would have motivation enough. And the resources, access and general capability to pull it off.
Russia’s economy is heavily dependent on oil and natural gas exports. In order to manage windfall oil receipts, the government established a stabilization fund in 2004. By the end of 2007, the fund was expected to be worth $158 billion, or about 12 percent of the country’s nominal GDP. According to calculations by Alfa Bank, the fuel sector accounts for about 20.5 percent of GDP, down from around 22 percent in 2000. According to IMF and World Bank estimates, the oil and gas sector generated more than 60 percent of Russia’s export revenues (64% in 2007), and accounted for 30 percent of all foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country.
Kremlin policy makers continue to exhibit an inclination to advance the state's influence in the energy sector. Taxes on oil exports and extraction are still high, and Russia’s state-influenced oil and gas companies are obtaining controlling stakes in previously foreign-led projects. State-owned export facilities have grown at breakneck pace, while private projects have progressed more slowly or have been met with roadblocks by state-owned companies or by various government agencies.
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