Bishop Hill The IPCC Climategate investigation
Jan 5, 2010 Climate: IPCC Climate: Pachauri There has been some interest expressed in the comments to the last posting as to when and where the IPCC will get around to completing their investigation into Climategate. A correspondent had sent me an interesting link that seemed to suggest that in fact there was to be no investigation - at least not into the actions of the Hockey Team:
Today Pachauri reversed course and instead launched a defense of the climate scientists that have been accused of collusion, modification and deletion of data and a host of other offenses. He said that he felt the scientists “are being unfairly targeted.” Pachauri said, “The persons who have worked on this report, and those who unfortunately have been victims of this terrible and illegal act, are outstanding scientists, and have contributed enormously over the 20, 21 years of the existence of the IPCC.”
Pachauri stated that his only concern was finding out who was behind it, not if there are any problems with the science behind the manmade climate change theory or the scientists that formulated it. "I think this is an illegal act. The only issue that has to be dealt with as far as this occurrence is concerned is to find out who is behind it," he said.
In regards to a potential investigation, the climate chief said the agency would look at the event, “just to see if there are any lessons for us that we might want to take onboard. We are determining how best to do that. But I want to clarify that this is not an investigation.”
On the face of it this does seem to suggest that the IPCC is not going to look at what its advisors have been getting up to, but I don't rule out someone having got the wrong end of the stick here.
Reader Comments (22)
What is the point of the UN again?
OT, but I thought you might be amused to find that the journal "Science" is capable of being shirty when authors fail to deliver on posting supplementary information on a website. Do you suppose that Climate Scientology is exempt?
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/rapidpdf/sci;science.1186078v2.pdf
Why would the IPCC investigate that which underpins it's reason to exist, or those who have done so much to get it the power and influence it now has? To admit of a problem would undermine it's very existence. Where would that lead? Should they next suggest that perhaps we don't need carbon trading schemes to limit emissions. Lets be realistic, Pachauri's various employers would not be happy with an investigation.
Why would the UN investigate their own fraud again?
It went so well with Oil for Food, if you recall.
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"
Same old question.
"Terrible" act? Drama queen.
There is a huge job opening at the IPCC: they are seeking strong men to help them carry the sandbag.
While we can question the motives of many "news"papers, I think we can trust Bloomberg. Interesting article about Global Warming here .
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aVSAACHI0ZLM&pos=8
I wonder what the fanbois have to say about this?
Pachauri has no shame, no conscience, no credibility and no sense of justice. As far as he is concerned, the rest of the world is out of step; he is the only one who knows the truth.
He is in the same state of denial as Al Gore. they deserve each other!
The IPCC uses data the way a drunk uses as light post, for support rather than enlightenment. I agree with Mr. Dunsford, why in heaven's name would they do anything that undermines the support for their authority? On the other hand, I don't see why any reason why national governments of developed nations who would be on the hook for billions in aid "sins against the climate" would not want a thorough invenstigation.
We don't need an investigation of the IPCC. We need to stop funding the whole UN charade and free up that fine building in New York for more productive use.
Thanks for finding this.
It is a remarkable decision as the emails clearly show an intent to manipulate the IPCC procedures; while there is evidence on ClimateAudit that the attempt was successful.
Remember that the role of the IPCC is to collate information proving climate change and impact on the environment. Remember also that climate change by UN definition means human induced change.
And remember that the IPCC is a political organisation, and simply collates evidence of such human induced change, as that is it's reason for existence.In particular, it does NO science, and funds NO scientific research.
Why then would it have any interest in conducting any investigations, or even in offering any opinions on the matter? That would require it to get involved in science, and I stress again, the IPCC is a political organisation.
What is needed is an inquiry into the IPCC, not an inquiry by the IPCC. With luck the fallout from the inquiry at Penn State and the review at UEA will make that unavoidable.
Nothing demonstrates bad faith and cover up like the sort of denial demonstrated by the IPCC and its leadership.
I've no doubt that any inquiries, if they actually occur, will be a total whitewash.
Is anyone surprised? The IPCC is a wealth transfer machine, pure and simple. Investigations need to be launched by Parliament and Congress.
As Phil Jones would now appear to have some spare time on his hands I am sure that he would be a sound person to run the IPCC investigation.
He has vast experience in the field.
He has much insider knowledge.
He has proven many times that he knows how to come to the right conclusion.
What more could one ask for?
Always relevant: 'Turkeys don't vote for Christmas'.
The coast guard called to Lochmaben; that's the inland coast guard, then? My only dealings with the coast guard were in East Lothian 30 years ago, and bloody useless they were. I and a couple of other chaps had to rescue the swimmers ourselves.
Bishop Hill
Pachauri investigation
Here is a summary of the news stories that bear upon the history
from 29 November to 13 December 2009 of the above investigation.
To keep things short I have supported the summaries with just
the URLs of the stories, not also the relevant passages from
the stories!:
----
29 November 2009
Chairman of UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Dr
Rajendra Pachauri says in interview with the Guardian that 'an
independent inquiry into the emails would achieve little, but
there should be a criminal investigation into how the emails
came to light'
Document location:
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:z2Td4YPdngIJ:www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/29/ipcc-climate-change-leakedemails+http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/29/ipcc-climate-change-leakedemails&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=opera
Document title: Leaked emails won't harm UN climate body, says
chairman | Environment | guardian.co.uk
----
4 December 2009
IPCC chairman Dr Rajendra Pachauri changes position, and says on
BBC Radio 4 that claims that UK scientists manipulated data on
global warming will be investigated: 'This is a serious issue
and we will look into it in detail'
Document location: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8394483.stm
Document title: BBC News - UN body wants probe of climate e-mail
row
----
7 December 2009
Yvo de Boer is Executive Secretary of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change.
According to the following report, Yvo de Boer on Sunday
6 December referred to the UN's investigation of the issues
arising out of the publication of the CRU e-mails and
documents:
1) as an investigation of the validity of the CRU's analysis of
the temperature data
2) as an investigation by Dr Rajendra Pachauri.
Thus so far as Yvo de Boer was concerned, what Dr Pachauri
told the BBC on 4 December continued on 6 December to hold good
Document location: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-unclimatedec07,0,477065.story
Document title: U.N. expert: Hacked e-mails hurt, but climate
science is solid -- chicagotribune.com
----
8 December 2009
Dr Rajendra Pachauri goes back totally on what he told the BBC
on 4 December. Dr Pachauri not only dismisses the idea that he
should investigate the validity of the CRU's analysis of the
temperature data, but says that the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change is not conducting any investigation to do with
the release of the CRU E-mails and document files whatsoever
Document location:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hxLqLy9VcAKJ3FcaHrhzOEcx38gw
Document title: AFP: UN scientists defend 'targeted' colleagues
----
9 December 2009
Dr Rajendra Pachauri dismisses the content of the CRU E-mails in
an interview by CNN as nothing more than '[friends and
colleagues] "letting off steam"'
Document location: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/world/12/09/09/climate-chiefdismisses-e-mail-outrage
Document title: Climate chief dismisses e-mail outrage | ABS-CBN
News Online Beta
----
12 December 2009
Dr Rajendra Pachauri implies to an unspecified interviewer or
audience that, contrary to what he said on 8 December:
1) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is conducting
an investigation
2) An investigation that 'twenty-eight Republican senators,
Saudi Arabian officials and climate skeptics' have asked
for into whether top climate scientists attempted to
manipulate data to boost the evidence of man-made global
warming will duplicate the investigation in question.
Dr Pachauri therefore tells the interviewer that the
investigation that the twenty-eight Republican senators etc
have asked for is unnecessary
Document location: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30510.html
Document title: Top U.N. official: Climategate 'exaggerated' - -
POLITICO.com
----
12 December 2009
Dr Rajendra Pachauri reverts to his position of 8 December.
He responds to an unspecified questioner who asks 'whether
the call for independent probe into the incident of email leaks
of climate scientists concerns him' that the request for such a
probe: 'seems [to him] like a totally baseless request'
Document location:
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Failure+at+Copenhagen+will+be+major+setback&artid=SHC3WDXtsWY=&SectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&MainSectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&SectionName=pWehHe7IsSU=&SEO=Pachauri,%20Copenhagen
Document title: Failure at Copenhagen will be major setback
----
13 December 2009
Dr Rajendra Pachauri nevertheless accepts in an interview by
Gulf News the day after his 12 December reply that in the field
of climatology there 'might be a few "black sheep" who deviate
from ethical practices'
Document location: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/environment/un-climate-chiefrules-out-conspiracy-behind-debate-1.552662
Document title: gulfnews : UN climate chief rules out conspiracy
behind debate
Hoping that this information will help resolve your
difficulties!: Essentially I conclude from the press reports
that between 29 November and 13 December 2009 there would or
would not be an investigation according to who Dr Pachauri was
talking to and when.
Stephen Prower
Stevenage
Friday 8 January 2010
Bishop Hill
Chronology of Pachauri investigation: Update
I have now (1) updated the Chronology with the interview that
Dr Pachauri gave to Science Magazine, as published today
on-line; and (2) taken the opportunity to expand the treatment
of the contradictory statements that Dr Pachauri was reported
as making at Copenhagen on 12 December 2009 in response to the
request by Senator Inhofe and his fellow 27 Republican senators
for an independent UN investigation.
You will see from the replies that Dr Pachauri gave to Science
Magazine that it now seems certain that the investigation into
the CRU e-mails that he announced to the BBC on 4 December 2009
was illusory.
Stephen Prower
Stevenage
Friday 29 January 2010
----
29 November 2009
Chairman of UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Dr
Rajendra Pachauri says in interview with the Guardian that 'an
independent inquiry into the emails would achieve little, but
there should be a criminal investigation into how the emails
came to light'
Document location:
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:z2Td4YPdngIJ:www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/29/ipcc-climate-change-leakedemails+http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/29/ipcc-climate-change-leakedemails&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=opera
Document title: Leaked emails won't harm UN climate body, says
chairman | Environment | guardian.co.uk
----
4 December 2009
IPCC chairman Dr Rajendra Pachauri changes position, and says on
BBC Radio 4 that claims that UK scientists manipulated data on
global warming will be investigated: 'This is a serious issue
and we will look into it in detail'
Document location: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8394483.stm
Document title: BBC News - UN body wants probe of climate e-mail
row
----
7 December 2009
Yvo de Boer is Executive Secretary of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change.
According to the following report, Yvo de Boer on Sunday
6 December referred to the UN's investigation of the issues
arising out of the publication of the CRU e-mails and
documents:
1) as an investigation of the validity of the CRU's analysis of
the temperature data
2) as an investigation by Dr Rajendra Pachauri.
Thus so far as Yvo de Boer was concerned, what Dr Pachauri
told the BBC on 4 December continued on 6 December to hold good
Document location: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-unclimatedec07,0,477065.story
Document title: U.N. expert: Hacked e-mails hurt, but climate
science is solid -- chicagotribune.com
----
8 December 2009
Dr Rajendra Pachauri goes back totally on what he told the BBC
on 4 December. Dr Pachauri not only dismisses the idea that he
should investigate the validity of the CRU's analysis of the
temperature data, but says that the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change is not conducting any investigation to do with
the release of the CRU E-mails and document files whatsoever
Document location:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hxLqLy9VcAKJ3FcaHrhzOEcx38gw
Document title: AFP: UN scientists defend 'targeted' colleagues
----
9 December 2009
Dr Rajendra Pachauri dismisses the content of the CRU E-mails in
an interview by CNN as nothing more than '[friends and
colleagues] "letting off steam"'
Document location: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/world/12/09/09/climate-chiefdismisses-e-mail-outrage
Document title: Climate chief dismisses e-mail outrage | ABS-CBN
News Online Beta
----
10 December 2010
Senator James M. Inhofe and 26 other Republican Senators send
a letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
requesting an independent investigation into the CRU e-mails
Document location: http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=7a95c7c2-802a-23ad-4754-d43002001493
Document title: U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public
Works :: Minority Page :.
----
12 December 2009
Dr Rajendra Pachauri responds to the Inhofe request (and a
similar request by Saudi Arabian Chief Climate Negotiator,
Mohammed al-Sabban) in Copenhagen. It is not clear from the
following three reports whether he does so at a single press
conference, or in separate interviews with reporters.
Likewise if the reports do report separate interviews, it
is not clear in what order the interviews took place
----
12 December 2009 (1)
As reported by Lisa Lerer of Politico: Dr Pachauri implies to
an unspecified interviewer or audience that, contrary to what
however said on 8 December:
1) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is conducting
an investigation
2) The investigation that 'twenty-eight Republican senators,
Saudi Arabian officials and climate skeptics' have asked
for into whether top climate scientists attempted to
manipulate data to boost the evidence of man-made global
warming will duplicate the investigation in question.
Dr Pachauri therefore tells the interviewer that the
investigation that the twenty-eight Republican senators et al
have asked for is unnecessary
Document location: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30510.html
Document title: Top U.N. official: Climategate 'exaggerated' - -
POLITICO.com
----
12 December 2009 (2)
By contrast, as reported by Darren Goode of the National
Journal: Dr Pachauri contradicts the comments reported by Lisa
Lerer that imply that his investigation is still proceeding.
Rather Dr Pachauri implies instead to reporters that he has
already completed his investigation: 'We have looked into it'.
Further Dr Pachauri tells the National Journal: 'We're totally
sure that the Fourth Assessment Report and even the third one
before that were in no way affected by any such actions and
therefore to me [the request by the senators] seems like a
totally baseless request.'
Document location:
http://copenhagen.nationaljournal.com/2009/12/ipccs-pachauri-senate-republic.php
Document title: IPCC's Pachauri: 'Climategate' Inquiry Request
'Totally Baseless' - Copenhagen Insider
----
12 December 2009 (3)
Similarly as reported by Betwa Sharma: Dr Pachauri responds to
an unspecified questioner who asks 'whether the call for
independent probe into the incident of email leaks of climate
scientists concerns him' that the request for such a probe:
'seems [to him] like a totally baseless request'
Document location:
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Failure+at+Copenhagen+will+be+major+setback&artid=SHC3WDXtsWY=&SectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&MainSectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&SectionName=pWehHe7IsSU=&SEO=Pachauri,%20Copenhagen
Document title: Failure at Copenhagen will be major setback
----
13 December 2009
Dr Rajendra Pachauri nevertheless accepts in an interview by
Gulf News the day after his 12 December comments as reported by
Darren Goode and Betwa Sharma that in the field of climatology
there 'might be a few "black sheep" who deviate
from ethical practices'
Document location: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/environment/un-climate-chiefrules-out-conspiracy-behind-debate-1.552662
Document title: gulfnews : UN climate chief rules out conspiracy
behind debate
----
29 January 2010
Dr Rajendra Pachauri gives an extended interview to Pallava
Bagla of Science. Pallava Bagla notes that the interview has
been edited for clarity.
Dr Pachauri makes no mention of the existence of any
investigation into the CRU e-mails either by himself, by the UN
IPCC, or by the UN. Instead he refers only to an investigation
at the behest of the British government (Presumably the House of
Commons Science Technology Select Committee Inquiry), and the
University of East Anglia's independent investigation.
Dr Pachauri himself dismisses the significance of the contents
of the e-mails: 'Those e-mails represent nothing more than
private communications, private airing of anguish, or anger, or
emotion. It was indiscreet' and 'My view of things is that in the
case of the e-mails, they were completely without any substance
or any doubt on what the IPCC had done in that context.'
Document location: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/327/5965/510/DC1
Document title: Climate Science Leader Rajendra Pachauri
Confronts the Critics -- Bagla 327 (5965): 510 Data Supplement -
Extended Interview -- Science]
[END]