Thursday
Apr082010
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill Acton in the THES
Apr 8, 2010 Climate: CRU The Times Higher Educational Supplement has secured an interview with Professor Edward Acton, the vice-chancellor of UEA. Professor Acton sees the possibility of positive outcomes to the Climategate affair.
Reader Comments (10)
So breaching laws is not a wrongdoing?
'He agreed that the emails appeared to indicate that FoI laws had been breached, but he insisted that this was not the same as saying there had "definitely been wrongdoing".
So breaching laws is not a wrongdoing?'
No, not at all, it is just necessary to hide the decline in standards.
Frankly, having heard Edward Acton and his defence of the indefensible, I wouldn't believe a word the man says. His slimy use of language, like the worst of the politicains we hear daily, is sickening. Where did he learn the craft? He is an expert on Soviet history and is really at home in the methods of manipulation and lying used by the Communists. He knows more about Lysenko and how the regime got away with it for so long than most of us put together. He knows all the tricks in the book used to prop up Uncle Joe - including airbrushing of photos, revision of history, propaganda and the like. In his present post he can't be seen to be investigating like a historian to get to the truth - he is expected to defend the incumbent regime, and that means putting his knowledge of chicanery, doublespeak to work as an agent of the Orwellian Ministry of Truth.
In a similar way, it is reasonably well-established that poorly behaved children perceive any attention - even negative attention - as affection.
Extract: 'Looking back in decades to come, Professor Acton said, the Climategate affair may prove to have been "a necessary part of getting people's minds around" climate change.'
I think there is some truth in that. I think the publishing of the emails and computer code has raised suspicions in a great many people that something very fishy and not highly competent has been going on in academic groves, buildings and computers re 'climate change'. As more and more 'minds get around' it, the alarmism will inevitably lose force and momentum over the next few years, and a more sensible and widely-shared perspective could replace it. A pity that the UEA leadership has not yet shown leadership in this regard. My faith in humanity means I cannot give a zero probability to the Russell enquiry being more impressive and insightful. I still have some hope that his little chunk of the 'establishment' will contribute something more than waffle this year. A thorough denouncing of the ways and means and conclusions of the CRU would be beneficial, and give real science and real scholarly investigation a much needed boost.
Professor Acton said, the Climategate affair may prove to have been "a necessary part of getting people's minds around" climate change. The arrogance, coming from a history professor with no scientific background whatsoever. You can hear the centuries of privilege speaking.
"But if the world is ever going to act on the issues, he said, people needed to talk, think and argue about them"
How can people argue about the issues when CRU hides all the data?
Acton is arrogant -- he thinks he can slither out from under this one.
Two superficial UEA-CRU reviews leading to official whitewashes - surely not?
It would appear that Professor Edward Acton has simply bought the result he wants.
I see Acton is selling the "theft" line.
Can't be theft for a number of reasons. The most apposite reason here is that the law required the files to be released. If someone hacked, that in itself is probably an offence, but to take what is already public property by law cannot be. If an insider released the files (as seems most likely), he was only obeying the law and therefore has a good defence. His employer's putative instruction to disobey the law cannot make the release an offence.
Acton should stop whinging and mouthing platitudes.
Didn't Actom come across as a slimy sleazebag in the Commons hearing, or am I just biased?