DECC's paper on climate statistics

DECC has published a paper on climate statistics examining the question of whether they are "coherent and accessible".

It's actually very interesting. Take this for example:

DECC statisticians told us that they manage a shared mailbox for queries about climate change statistics, and that over the two years that this mailbox has been in place not a single enquiry has been received about wider climate change statistics. In addition, we were told that a recent user consultation exercise run by DECC statisticians did not highlight any issues concerning user needs for more general “climate change” data. DECC has concluded that it “does not appear to be the case that users see DECC as the organisation responsible for pointing them in the right direction if needed”.

Comments

[Maurizio Morabito]

In other news: the foxes' union has concluded that it “does not appear to be the case that chickens see the foxes' union as the organisation responsible for pointing them in the right direction if needed”.

[Phillip Bratby]

This is another government document, the reading of which causes one to lose the will to live.
I note that carbon dioxide is classified as a pollutant!!! Oh really?
I note that DECC focuses on the production of UK greenhouse gas statistics, which includes water vapour. Has anyone seen DECC statistics on UK emissions of water vapour? That would be an interesting statistic.
I note that DECC takse the view that the quality assurance process is best provided by the individual peer review. Now there's a novel concept. Peer review is QA! That just shows the quality of DECC bureaucrats.

[breath of fresh]

Did anyone know the address of the mailbox, and why is it still not known. A Google search just loops you back here via other blogs.

[Merlinthp]

with apologies to Douglas Adams......

What do you mean you couldn't find it? The email address is clearly on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'."

[Alan Reed]

DECC just count up ACO2, it seems. I suppose natural sources and sinks are trivial. They remain in perfect balance and may be ignored.

[Athelstan.]

Quote:

"There is no readily identified set of official statistics that clearly relates to 'climate change'.

Report, "This morning the Energy minister allocated his best alchemists to dream up some official climate change statistics." ..............................And the CRU was born.

Er quantifying climate change - wow don't they mean MM induced Global warming?

[TheBigYinJames]

Thanks for stealing my line Merlinthp :) We discussed this in unthreaded earlier and that's what I said :)

[David Holland]

Why would anyone ask DECC anything about Climate Change. They are the same Defra people who wrote to me on 15 May 2008, copying to me a letter that they prepared on 27 January 2008 to send to me in reply my FOIA request of 11 December 2007 for John Mitchell's Review Editor's Report. They never sent the original. Here it what it is supposed to have said:

Dear Mr Holland,

Thank you for your request for Dr John Mitchell's comments.

We regret to tell you that we are unable to provide you with a copy [of] the Report of the Review Editor, Dr John Mitchell, for Chapter 6 of the WGI contribution to the recent IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. Indeed, we do not hold a copy of such report, as we have no role in dealing with review editor's comments. Should you wish to have access to such information, we suggest you to contact the IPCC Secretariat (see website http://www.ipcc.ch/about/ipcc-secretariat.htm), or the Chair of WG1 (see website http://www.ipcc.ch/about/working-group1.htm).

Please note that Defra provides financial support to lead authors and review editors so that they could participate in IPCC writing groups but expects UK experts to provide independent advice and recommendations directly to the IPCC. The Department does not intervene in this and indeed has no right of access to such information.

sincerely yours

Yamide Dagnet

Higher Scientific Officer
Climate, Energy and Ozone: Science and Analysis
International Climate Change, Air and Analysis Directorate
Defra

Defra later accepted that they were wrong.

[KnR]

Merlinthp don't forget its in the cellar and the stairs and lights are missing to.

[Jack Savage]

Utterly off topic but amusing?

http://www.joabbess.com/2011/11/01/letter-to-my-solar-installer/

I particularly liked : "A copy of this letter will be sent to my democratic representative."

Ooooooooo!

[jorgekafkazar]

"What do you mean you couldn't find it? The email address is clearly on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'."--Merlinthp

"Merlinthp don't forget its in the cellar and the stairs and lights are missing [too]."--KnR

I had no trouble finding it whatsoever. I simply enquired next door at the Ministry of Silly Walks, and they let me to it straightaway.

[James P]

I'm thinking that DECC probably keeps its important information on Betelgeuse and that Huhne is really a Vogon. It would explain quite a lot.

[Martin Brumby]

"over the two years that this mailbox has been in place not a single enquiry has been received about wider climate change statistics."

I would never have thought of asking DECC for climate statistics. Unless you were just having a laugh, you'd be far more likely to get credible statistics on climate by asking in an Anne Summers shop. In fact, unless you specifically wanted incompetent and far-fetched tendentious garbage, I can't imagine why you would think of DECC. And, in any case, I think CRU and Mystic Met have cornered that market.

[keith]

Truth is far stranger than fiction..

I know of at least one UK district council that used to keep its nuclear bunker full of filing cabinets - come the war the only thing that would survive is literally the bureaucracy...