FOI-ing Paul Dennis
Aug 17, 2011
Bishop Hill in Climate: CRU, FOI

Paul Dennis left this comment on the Suspicious Mind thread:

...yesterday the UEA did receive a FOIA request for copies of all my correspondence, email and mail, between myself and McIntyre, Condon, Watts, Mosher and Fuller. This is an interesting list of names. It's public knowledge that I had sent maybe 10 emails to McIntyre over the past 4 or 5 years some of these asking about the climategate release of emails, 1 email to Condon sending him a copy of my paper on the Gomez Glacier which had relevance for his work on Antarctic temperatures, particularly with reference to the lower Peninsula. It's not, as far as I know, on the public record that I had a very brief correspondence with Tom Fuller immediately after climategate. This amounted to 2, maybe 3 emails. To my recollection I have never corresponded with Mosher or Watts. I have never spoken, or written by any other means with any of the named correspondents.

I have no objection to these emails being made public. Indeed if I had copies of them I'd post them on the web. Unfortunately, I rigorously delete all emails I don't consider important after about 2 months from my PC's and the server. I'm sure the university will have copies and can provide these. It will be a paltry return!

What interests me is the selection of names. Not being drawn to conspiracy theories I'd say these few were selected because they are seen by some as central to the release of the emails either through the initial announcement of 'a miracle has occurred' or through the publication of a synthesis and interpretation of the events (Fuller and Mosher). The requester is on a fishing expedition. If I were more cynical I'd say that the requester may have had some inside information as to the fact I had written to, for example, Fuller in response to his request to answer some questions.

Interestingly the requester justified their claim (not that any justification is needed under FOIA) as:

"Release of the information is in the public interest because it will contribute significantly to public understanding global warming disinformation."

I'm sorry to disappoint but my correspondence with McIntyre, Watts, Condon, Mosher and Fuller will add absolutely nothing to this particular debate. If the requester wants to know my views and stance on the science I suggest they search the various blogs where they will find I make all my contributions in public and generally restrict myself to scientific matters in which I have a degree of knowledge.

I actually tend to agree with the requester: having these emails in the open will indeed help stop disinformation on climate - by quashing some of the rather absurd rumours about how the emails found their way into the open.
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