Well well well, today has been an interesting day.
I have been following this story since early this morning, which has been plastered all over ‘skeptic’ websites (and I don’t mean that word in a derogatory way, I consider myself one also.
http://rankexploits.com/musings/2009/real-files-or-fake/
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/11/19/breaking-news-story-hadley-cru-has-apparently-been-hacked-hundreds-of-files-released/
http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/hadley_hacked/
For those too lazy to read the links – it would appear someone has gained access to systems at the Climate Research Unit in the UK (one of the most influential organisations in the climate change movement, and contributors to the IPCC’s reports on climate change). They released into the wild a 60 odd megabyte .zip file containing hundreds of internal documents, data and email correspondence.
What’s most interesting is the email correspondence, as there are a number of emails which seem to imply deliberate manipulation of data in order for it to show a predetermined outcome. They also appear show a clear unwillingness to comply with FOI requests for their data (indeed, they show contempt for the process, as well as for those who disagree with their results) – which to me suggests they have something to hide. Moreover it shows how interested in ‘peer review’ these scientists really are.
Tonight CRU’s director confirmed that the data does indeed appear to be real. No response yet to the allegations being made about the data (although they are promised).
Will any mainstream journalists have the balls to make a story out of this? Or will they all continue to report their alarmist claptrap and greet us with deafening silence on these allegations. Only time will tell.