This email is doing the rounds. It was posted on the Bishop Hill blog you'll find in the links to the right. My comments appear below.
From: Gilbert, Pip On Behalf Of Slingo, Julia (Chief Scientist)
Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 10:33 AM
To: Climate_Research; Met R&D all staff
Subject: URGENT: Supporting the science
Importance: High
Dear All,
As you are very aware, the science of climate change is under an
unprecedented attack and I know that many of you feel that we, as the
science community in the UK, should try to make our voice heard too. We
are therefore seeking a groundswell of support for a simple statement
that we, the UK science community, have the utmost confidence in the
science base that underpins the evidence for global warming. That
evidence has been arrived at through decades of painstaking and
meticulous research by many scientists across the world, who adhere to
the highest levels of integrity and honesty, the hallmarks of true
scientific endeavour. We come together now to defend our profession
against this unprecedented attack to discredit us and the science of
climate change.
I know this is very short notice but we would like to gather a list of
names from you and your scientific colleagues who support this move. We
would like to collect these names over the weekend and on Monday so that
a short letter, basically saying the above, can be released to the press
on your behalf on Tuesday, at the latest. If we can reach 100 signatures
or more from the UK academic community that would be a fantastic
response. Please can I request your help by asking you to not only
respond yourself, but also to send this on to scientific colleagues as a
matter of urgency.
The Met Office is able to provide help to pull these names together and
if you wish to support this statement then please send an email to:
julia.slingo@metoffice.gov.uk with 'Yes' in the Subject.
Many thanks,
Julia Slingo and John Hirst
Julia Slingo Chief Scientist
Met Office FitzRoy Road Exeter EX1 3PB United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1392 885014 Fax: +44 (0)1392 885681
E-mail: julia.slingo@metoffice.gov.uk http://www.metoffice.gov.uk
See our guide to climate change at
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climatechange/guide/
What sort of scientist or indeed any professional would put their name to a letter that has not even been written yet. You would have to be out of your mind to agree to that or even ask someone to do it.
The proposed text seems too lose to me - that the science "underpins the evidence for global warming" - I thought the issue was anthropogenic global warming - specifically that CO2 as a result of human activity will cause disasterous global warming. If all they have come up with is that the climate is warming why is there a debate? I think most people agree that the climate changes over time.
Spin Spin Spin.
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