Er komt een onderzoek en daarom treedt Phil Jones tijdelijk terug als directeur van CRU. Geen verkeerde zet, lijkt me, tot alles is opgehelderd.
The chief of a prestigious British research center caught in a storm of controversy over claims that he and others suppressed data about climate change has stepped down pending an investigation, the University of East Anglia said Tuesday.
The university said in a statement that Phil Jones, whose e-mails were among the thousands of pieces of correspondence leaked to the Internet late last month, would relinquish his position as director of Climatic Research Unit until the completion of an independent review.
The university's Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research Trevor Davies said the investigation would cover data security, whether the university responded properly to Freedom of Information requests, "and any other relevant issues." The statement said the specific terms of the review will be announced later in the week.
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Davies said there was nothing in the stolen material to suggest the peer-reviewed publications by the unit "are not of the highest-quality of scientific investigation and interpretation."
Davies defended Jones and his colleagues, saying the publication of their e-mails "is the latest example of a sustained and, in some instances, a vexatious campaign" to undermine climate science. The sentiment was echoed by Nicholas Stern, a leading climate change economist, who said the person or people who posted the leaked e-mails had muddled the debate at a critical moment.
"It has created confusion and confusion never helps scientific discussions," Stern told reporters in London Tuesday. "The degree of skepticism among real scientists is very small."
De hele affaire is door klimaatdwarsliggers natuurlijk, volledig in de stijl van de moderne tijd, 'climategate' gedoopt. Verder cirkelen zij als gieren rond de uitwerpselen (lees: e-mails) van het nog springlevende karkas van Phil Jones en consorten. Ze hopen natuurlijk de buit binnen te halen. Maar ik heb zo'n idee dat het karkas de gieren uiteindelijk gaat ontlopen.
Gr. Ben
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