Scientists Who Had Emails Stolen Ask Heartland Institute to End Attack on Climate Science

WASHINGTON (Feb. 17, 2012) – Seven leading climate researchers who themselves were the victims of an email theft which was promoted by the Heartland Institute have written an open letter to the organization, calling on it to refrain from spreading inaccurate information about climate science and attacking climate researcher

Scientists Who Had Emails Stolen Ask Heartland Institute to End Attack on Climate Science | Union of Concerned Scientists

Originally Posted by PAD1OH

Scientists Who Had Emails Stolen Ask Heartland Institute to End Attack on Climate Science | Union of Concerned Scientists

The Heartland Institute is for sale to the highest bidder. Just like it sold out to Big Tobacco, it also set its face against science in the interests of those who stand to lose if action is taken against climate change.

The UCS should save its breath.

"The record shows many of the country's most respected doctors openly challenge anti-cigarette claims"

Sound familiar?

Further comment here: The Real Story of Heartland: The Template of Lies « Climate Denial Crock of the Week

Originally Posted by PAD1OH

Scientists Who Had Emails Stolen Ask Heartland Institute to End Attack on Climate Science | Union of Concerned Scientists

Some wonderful irony in the letter. It's called "putting the boot in".

As scientists who have had their emails stolen, posted online and grossly misrepresented, we can appreciate the difficulties the Heartland Institute is currently experiencing following the online posting of the organization’s internal documents earlier this week. However, we are greatly disappointed by their content, which indicates the organization is continuing its campaign to discredit mainstream climate science and to undermine the teaching of well-established climate science in the classroom.

We hope the Heartland Institute will begin to play a more constructive role in the policy debate. Refraining from misleading attacks on climate science and climate researchers would be a welcome first step toward having an honest, fact-based debate about the policy responses to climate change.

Ray Bradley, PhD, Director of the Climate System Research Center, University of Massachusetts
David Karoly, PhD, ARC Federation Fellow and Professor, University of Melbourne, Australia
Michael Mann, PhD, Director, Earth System Science Center, Pennsylvania State University
Jonathan Overpeck, PhD, Professor of Geosciences and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona
Ben Santer, PhD, Research Scientist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Gavin Schmidt, PhD, Climate Scientist, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
Kevin Trenberth, ScD, Distinguished Senior Scientist, Climate Analysis Section, National Center for Atmospheric Research

When you post your funding pieces, Tombo, you should remember that, even if they were accurate, the money would be for the funding of scientific inquiry. Your comparison is invalid since the other side of the coin is entirely for the denial of science with nothing for research.

Originally Posted by Agnotologist

When you post your funding pieces, Tombo, you should remember that, even if they were accurate, the money would be for the funding of scientific inquiry. Your comparison is invalid since the other side of the coin is entirely for the denial of science with nothing for research.

You will notice that Tombo is including ALL environmental movements in the balance against the Heartland Institute - but Greenpeace, WWF, the Sierra Club etc are involved in a very broad range of issues (diversity conservation, deforestation, pollution, not just climate change).

He also includes legitimate research into weather and climate as if it was the same as the PR and "marketing" conducted by the Heartland Institute.

In other words, the usual denier slight of hand.

Good posting at Skeptical Science, summing up Heartland Institutes finances. You see no money allocated for scientific research.



DenialGate - Infographic Illustrating the Heartland Denial Funding Machine

Eli Rabett posts a translation of a Heartland scandal story from a German newspaper. It will serve as a good judge on how the mainstream is viewing this, apart from denialist "spin".

It is customary for work to be properly compensated. If, for example, someone publishes a book, which traces climate change back to natural causes as well as praising the increase carbon dioxide in the air as a boon to mankind, he can do well and enjoy earning $ 11,600 a month - even as renowned scientists tear the book to shreds.

Now, thanks to an indiscretion, it is known that Craig Idso, head of an organization of climate change deniers in Arizona, was paid such a fee by the Heartland Institute in Chicago. That think tank advocates for free markets and against government interference and in this includes denial of manmade climate change

A comment on Heartland in 2009 by the prestigious science journal Nature:

ADDENDA: The Nature Editorial from July 2011 characterized the Heartland meetings as

It would be easy for scientists to ignore the Heartland Institute's climate conferences. They are curious affairs designed to gather and share contrarian views, in which science is secondary to wild accusations and political propaganda. They are easy to lampoon — delegates at the latest meeting of the Chicago-based institute in Washington DC earlier this month could pick up primers on the libertarian writings of Russian–American novelist Ayn Rand, who developed the philosophical theory of objectivism, and postcards depicting former US vice-president Al Gore as a fire-breathing demon.

http://rabett.blogspot.com/2012/02/in-other-news.html

Originally Posted by Agnotologist

When you post your funding pieces, Tombo, you should remember that, even if they were accurate, the money would be for the funding of scientific inquiry. Your comparison is invalid since the other side of the coin is entirely for the denial of science with nothing for research.

Greenpeace??

WWF???


are you really that delusional??


James Hansen $1.6 million in climate bungs last year. A scientist/activist/ "Research" my arse. Phil "hide the decline " Jones??? "research" my arse.

The Grantham centre

The Pew centre.


$$$ upon $$$$ upon $$$$ of activist lobby and soft alarmist tripe.

Originally Posted by PAD1OH

Scientists Who Had Emails Stolen Ask Heartland Institute to End Attack on Climate Science | Union of Concerned Scientists

A few problems.

• No evidence that any of those emails were in fact stolen
  
• No evidence or even claims that any of those emails were fabricated
  
• Those emails were not private but conducted on publicly owned servers and written on taxpayers' dime.
  
• Those emails were subject to FOI law, which the contents of those very emails reveal was being criminally breached to prevent their disclosure.