Penn State scientist fights back (Michael Mann says e-mails are being taken out of context)

The Morning Call ^ | 11/26/09 | Frank Warner

[Libloather]

Penn State scientist fights back
Michael Mann says global warming e-mails are being taken out of context
By Frank Warner
Of The Morning Call
November 26, 2009

Penn State scientist Michael E. Mann on Wednesday said his recently disclosed global warming e-mails show only that he's been pursuing the facts and fighting sloppy science.

But Mann distanced himself from a 2008 e-mail by British scientist Phil Jones, who asked Mann and others to delete certain e-mails sought under Freedom of Information laws.

''I'm not going to defend that request,'' Mann said. ''I did not approve of what he asked for and I didn't follow through on it. I have all of my original e-mails.''

Mann said another e-mail in which Jones suggests using Mann's ''Nature trick - to hide the decline'' has been misinterpreted to mean his ''trick'' was an act of deception on temperatures, when it was simply a clearer way to chart global warming.

The journal Nature published Mann's chart in 1998.

Mann also said his 2003 e-mail saying ''it would nice to 'contain' the putative 'MWP''' was not a call for scientists to deny the Earth warmed naturally 1,000 years ago. He said it reflected his desire to identify exactly when the Medieval Warm Period began.

[Bhoy]

VERY interested in your blog. Will be watching for notice. What do I look for?

[GVnana]

It's not clear how the files were leaked. One theory says that a malicious hacker slipped into East Anglia's network and snatched thousands of documents. Another says that the files had already been assembled in response to a Freedom of Information request and, immediately after it was denied, a whistleblower decided to disclose them. (Lending credence to that theory is the fact that no personal e-mail messages unrelated to climate change appear to have been leaked.)

Congress May Probe Leaked Global Warming E-Mails http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/24/taking_liberties/entry5761180.shtml

[InMemoriam]

Michael Mann says global warming e-mails are being taken out of context

Mann also said his 2003 e-mail saying ''it would nice to 'contain' the putative 'MWP''' was not a call for scientists to deny the Earth warmed naturally 1,000 years ago. He said it reflected his desire to identify exactly when the Medieval Warm Period began.

The irony of this round of responses is that it is precisely context that convicts them of otherwise ambiguous fraud.

Jones' trick could be what Jones says it is, except that the context contains the term "hide the decline", clarifying that the trick hides the decline.

Mann's explanation is plausible, except that the context contains the adjective "putative", clarifying that he is containing a presumed error among his colleagues, rather than temporally constraining a nebulously-defined period.

You guys need to have context declared a hostile witness.

[nina0113]

Does this mean we can go back to using incandescent light bulbs?

Does that mean you didn't stockpile enough?

[crescen7]

“VERY interested in your blog. Will be watching for notice. What do I look for?”

I’ll private reply to you and who ever else is interested. If anyone likes the blog post you’re welcome to post it as an “article” - that way it’s not “pure” vanity!

[Terpfen]

The New York Times still proudly displays Walter Duranty’s Pulitzer. I don’t think Algore will be returning the Nobel any time soon.

[scrabblehack]

Some scientists don’t actually falsify their data — they expect their technicians to do that. The technicians write the programs and the scientists write the papers.

So yes, I can easily believe it was a disgruntled (former) technician.

Your scenario might be right though.

[Rocky]

The “trick” was to HIDE THE DECLINE. Right, Michael?

HIDE THE DECLINE
HIDE THE DECLINE
HIDE THE DECLINE
HIDE THE DECLINE
HIDE THE DECLINE

[Terpfen]

I’m starting to think that these files were purposely leaked...

You're far from the first person to come to that conclusion.

[sonic109]

Ok ,lets push this then. Who has an email for MANN ?
We should be flooding the MSM with DEMANDS they cover the story
Saw this on a Brit website. Should be sent to Mann
“Dear Inland Revenue, I enclose my latest accounts. Please note that I accidentally destroyed all the original invoices but I promise they were all entered correctly. Honest”

[grey_whiskers]

Thanks to dr_lew for the photoshop.

Cheers!

[Eva]

I was doing an internet search to see what kind of ties the University of WA had to the climategate scandal and I came up with a guy named Eric Steig. In one post that the guy made in January of this year, the guy was asking for support for the warming of the Antarctic, in support of Al Gore's appearance before Congress. His reasoning was that they needed to convince the general public of the urgency of climate change regulation which will lead to economic changes worldwide.

He received several responses from scientists refuting his statements about the warming of Antarctica, but the important part was his reasoning about worldwide economic changes.

[lacrew]

I’ve never understood the usefulness of tree rings in the first place. Wouldn’t drought, sunlight, rainfall, etc all be factors?

And really...pollution affects trees since 1960. All over the world?

Their excuses are laughable.

[Crim]

I’m sure we’ll know “who” soon enough...

But I’m wondering just what you are wavering upon...

In the article above Mann himslef throws Jones under the bus:

But Mann distanced himself from a 2008 e-mail by British scientist Phil Jones, who asked Mann and others to delete certain e-mails sought under Freedom of Information laws.

‘’I’m not going to defend that request,’’ Mann said. ‘’I did not approve of what he asked for and I didn’t follow through on it. I have all of my original e-mails.’’

Once again..Jones E-mail requesting people DELETE e-mails to avoid FIOA requests:

Mike,

Can you delete any emails you may have had with Keith re AR4? Keith will do likewise. He’s not in at the moment – minor family crisis.

Can you also email Gene and get him to do the same? I don’t have his new email address.

We will be getting Caspar to do likewise.

…

Cheers
Phil

[MCH]

I downloaded the original “hacked” .zip file and have spent a good deal of time with it.

The indexed email .txt files you speak of are all up on climate-gate.org for viewing firsthand.

[crescen7]

You're far from the first person to come to that conclusion.

Yes, but my entire sentence reads:"I’m starting to think that these files were purposely leaked, and contain harmful - but defensible emails."

With my point being(which I've not made clear enough) is that I believe the "leak" may have been done purposefully by Mann et al and that the small sampling of emails were purposefully selected to show disdain and contempt for "skeptics" but fall within the realm of what they can defend.

In the mean time, they get a reprieve from the increasingly loud drumbeat for the "release of information" as they claim to have been "hacked" and all their secrets known.

[crescen7]

"I’m sure we’ll know “who” soon enough... But I’m wondering just what you are wavering upon..."

Ok, Mann throws Jones under the bus - "sort of." See, the defense is, "you only found emails ASKING that we destroy emails - there are no emails CONFIRMING that anything was destroyed - or anyone AGREED to do so."

Which, sadly is a plausible defense

So what I'm "wavering on" is the possibility that this "leak" was staged by Mann et al with the goal of getting everyone worked into a frenzy over a few emails that they can defend - and ultimately taking the steam out of the increasing demands to "release information."

The main point is that these emails and documents should be considered the tip of an iceberg (pun intended) and evidence of the fact that All of the stored data and correspondence should be seized and audited - not like this is the end of the argument.

[Titus-Maximus]

These guys keep using the Big Lie and are enabled by the media. More Clintonesque - Deny Deny Deny. As Groucho Marx said, “Who are you going to believe, me or your own lying eyes?”

They say these emails are nothing, and Paul Krugman mimics it. Meanwhile the thinking world begins to gets furious.

They corrupted the peer review process, they viciously sought to shut down, condemn, strangle, coerce and kill any and all of those that would disagree. Scientists who opposed were “idiots”. Nothing was open, they denied all FOIA requests, Mann did not give out data. He maintained a secret cabal, a star chamber hiding within the protected and sacred world of academia. They were immune from criticism because if you disagree then you are an idiot. They admitted to “hiding the decline”, they doped data, they tried to destroy the reputations of skeptics, and were successful. If these practices are normal for academics then the Mafia is not as bad as we thought.

[Titus-Maximus]

These guys keep using the Big Lie and are enabled by the media. More Clintonesque - Deny Deny Deny. As Groucho Marx said, “Who are you going to believe, me or your own lying eyes?”

They say these emails are nothing, and Paul Krugman mimics it. Meanwhile the thinking world begins to gets furious.

They corrupted the peer review process, they viciously sought to shut down, condemn, strangle, coerce and kill any and all of those that would disagree. Scientists who opposed were “idiots”. Nothing was open, they denied all FOIA requests, Mann did not give out data. He maintained a secret cabal, a star chamber hiding within the protected and sacred world of academia. They were immune from criticism because if you disagree then you are an idiot. They admitted to “hiding the decline”, they doped data, they tried to destroy the reputations of skeptics, and were successful. If these practices are normal for academics then the Mafia is not as bad as we thought.

[VOA]

bump