A recent article from the UK Telegraph by James Delingpole sheds light on what could be the most significant scandal in modern science—the so-called “Climate Gate.” A hacker broke into the computers at the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit (CRU) and released 61 megabytes of confidential files, including over 1,000 emails and 72 documents. These files reveal a conspiracy to exaggerate data supporting Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW).
The leaked emails suggest manipulation of scientific data, collusion among climate scientists, and organized efforts to suppress dissenting views. Among the revelations are admissions of manipulating temperature data to “hide the decline” and suppressing evidence that contradicted warming trends. The emails also expose attempts to exclude skeptical scientists from the peer review process, discrediting those who disagreed with AGW as cranks.
Some emails even contain shocking remarks, such as one climate scientist celebrating the death of climate skeptic John L. Daly in 2004, calling it “cheering news.”
Manipulation and Suppression of Evidence
In one email, a CRU scientist references a method for hiding declining temperature trends by using “Mike’s Nature trick” to manipulate the data. Another email reveals the scientists’ frustration with the lack of warming, stating, “The fact is that we can’t account for the lack of warming at the moment and it is a travesty that we can’t.”
Moreover, there are discussions of deleting emails to hide sensitive information. One email requested colleagues to delete correspondence about climate data to avoid potential scrutiny, saying, “Can you delete any emails you may have had with Keith re AR4?”
Attempts to Undermine Dissent
Perhaps most concerning is the revelation of coordinated efforts to marginalize climate skeptics. One email outlines how to discredit the journal Climate Research for publishing skeptical views, with the suggestion that colleagues should stop submitting papers to or citing the journal.
This manipulation of the scientific process, combined with the CRU’s history of withholding data from researchers, undermines the credibility of the global warming movement. The CRU’s data is one of the four key sources of global temperature data used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), making this scandal particularly damaging.
A Turning Point in the Global Warming Debate?
The leaked emails have cast doubt on the legitimacy of the global warming movement. As the world cools and support for eco-policies dwindles, the credibility of AGW advocates, such as Al Gore, is rapidly eroding. Though there remains a long road ahead, the exposure of the CRU scandal could mark a turning point, signaling the decline of AGW as a dominant scientific theory.
Despite the media’s efforts to downplay the story, the scandal is spreading across the internet, dealing a severe blow to the AGW lobby’s credibility. With so many vested interests in the AGW narrative, the fight over climate science is far from over, but the revelations from these hacked emails could be the beginning of its downfall.
