Politeia: Climategate: Meet the New Hockey Team ...

... instated by the University of East Anglia to probe the decisions and behavior of the old hockey team, led by Professor Phil Jones. Bishop Hill has the broad headings, the scope of the Russell investigation.

What a bummer! Just a few days ago we were happy to post with some optimism that "an independent enquiry into the 'Climategate' leaked email scandal at the University of East Anglia has been announced. Sir Muir Russell had been appointed to investigate allegations that leading academics manipulated data on global warming.

A separate police investigation is ongoing into whether the emails were leaked or hacked." Well, we already know it was leaked. It must have been an inside job by a whistle blower.

Sir Muir Russell is Chairman of the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland and former principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow. The other members of the panel of enquiry are Geoffrey Boulton, General Secretary of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (Professor of Geology), Dr Philip Campbell, Editor-in-Chief for Nature journal, Professor Peter Clarke of the University of Edinburgh (a particle physicist by background; he heads the e-Science Centre at Edinburgh), David Eyton, Head of Research and Technology at BP, Professor Jim Norton, Vice President for the Chartered Institute for IT.

Sky News: "Probe Into Leaked Email Scandal"

Climate change sceptics claim some emails suggest scientists were colluding in an attempt to bolster the theory that global warming is caused by humans. (...) "There aren't league tables about how good scientists are. We're expecting them to police themselves," he said. "So if there's any evidence that they're conspiring against their critics, conspiring to shut down debate about what they're doing, conspiring not to comply with Freedom of Information requests - I think that's pretty bad news."

The review by Sir Russell, who has no previous links with the climate science community or with the University of East Anglia, will examine whether there has been any manipulation or suppression of data "at odds with acceptable scientific practice". He will also look at the way the unit deals with all aspects of its research processes and the policy for Freedom of Information requests.

Many climate experts fear the scandal risks undermining decades of sound research on global warming. "It's a great shame that people have concentrated on the Climategate element of this, which is where the odd thing has gone wrong," professor David Collins told Sky News. "That is detracting from the underlying truth of the matter, which is that the physics behind climate change are pretty robust." The inquiry is due to finish by the Spring. >>>

But just hours after the announcement it turned out, the first member of the 'independent' panel was forced to resign. He might have a preconception or two as Editor-in-Chief of Nature, one of the IPCC's 'scientific' sources.

At Bishop Hill they've discovered another panel member with various problems involving bias. Read about Geoffrey Boulton here en here.

Reason Magazine in addition has raised objections to BP's Head of Research and Technology, David Eyton. BP has been 'sustainable' and 'socially responsible' for years - an early member of the climate-corporate complex. Also BP has been funding climate research at major universities - not because they're agnostic towards the man-made glowball warming hypothesis, one would think.

Nigel Lawson's GWPF has issued this statement on the news of the Russell enquiry. No public hearings, no transcripts and closed doors. This enquiry has all the makings of a cover up. And doesn't the choice of appointees betray a shocking lack of understanding of what is in fact the nature of objectivity?

To be continued, methinks.

Related dossier:

- "Greenism"