[Vision2020] Climate Reseach Unit Response to Pielke: "Times" Story False: Data Still Exists

[Ted Moffett]

Given the recent post "Climate Change Data Dumped" and Roger Pielke's
(University of Colorado environmental studies professor) role in
investigating the University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit's data, I
went to Pielke's blog and discovered that the raw data in question that was
"dumped" still exists, it appears, but is not held by CRU.  The "Times" news
story quoted in the post "Climate Change Data Dumped" is irresponsible
journalism.  I will post the full response to this issue from the University
of East Anglia and the Climate Research Unit separately.

The headline in the news article "Climate Change Data Dumped" is
infotainment hype.  In fact, this news article from "The Sunday Times"
states a falsehood:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6936328.ece

>From The Sunday Times
November 29, 2009

Climate change data dumped

"The CRU is the world’s leading centre for reconstructing past climate
and temperatures. Climate change sceptics have long been keen to examine
exactly how its data were compiled. That is now impossible."
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If the data "dumped" still exists, it is not impossible to examine how its
data were compiled.  A CRU scientist indicated to Pielke that his quote in
the "Times" was misrepresenting the situation, and Pielke, though critical
of the Climate Research Unit, appears to concede the point.

>From Pielke's blog:

http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com/2009/11/cru-on-global-temperture-data.html

Today I received an email from a climate scientist of CRU-email fame
complaining about my quote in the Times. He says that the national
meteorological services have the original data, suggesting that I was
misrepresenting the situation.
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Obviously, CRU should have taken these
steps<http://www.uea.ac.uk/mac/comm/media/press/2009/nov/homepagenews/CRUupdate>long
before the present circumstances, but regardless, they are now moving
towards greater responsiveness and transparency. When the data is available
in its original form those skeptical of climate science can then do the
temperature math themselves out in the open where everyone can see their
work.
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Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
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