Philip Walzer
The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Nineteen Old Dominion University professors on Friday joined a rising tide of opposition to state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's request for documents involving a former climate-change researcher at the University of Virginia.
In a statement, they said Cuccinelli's actions "echo some of the worst offenses of the McCarthy era," referring to Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin who sought to uncover Communists in the '50s.
The attorney general, they wrote, should "cease and desist from this and further 'witch hunts' driven by partisan political agendas that waste valuable state resources in a difficult economy."
Cuccinelli last month sought documents relating to research in global warming conducted by Michael Mann, who was at U.Va. from 1999 to 2005 and now teaches at Penn State. The request indicated that Cuccinelli's office is investigating whether Mann committed fraud.
Skeptics of global warming last year pointed to e-mails, including some from Mann, that they said attempted to suppress data that didn't correlate with the theory. A Penn State inquiry cleared Mann of wrongdoing.
"The investigation has been done," said David Burdige, an Old Dominion professor of ocean, earth and atmospheric sciences. "Multiple organizations have said, 'Enough's enough.' "
Also this week, the American Association of University Professors and the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia asked U.Va. to fight Cuccinelli's demand. University officials said they will comply with his request.
The Union of Concerned Scientists, a national group, asked the attorney general to withdraw his order.
U.Va.'s Faculty Senate issued a statement this week saying Cuccinelli's actions "send a chilling message to scientists engaged in basic research involving Earth's climate."
A spokesman for Cuccinelli did not respond to a message Friday.
The attorney general also has taken legal action against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its conclusion that greenhouse gases are harmful to humans.
Philip Walzer, (757) 222-3864, phil.walzer@pilotonline.com
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If said Professor was an
If said Professor was an employ of the state of Virginia, then his findings/reports should be made available to the public. Only a patent or copyrighted publication should not be made public. But he should want his work published so the state could see what he has been paid for.
Nothing to Hide?
Me thinks thou dost protest too much.....it's so obvious!
Bad Politics
Resisting the investigation is a very bad idea and likely criminal. Also bad politics: How does that quote of grandmother wisdom go?
"That thing in your hand, Child, it is only what you are hiding."
I image Mr. Cuccinelli has cause to be grateful for the attention YOU bring to his diligence, his attention to duty regardless of what some may think of it and his sense of proportion. With enemies like that he does not need to rely on the strength of friends.
http://TeaPartyConstitutionalists.ning.com/
At this point, I believe ODU's Academic integrity is on the line
I can't think of any of my professors who wouldn't completely lay out all their research data for others to analyze and validate the credibility of their conclusions. That is what the scientific process is all about- not hiding raw data and research records etc. It is not like ODU is going to gain a patent or hold exclusive rights to some earth-defining invention here.
Objectivity Destroyed
I get the impression that there is ample government funding available for professors with research directed at "proving" harmful man-made climate change and little government funding available for research tending to prove the opposite. The academic community may feel that such an inquiry by the Attorney General might threaten their very lucrative source of funding. Why not end taxpayer funding of such research projects altogether since such big money tends to ruin the objectivity of the researchers who receive it. Leave the funding of such research to private sources and the Attorney General would have no reason to question the way the data was gathered.
Just doing his job
Let's see. A former state employee has been accused of fraud He was cleared by his current employer. Fine. Let's see if he committed fraud while in the Commonwealth. Money well spent, Mr. A.G. Let this be a warning to all university employees who create facts to support themselves that this won't be tolerated in Virginia. Who was that professor who won the Bancroft(?) prize and had to return it because he falsified data? University professors can be as crooked as anyone else; what do the rest of them have to hide? Hmmm?
It is simple: show us the data
They have it the State wants it. Just hand it over. Got nothing to hide, then what is the problem. Tap dancing yet?
GO for it Ken
Global warming is a fraud and complete bunk. If it wasn't then ALL of the data (pros and cons)would be released. It's about time that the state stop rolling over and playing dead everytime the feds say so. The green weenies in this case have an agenda and the AG is calling their bluff.
Actually
All the data is and has been publicly accessible. As for the email scandal, several investigations found no fraud. The science stands and the well-funded forces of denial continue to imperil our future. The ecosystem is undergoing major observable changes and as the entire history of life on earth makes abundantly clear, we must address this and adapt or we will join the extinct species and fallen civilizations of the past. Cuccinelli is not only wasting state funds but precious time. He may get his private kickbacks and kudos from his extremist/corporate base but your children will pay a steep price for this foolishness.
Simply untrue
No, the original, unfiltered Data Mann used has not been released, and is claimed to have been "misplaced." Further, the selection criteria for the filtered data have not been released and independent analysis of equally representative data do not agree.
There is an adage in research that if a thing cannot be reproduced, it did not happen.
The EPA is making policy based on research which cannot be reproduced and cannot be verified.
Somebody has some splain'n to do.