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MYTH #93: Climategate suggests conspiracy

DENIERS SAY:

The East Anglia emails show that global warming is a fraud based upon falsified data and conspiracy.

SCIENCE SAYS:

A few stolen emails taken out of context don't make climate change any less of a reality.

Here’s the thing. When something gets taken out of context, there’s an excellent chance it’ll be misinterpreted. And that’s exactly what happened with the emails that were stolen from the University of East Anglia in late 2009. After the emails were stolen and published online, a number of independent investigators examined the conduct of the scientists who wrote the emails. Ultimately, they concluded that nothing they said or did affected our understanding of climate science. There’s an overwhelming amount of evidence that man-made global warming is happening now. Focusing on a few emails that were taken out of context doesn’t make climate change any less of a reality.

Additional info from the Union of Concerned Scientists


The manufactured controversy over emails stolen from the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit has generated a lot more heat than light. The email content being quoted does not indicate that climate data and research have been compromised. Most importantly, nothing in the content of these stolen emails has any impact on our overall understanding that human activities are driving dangerous levels of global warming. Media reports and contrarian claims that they do are inaccurate.

At least six official investigations have cleared scientists of accusations of wrongdoing.

    • A three-part Penn State University investigation cleared scientist Michael Mann (PDF) of wrongdoing.
    • Two reviews commissioned by the University of East Anglia "supported the honesty and integrity of scientists in the Climatic Research Unit."
    • A UK Parliament report concluded that the emails have no bearing on our understanding of climate science and that claims against UEA scientists are misleading.
    • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Inspector General's office concluded there was no evidence of wrongdoing on behalf of their employees.
    • The National Science Foundation Inspector General's (PDF) office concluded, "Lacking any direct evidence of research misconduct ... we are closing this investigation with no further action."
Other agencies and media outlets have investigated the substance of the emails.

    • The Environmental Protection Agency, in response to petitions against action to curb heat-trapping emissions, dismissed attacks on the science rooted in the stolen emails.
    • Factcheck.org debunked claims that the emails put the conclusions of climate science into question.
    • Politifact.com rated claims that the emails falsify climate science as "false."
    • An Associated Press review of the emails found that they "don't undercut the vast body of evidence showing the world is warming because of manmade greenhouse gas emissions." 
While the emails have raised some concerns, the email content that has been quoted does not indicate that climate data and research have been compromised. Most importantly, nothing in the content of the stolen emails has any impact on our overall understanding that human activities are driving dangerous levels of global warming.

Adapted from © Union of Concerned Scientists
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