Central Climategate scientist to step down pending investigation

Phil Jones, one of the most controversial figures in the
debate about manmade climate change and the
Climategate emails has said he will step down pending
an investigation.  (UAE)

Dr. Phil Jones, head of the Climate Research Unit at Britain’s University of East Anglia will be stepping down temporarily. The university has announced that it will investigate Jones and the many statements he made in emails that were released on the Internet in recent weeks.

Jones’ messages are arguably some of the most controversial and have been seized upon by many as signs of a corrupt process involved in studying manmade climate change. One message in which he says he was able to use a “trick” to “hide the decline” of temperatures in the last decade has drawn charges of data manipulation. Jones and his colleagues have said he was simply referring to a substitution of tree ring data.

Notably as well, Jones was seen as an active figure in blocking access to climate data needed to replicate the conclusions he and other researchers reached. He openly discussed hiding behind other regulations to avoid releasing information under Freedom of Information laws and at one point said, “I think I’ll delete the file rather than send to anyone.”  In the wake of the scandal, the university has said it will be releasing the data.

• Climategate - Complete coverage from Examiner.com

Ironically, some of the messages that were leaked show Jones asking some of the world’s top climate scientists to delete emails he did not want to see released. In one he wrote, “Leave it to you to delete as appropriate!” In another to Michael Mann of Penn State University, Jones asked Mann to delete emails and get others to do so:

Mike, Can you delete any emails you may have had with Keith re AR4? Keith will do likewise. He’s not in at the moment – minor family crisis. Can you also email Gene and get him to do the same? I don’t have his new email address. We will be getting Caspar to do likewise.
~ Phil Jones in an email to Michael Mann

The university is expected to announce details of the review process in the coming days. In a statement, Jones said, “What is most important is that CRU continues its world leading research with as little interruption and diversion as possible. After a good deal of consideration I have decided that the best way to achieve this is by stepping aside from the Director's role during the course of the independent review and am grateful to the University for agreeing to this. The Review process will have my full support."

Jones is the second of the Climategate scientists to come under investigation by his employer. Michael Mann who sent similarly controversial messages will be investigated by Penn State as well.