Legal counsel for the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) filed three Notices of Intent to File Suit against NASA today. Chris Horner, counsel of CEI, said that the suit against NASA and its Goddard Institute of Space Studies is for the agency’s failure to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests for the past three years. Employees of the agency have been mentioned in the now infamous Climategate emails.
CEI has been seeking documents and emails pertaining to NASA’s modification of climate records after errors were discovered in them by Steve McIntyre of Climate Audit. They also are seeking information on NASA scientist Gavin Schmidt and his activities on the site RealClimate that may be in conflict with his governmental employment.
Horner wrote on the American Spectator that, “The information sought is directly relevant to the exploding "ClimateGate" scandal revealing document destruction, coordinated efforts in the U.S. and UK to avoid complying with both countries' freedom of information laws, and apparent and widespread intent to defraud at the highest levels of international climate science bodies.”
Complete Climategate Coverage
Thousands of emails from Britain’s Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia were illegally released on the Internet Friday and it has caused a major uproar. United States Senator James Inhofe is vowing an investigation into the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In Britain, Former Chancellor Lord Lawson is pushing for a probe of university for possible manipulation of climate data.
Should the agency not comply with the FOIA requests, CEI will file suit in 30 days in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Among the information CEI is seeking:
- internal discussions about NASA's quiet correction of its false historical U.S. temperature records after two Canadian researchers discovered a key statistical error, specifically discussion about whether and why to correct certain records, how to do so, the impact or wisdom or potential (or real) fallout therefrom or reaction to doing so (requested August 2007);
- internal discussions relating to the emails sent to James Hansen and/or Reto A. Ruedy from Canadian statistician Steve McIntyre calling their attention to the errors in NASA/GISS online temperature data (August 2007);
- those relating to the content, importance or propriety of workday-hour posts or entries by GISS/NASA employee Gavin A. Schmidt on the weblog or "blog" RealClimate, which is owned by the advocacy Environmental Media Services and was started as an effort to defend the debunked "Hockey Stick" that is so central to the CRU files. RealClimate.org is implicated in the leaked files, expressly offered as a tool to be used "in any way you think would be helpful" to a certain advocacy campaign, including an assertion of Schmidt's active involvement in, e.g., delaying and/or screening out unhelpful input by "skeptics" attempting to comment on claims made on the website.
Climate Change Examiner Facebook Page Climate Change Examiner on Twitter
Or be notified by email when a new article from the Climate Change Examiner is posted.
Click the 'Subscribe' link at the top or bottom of the article and enter your email address.
Comments
Its beginning to unravel. We will find ManBearPig hunter Al in a fetal position under a PV panel soon. Clutching his self signed copy of his slide show and his Nobel.
His epithet. No one took me serially!
to read? the documents go to www.eastangliaemails.com
It is not over we will need to fight, not to pay higher taxes because of Copenhagen. We need to take action just like the health care bill don't let them hit us with another 3000.00 per person per year. I'm trying to just exist and the taxes just keep on coming. The leftist Communist are out there still faking science to make a buck. The bad thing is the sun is doing weird stuff no sun spots, for a while now. Native Americans have some stuff to say about it, and it is not good.
Wow.. I'm shocked some type of scandal has come up just before the summit. The problem with climate change is most people posting in blogs about it being a hoax don't even have a clue of what they are talking about. Some people are refering to climate change as a hoax... others are comparing CO2 to the air. Ignorance and being ready to believe anything that would favor obstructionism thats all this is. Coporate America at work again. I'm shocked some sort of scandal has come about... NOT!
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is also suing blogger Gavin Schmidt for the "inappropriate behavior" of moderating comments at RealClimate.org
tinyurl.com/yh9n8yy
He's done a great job explaining the context of the stolen Emails, but unfortunately some in the Climate Change denial camp aren't exhibiting the patience to read the context. Perhaps they lack the attention span. I dunno.
tinyurl.com/yjxrbf3
"if cherry-picked out-of-context phrases from stolen personal emails is the only response to the weight of the scientific evidence for the human influence on climate change, then there probably isn't much to it."
Hack the world, it is time hackers did something meaningful in our society. Hackers get what FOIA cant. I say, let the hackers have at it!!!
Thank you Examiner, for being among the few to report on climategate! You make me proud to live in Washington!
Ken Grubb
Oh, Gavin Schmidt of realclimate? The bastion of sainthood. My personal belief is that he is running scared and his actions are not due to his moral fiber but the fact that he is trying to run damage control for his friends. It is obvious from the leaked emails that this is the purpose of realclimate to begin with.
Realclimate is not about science but what the few want the world to hear and believe is the "true" science.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!