Two year old turkey for Thanksgiving: CRU emails part deux

In an apparent attempt to repeat the pre-Copenhagen impact of the release of emails stolen from the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit in 2009, another batch of private correspondence between climate scientists has been made public via links left at sceptic blogs. UEA has confirmed that the emails appear to be genuine, and to be from the previous theft:

While we have had only a limited opportunity to look at this latest post of 5,000 emails, we have no evidence of a recent breach of our systems.

If genuine, (the sheer volume of material makes it impossible to confirm at present that they are all genuine) these emails have the appearance of having been held back after the theft of data and emails in 2009 to be released at a time designed to cause maximum disruption to the imminent international climate talks.

As you might expect, the usual suspects are out in force, desperately trying to spin these mails into a new scandal, but initial responses from the scientists featuring in the correspondence are that the contents are just the warmed-up leftovers of 2009’s PR beat-up. Michael Mann commented:

“The last time this happened, it turned out to be a hoax, a manufactured scandal. This has all the makings of a yet another fraud, perpetrated once again on the eve of a major climate change summit with the intention of distracting the public and policymakers about the very real threat of human-caused climate change”

Leo Hickman in the Guardian reports that the Norfolk Police — who have been investigating the original server hack for two years with no apparent success — have said that the new release of emails is “of interest” to them. Other reactions here:

For Hot Topic‘s coverage of the original email theft, start here, then go here, where I discuss the framing of the non-scandal. See also Skeptical Science’s excellent overview of 2009’s events and the fallout.

6 thoughts on “Two year old turkey for Thanksgiving: CRU emails part deux”

  1. Thus far the ‘gotcha’ quotes I’ve read are totally – almost comically – underwhelming. If the main course didn’t do the trick, these barely reheated leftovers are hardly likely to provide anything more substantial.

    However, no doubt the usual suspects will run around shouting ‘fire fire’ at the tops of their voices, and again the spirit of The Stupid will be abroad in the land…

    To any of the squawkers reading I challenge you – upload all of your emails to some obscure Russian server, and we’ll see if we can’t cherrypick and quotemine our way into making you a monster!

    I’ve been constantly amazed that even the most basic consideration of reciprocity – i.e. ‘how would I fare if I was placed in the same situation?’ – never seems to even cross the minds of these strident gloaters. Ethical failure welded to intellectual failure.

  3. I’m going to go out on a limb and call Climategate 2.0 as having died in the arse, to use one of our charming Antipodean expressions. Outside of the looking glass world – and, of course, its banner publication, the Oz – no-one appears to be buying it. The TSI (The Stupid Index) declines 4 points… Perhaps it will sink back below 1000?…

    And speaking of turkeys and calling things, let’s not forget 2011 being cooler than 1956, or earlier. I think not. Unless the sun burns out tomorrow, of course. Though I expect that also happened in looking glass world! (Being cooler than ’56 that is. But, when you think about it, the projected life of the sun thing is all based on models, isn’t it? 😉 ) …

  4. The “two year old turkey” analogy is good, in the sense that the deniers are serving up garbage for this thanksgiving, but it carries with it a bit of an implication that there was something to this thing two years ago.

    The problem then and now is that so many want to believe what the deniers are serving up.

  5. Pingback: The Climate Show #22: Durban doubts & Renwick on extremes | The Climate Show

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