In a piece published in the Record-Bee on June 10 you allowed an individual named Adrian Vance to do a grave disservice to your readers by making false and defamatory statements about me and my climate scientist colleagues.
Mr. Vance”s claim that I and other climate scientist colleagues have been found to have been “manipulating, hiding and destroying climate data” is a lie, pure and simple ? and part of a smear campaign that has been manufactured by industry-funded climate change denial outlets and spread by those, such as Mr. Vance, who unwittingly or not, serve to spread their propaganda.
Both the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and my university, Penn State University, have exonerated me of the false allegations against me by climate change deniers like Mr. Vance. The National Academy of Sciences has furthermore affirmed my research findings, as have dozens of other independent groups of scientists. U.K. climate scientists at the Climatic Research Unit, including Dr. Phil Jones who is singled out by Mr. Vance, have similarly been absolved of any wrong doing by multiple investigations in the U.K.
Mr. Vance promotes a number of other canards, including the standard climate change denier talking point that climate scientists are making “billions” of dollars for their work. Scientists” salaries are determined by their institutions, not by how much grant money they get. Almost all government research funds obtained by climate scientists (and all other scientists for that matter) go to funding research, field work, etc. and the support of graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and staff. Scientists do not financially benefit themselves from these grants. That is to be contrasted with professional climate change deniers who are indeed typically compensated by industry front groups for their attacks against the science of climate change.
Readers interested in the truth behind the science, rather than the falsehoods and smears perpetuated by people like Mr. Vance, should consult the scientist-run Web site: www.realclimate.org, or scientifically-based books on the topic like my “Dire Predictions: Understanding Global Warming.”
If it ironic that Mr. Vance accuses scientists (including myself) of dishonesty. It is those like Mr. Vance who spread false information about science and scientists ? whether knowingly, or by simply uncritically parroting the disinformation of others ? who do the greatest harm to the public discourse on vital issues such as climate change.
Michael E. Mann
Professor, Dept. of Meteorology,
Penn State University
Director, Penn State Earth System Science Center
