From the Commonwealth Foundation press release
The release of embarrassingly candid emails from the Climate Research Unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia has intensified, if not vindicated, suspicions that scientific misconduct has played a significant role in fueling alarmism over supposed catastrophic manmade global warming.
Just days after news broke about what has been dubbed “Climategate,” Penn State University (PSU) announced that it would investigate the conduct of Michael Mann, a professor in PSU’s Department of Meteorology and a prominent figure in the Climategate emails.
While PSU is to be commended for recognizing that Climategate is a serious matter and that an investigation into Michael Mann’s conduct is warranted, the investigation constitutes a conflict of interest for the university. Mann’s climate work brings enough visibility, prestige, and revenue to PSU to legitimately call into question the university’s ability to do a thorough and unbiased investigation.
To avoid this glaring conflict of interest and ensure that the investigation of Mann is credible, the Pennsylvania General Assembly should commission an external and independent investigation into Mann’s potential scientific misconduct.
To download the full PDF version, please click here
Paul Chesser writes at the American Thinker:
The Commonwealth Foundation in Harrisburg, Pa. does not trust Pennsylvania State University to investigate Climategate hockey sticker Michael Mann, because of the millions of dollars that his research brings to the university. The foundation today released a 12-page policy brief which addresses Mann’s Climategate emails, the significance of his role, and why the university has a conflict of interest in investigating him. Commonwealth held a press conference today at the state capitol about their report:
The hockey stick controversy and Climategate emails reveal that Michael Mann may have committed significant and intentional scientific misconduct, including improper data manipulation, inappropriately shielding research methods and results from others, and engaging in a number of forms of retaliation against those who publicly challenge his research results.
Were scientific misconduct a criminal matter, the aforementioned facts might be said to constitute “probable cause” for a search warrant. Analogously, these facts provide probable cause for an investigation into Mann’s conduct at PSU.
Although PSU has announced that it will investigate Climategate, given Mann’s financial and reputational value to the university, and the likely embarrassment resulting from an adverse finding concerning his conduct, there is good reason to believe that a PSU-managed investigation might amount to little more than a whitewash.
Commonwealth Foundation goes on to recommend that the state General Assembly commission an external, independent investigation. Pennsylvania State Senate Education Committee Chairman Jeffrey Piccola has already promised Penn State that if its investigation is a whitewash, he will do one that isn’t.
h/t to reader “boballab”
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“…no-one who matters takes any notice of right-wing think tanks.”
Yet here you are commenting on it.
Odd, that.
Twaki (13:29:45):
I’m not sure you can count on an “honest and transparent” investigation, even from the state. As several have already stated, there is way too much money and reputation involved in a negative outcome. Both the university and the state must consider that if Mann is found guilty of misconduct, malfeasance or outright fraud, what their exposure is to being held liable by the government and other funding organizations for the research funds he may have misused. One might make the case that, because of a lack of proper supervision, the university was partially responsible for the misuse of funds and must repay those funds to the government or other funding organization. That could get very expensive, very quick.
Hear! Hear! Let’s not forget the whitewash that happened at Albany Uni with the Wang & Jones paper on UHI effects when the university conducted its own “investigations”!
John Hooper (13:38;07) – So who does matter ? Please enlighten us .
kadaka (13:24:51) :
Michael Mann is not Joe Paterno. Penn State can afford to lose Mann.
Richard A. (13:26:30) :
Hopefully there’s enough pressure on PSU that they will see the long term value of ditching Mann
If Penn State does cut Michael Mann loose that would mean they see guilt in him. Would they be responsible to return all monies brought to the University by his name? If so they may not want to find guilt in him.
HotRod (13:25:27) :
the Commonwealth Foun dation – respectable, influential, serious? Or oil industry shills? Can an American comment for me?
Mission:
The Commonwealth Foundation is an independent, non-profit research and educational institute that develops and advances public policies based on the nation’s founding principles of limited government, economic freedom, and personal responsibility.
Values:
The Commonwealth Foundation’s research and educational efforts are firmly established on several core values that form the basis of a “civil society.” The activities of the Foundation are therefore committed to:
Respecting and protecting the lives and property of others.
Recognizing the inseparability of personal and economic freedom.
Upholding personal responsibility and accountability for one’s actions.
Challenging the general perception that government intervention is the most appropriate and most efficient means of solving societal problems.
Demonstrating the power of private institutions—both for-profit and non-profit—to create a good and civil society.
Promoting the use of economic reasoning to understand a world of scarcity, trade-offs, and the unseen consequences of governmental solutions to societal problems.
If only the U.S. government adhered to these policies.
Re: John Hooper (Jan 12 13:38),
Repeat it all you want- nobody who matters cares what you think.
“Lucy Skywalker (14:00:08)
It’s Pennsylvania State University, Penn State, not the University of Pennsylvania. Two different schools. We need to be careful here. Many states have two universities, similarly named. I live in Washington. We have Washington State University, in Pullman in the southeastern part of the state, and the University of Washington, in the western part, home of Eric Steig of RC and a few Climategate emails.
Lucy Skywalker (14:00:08) :
Just a slight nit to pick UPenn is the University of Pennsylvania which is a completely different school then PSU (Pennsylvania State University). Also as someone else pointed out PSU is in a different boat finance wise compared to UEA and the Albany University. One PSU is a state funded institution and it is a far larger institution then the other two and JoePa and the PSU football team probably brought in more money to PSU this year alone then the entire grants Mann has brought in since 2005. Take a look at how much they probably made just from this years Capital One Bowl:
kadaka (14:02:38) :
Michael (13:27:55) : Wrote
“(…) I’m from Pennsylvania, and it is a conservative state. (…)
I’ve always been here, and before we can claim that in national elections we first have to cancel out Philly and Harrisburg/York. Which currently looks to be a lot easier come November. Don’t get me started on party-switching Senator Arlen Specter, whose “greenhouse gas emissions” position would qualify him as one of Al Gore’s “useful idiots.””
Spector and Philly government has always been a thorn in my side. PA does have the Amish though.
I’m not sure this request will mean anything to the Pennsylvania government.
HotRod (13:25:27) :
the Commonwealth Foun dation – respectable, influential, serious? Or oil industry shills? Can an American comment for me?
Does it matter if they are oil industry shills? Seems even Rajendra Kumar Pachauri seems to fall into that category.
@ur momisugly Harold Blue Tooth (14:19:55) : I’m not sure this request will mean anything to the Pennsylvania government.
Don’t be so sure of that. The PA Senate is Republican. So is our attorney general. Penn State has already been told by the Senate Education Committee and at least one senator that if they try to whitewash this, the SEC will do its own investigation.
@ur momisugly boballab (14:18:40) :
Lucy Skywalker (14:00:08) :
Just a slight nit to pick UPenn is the University of Pennsylvania which is a completely different school then PSU (Pennsylvania State University).
Penn is Ivy League. Penn State is a state-funded school.
Very interesting. PSU investigating Michael Mann is not any different than East Anglia University investigating CRU or the UN investigating IPCC. The foxes are in charge of guarding the chicken coop.
The Commonwealth Foundation is to be commended but who’s going to vet for any investigative team formed by the State General assembly to insure that they are indeed independent? Jeffrey Piccola is not to be trusted either, in my opinion. He’s probably in bed with PSU.
Harold Blue Tooth (14:16:08) :
If Penn State does cut Michael Mann loose that would mean they see guilt in him. Would they be responsible to return all monies brought to the University by his name? If so they may not want to find guilt in him.
If the money goes to the department then it stays with the department. If it was specified as specifically for his own research then it stays tied to him, until revoked for fraud, willful misrepresentation, or whatever reason gets cited. At least, that’s how I presume it works.
Harold Blue Tooth (14:19:55) :
I’m not sure this request will mean anything to the Pennsylvania government.
We Pennsylvania citizens have been wondering if any requests to our state government mean anything, unless coming from a politically-powerful and/or campaign-donating group or individual.
However, do not worry about Penn State losing significant amounts of funding. Our Governor Rendell, a non-convicted former Philadelphia mayor, has now gotten table games added for the casino businesses to increase the taxes and fees the state takes in, after he successfully brought slot machine gambling and Atlantic City-style casinos to our fair state. So in no time Harrisburg will have truckloads of cash to drop on our state educational institutions, like Penn State. The glorious days of prosperity are heading our way soon!
I would think that a few senior academics from other universities could do the job. After all Wegmen and his team saw through Mann. Just get another team and they will skewer him if there has been fraud.
John Hooper (13:38:07) :
Hmm, the “Commonwealth Foundation.” Let me guess: yet another right-wing thank tank?
I’ll repeat it again: no-one who matters takes any notice of right-wing think tanks.
Polly want a cracker?
“@ur momisugly Calvin Ball (12:58:11) :
Mann is like manna to PSU. Why would they want to disturb such a capable rainmaker in the meteorology dept?”
“Are you SERIOUS? Are you SERIOUS?” – Nancy Pelosi
Calvin, you need to study a bit… Mann – should have his phD pulled, and be locked up – he has been a fraud for 10+ years.
If they can not make rain ethically – the do not deserve the rain.
Is Mann being protected?
From the late, great John Daly:
No wonder the CRU clique peractically shouted for joy when they heard that John Daly had passed away.
John Hooper (13:38:07) : :”
Hmm, the “Commonwealth Foundation.” Let me guess: yet another right-wing thank tank? I’ll repeat it again: no-one who matters takes any notice of right-wing think tanks.”
And no one who has a brain takes any notice of people who make ad hominem attacks.
I have already stated that I think this and the other internal university investigations into Jones and Briffa are all going to be white washes. This may hold out some hope for truthfulness, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Truth seems to be a very rare commodity these days.
Penn State is in Pennsylvania. The Governator of Pennsylvania is a fellar named Rendell (from Philadelphia). The senior Senator in Pennsylvania is Arlen Spector (from Philadelphia). Philadelphia wins. Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania lose. Mann declared innocent on all charges. Penn State (the state and the university) become bigger jokes. Mann despised by older and new colleagues; his contemporaries will think he walks on water till they realize its ice.
Excellent! The tentacles of the entrenched AGW clan will attempt to whitewash any investigation into their activities.
Recall the brilliant last line from the film The Good Shepherd – “Why don’t we call it ‘The CIA’?? Nobody says ‘The’ god do they???”
Now, there is intractable momentum to smash the keepers of deceit. Down, down go the old guard protecting their puerile, decrepit fiefdom!
The Good Shepherd – a brilliant movie that explains much.