People send me stuff.
Just last week we heard that Dr. Robert Carter had been blackballed at his own university where he served as department chair, and now we have this from Dr. Murray Salby, sent via email.
Between John Cook, Stephan Lewandowsky, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, plus Mike Marriot and his idiotic ideas, I’m beginning to think Australia is ground zero for AGW crackpottery.
This email’s accusations (if true I have independent confirmation now, title changed to reflect this – Anthony) is quite something, it illustrates the disturbing lengths a university will go to suppress ideas they don’t agree with. So much for academic freedom at Macquarie University.
From: [redacted]
Sent: Monday, July 08, 2013 2:25 PM
To: [redacted]
Subject: From Murry Salby
Thanks for your interest in the research presented during my recent lecture tour in Europe.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2013/06/another-nail-in-the-climate-change-coffin.php
Remarks from several make it clear that Macquarie University
is comfortable with openly disclosing the state of affairs,
if not distorting them to its convenience. So be it.
Macquarie’s liberal disclosure makes continued reticence unfeasible.
In response to queries is the following, a matter of record:
1. In 2008, I was recruited from the US by “Macquarie University”,
with appointment as Professor, under a national employment contract with
regulatory oversight, and with written agreement that Macquarie would provide
specified resources to enable me to rebuild my research program in Australia.
Included was technical support to convert several hundred thousand lines of computer code,
comprising numerical models and analyses (the tools of my research),
to enable those computer programs to operate in Australia.
2. With those contractual arrangements, I relocated to Australia.
Upon attempting to rebuild my research program, Macquarie advised that
the resources it had agreed to provide were unavailable. I was given an excuse for why.
Half a year later, I was given another excuse. Then another.
Requests to release the committed resources were ignored.
3. Three years passed before Macquarie produced even the first major component
of the resources it had agreed to provide. After five years of cat-and-mouse,
Macquarie has continued to withhold the resources that it had committed.
As a result, my computer models and analyses remain inoperative.
4. A bright student from Russia came to Macquarie to work with me.
Macquarie required her to abandon her PhD scholarship in Russia.
Her PhD research, approved by Macquarie, relied upon the same computer
models and analyses, which Macquarie agreed to have converted but did not.
5. To remedy the situation, I petitioned Macquarie through several avenues provided
in my contract. Like other contractual provisions, those requests were ignored.
The provisions then required the discrepancy to be forwarded to the Australian employment tribunal,
the government body with regulatory oversight.
The tribunal then informed me that Macquarie had not even registered my contract.
Regulatory oversight, a statutory protection that Macquarie advised would govern
my appointment, was thereby circumvented. Macquarie’s failure to register
rendered my contract under the national employment system null and void.
6. During the protracted delay of resources, I eventually undertook the production
of a new book – all I could do without the committed resources to rebuild my research program.
The endeavor compelled me to gain a better understanding of greenhouse gases
and how they evolve. Preliminary findings from this study are familiar to many.
http://www.thesydneyinstitute.com.au/speaker/murry-salby/ Refer to the vodcast of July 24, 2012.
Insight from this research contradicts many of the reckless claims surrounding greenhouse gases.
More than a few originate from staff at Macquarie, which benefits from such claims.
7. The preliminary findings seeded a comprehensive study of greenhouse gases.
Despite adverse circumstances, the wider study was recently completed. It indicates:
(i) Modern changes of atmospheric CO2 and methane are (contrary to popular belief)
not unprecedented.
(ii) The same physical law that governs ancient changes of atmospheric CO2 and methane
also governs modern changes.
These new findings are entirely consistent with the preliminary findings,
which evaluated the increase of 20th century CO2 from changes in native emission.
8. Under the resources Macquarie had agreed to provide, arrangements were made
to present this new research at a scientific conference and in a lecture series at
research centers in Europe.
9. Forms for research travel that were lodged with Macquarie included a description
of the findings. Presentation of our research was then blocked by Macquarie.
The obstruction was imposed after arrangements had been made at several venues
(arranged then to conform to other restrictions imposed by Macquarie).
Macquarie’s intervention would have silenced the release of our research.
10. Following the obstruction of research communication, as well as my earlier efforts
to obtain compliance with my contract, Macquarie modified my professional duties.
My role was then reduced to that of a student teaching assistant: Marking student papers
for other staff – junior staff.
I objected, pursuant to my appointment and provisions of my contract.
11. In February 2013, Macquarie then accused me of “misconduct”,
cancelling my salary. It blocked access to my office, computer resources,
even to personal equipment I had transferred from the US.
My Russian student was prohibited from speaking with me.
She was isolated – left without competent supervision
and the resources necessary to complete her PhD investigation,
research that Macquarie approved when it lured her from Russia.
12. Obligations to present our new research on greenhouse gases (previously arranged),
had to be fulfilled at personal expense.
13. In April, The Australian (the national newspaper), published an article which
grounded reckless claims by the so-called Australian Climate Commission:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/last-summer-was-not-actually-angrier-than-other-summers/story-e6frgd0x-1226611988057 (Open access via Google News)
To promote the Climate Commission’s newest report is the latest sobering claim:
“one in two chance that by 2100 there’ll be no human beings left on this planet”
Two of the six-member Australian Climate Commission are Macquarie staff.
Included is its Chief Commissioner.
14. While I was in Europe presenting our new research on greenhouse gases,
Macquarie undertook its misconduct proceedings – with me in absentia.
Macquarie was well informed of the circumstances. It was more than informed.
15. Upon arriving at Paris airport for my return to Australia, I was advised that
my return ticket (among the resources Macquarie agreed to provide) had been cancelled.
The latest chapter in a pattern, this action left me stranded in Europe,
with no arrangements for lodging or return travel.
The ticket that had been cancelled was non-refundable.
16. The action ensured my absence during Macquarie’s misconduct proceedings.
17. When I eventually returned to Australia, I lodged a complaint with the
Australian employment tribunal, under statutes that prohibit retaliatory conduct.
18. In May 2013, while the matter was pending before the employment tribunal,
Macquarie terminated my appointment.
19. Like the Australian Climate Commission, Macquarie is a publically-funded enterprise.
It holds a responsibility to act in the interests of the public.
20. The recent events come with curious timing, disrupting publication of our research
on greenhouse gases. With correspondence, files, and computer equipment confiscated,
that research will now have to be pursued by Macquarie University’s “Climate Experts”.
http://www.science.mq.edu.au/news_and_events/news/climate_change_commision
Murry Salby
Ox AO,
You can find it here: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/06/10/dr-murray-salby-on-model-world-vs-real-world/
It is working right now; I am listening to it as I type this.
WELL WORTH watching!
Janice
For Ox Ao (July 10, 2013 2.29 pm)
Here is the link provided by Murry Salby in an email he sent – I am obviously on an extensive email list of persons intreested in his research.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2013/06/another-nail-in-the-climate-change-coffin.php
Happy listening and viewing!
Thank you very much Janice I see it must be watched on Youtube. That was my mistake.
@ferdinand meeus Engelbeen (July 10, 2013 at 11:36 am)
I think I can see where you are coming from and while I respect your right to hold the position on CO2 that you do I do not agree with it and hold a different one myself. Under other circumstances I would pursue our differences further in the spirit of open and impartial truth-seeking but I feel that to do so here would be in poor taste and a distraction from the serious and important subject of this blog – the plight of Murry Salby. So with respect I shall cease discussing this off-topic subject herewith.
There are some comments in Salby’s email which seem contradictory:
11. In February 2013, Macquarie then accused me of “misconduct”,
cancelling my salary. It blocked access to my office, computer resources,
even to personal equipment I had transferred from the US.
12. Obligations to present our new research on greenhouse gases (previously arranged),
had to be fulfilled at personal expense.
14. While I was in Europe presenting our new research on greenhouse gases,
Macquarie undertook its misconduct proceedings – with me in absentia.
Macquarie was well informed of the circumstances. It was more than informed.
15. Upon arriving at Paris airport for my return to Australia, I was advised that
my return ticket (among the resources Macquarie agreed to provide) had been canceled.
If the presentation of the results were fulfilled at personal expense why was the ticket provided by Macquarie? Surely they wouldn’t have been able to cancel the ticket otherwise?
The latest chapter in a pattern, this action left me stranded in Europe,
with no arrangements for lodging or return travel.
The ticket that had been cancelled was non-refundable.
Why the comment about non-refundable, the university would be able to use it to buy another ticket with the payment of a fee?
This doesn’t make sense to me.
I have been following the Murry Salby story and have posted a series of 5 videos containing his defining speech in Hamburg, Germany last April, the first is; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpc8UL5bwik
As Tallbloke and others have said, Macquarie University’s actions are in the tradition of Lysenko. Coincidentally, until a week ago Australia had a head of government who was justly described as a Stalinist as a well as a believer in ‘global warming’.
A famour Pravda editorial at the time of the Lysenko affair stated that the many scientists who opposed Lysenko “had forgotten the most important principle in science – the Party Principle!” But succesful academics in Australia never forget the party principle. They show the commendable spirit of flock loyalty that has made this nation great, huddling together for mutual benefit in this country that still rides on the sheeps’ back.
Phil. usually those kind of presentation and business trips the traveling costs are payed for well in advance. But notice the University canceled the ticket even though they received no refund. Thus it was out of spite.
Ox AO says:
July 10, 2013 at 10:44 pm
Phil. usually those kind of presentation and business trips the traveling costs are payed for well in advance. But notice the University canceled the ticket even know they received no refund. Thus it was out of spite.
Yes but this was back in Feb. and Salby says that he’d used personal funds. Cancelling a non-refundable ticket usually only costs about $50.
Jan P Perlwitz says:
July 9, 2013 at 9:08 pm
“Unless Watts and Co. retract their demand, it means, bye, bye once more”
Well then, don’t let the Internet hit you in the butt on the way out, because it never forgets….EVA!
Answer the questions …….or just stick out your lip and complain about being persecuted and pick up your toys and go home like a CAGW scientist when confronted with the truth.
Oh…. and please explain the 17 years without any significant temperature change?
Of course without using imaginary aerosols proxies or a unicorn fart hypothesis.
(Reply: Mr Perlwitz will no longer be commenting on this site, following his explicit death threats against others here. ~mod)
What I tell you three times is true, said AAMilne. This is how government works these days, and this is how universities get cosy with their political support. Hence the science is settled, and the money goes to the fastest talkers, who are generally good at chairing committees or commissions,(the latter better paid).
“The NSF reported in a bulletin on the investigation into Dr Salby:
Our investigation revealed that the subject (Dr Salby), consistently and over a period of many years, violated or disregarded various federal and NSF award administration requirements, violated university policies related to conflicts and outside compensation, and repeatedly misled both NSF and the university as to material facts about his outside companies and other matters relating to NSF awards.”
Clearly a smear campaign…..
P Ingleby, exactly right.
I haven’t yet made up my mind 100% regarding the Salby issue. But I have made up my mind that Macquarie behaved unprofessionally, at the very least. It would take a lot of new evidence to convince me to change my mind and accept their accusations at this point. I am willing, but they will have to be very convincing. Their past actions do not give much cause to trust them.
Canceling a ticket in order to strand someone at an airport, and then holding a kangaroo court in which the accused cannot be present are two very serious charges. Maybe there is a reasonable explanation; maybe not. So Macquarie must explain fully what was done, by whom, and why. Public opinion will then decide if their explanations are sufficient.
I regularly observe how those in favor are coddled by the “.edu” establishement in general. For example, Michael Mann is the ‘rainmaker’, bringing in $millions. Therefore he is untouchable, and the university has bent over backward to whitewash his wrongdoing. Phil Jones is another example. Actually, the list is quite long. You can just about get away with murder if you are on the uni’s ‘good guy’ list. But step off the reservation, and any pretext is good enough to attack you with.
Dr. Salby stepped off the reservation by not giving his full-throated support to the catastrophic AGW narrative. Worse, he is an apostate — and all religions attack their apostates the most viciously of all. Thus, the burden is on Macquarie to justify its questionable actions.
It is clear that after the uni’s actions, the preponderance of any evidence of wrongdoing rests entirely with the university at this point. But so far, I have seen nothing except vague, un-signed accusations, made after the fact. They have dug themselves a pretty deep hole, and it will not be so easy to climb out of it.
Following the revelations that Salby double dipped into US tax payers funding before he went to Aus, and the self-incrimination of his own email (even allowing for what it leaves out) I am surprised anyone still supports him. Macquarie sound as though they tolerated him for as long as they could while he petulantly did as little as he could.
References to lynchings seem to be fine. Perhaps carrying a concealed weapon does reduce lynchings.
Spartacus P
@Margaret Hardman
Trying to figure out what you are talking about did a web search found this blog (honestly don’t know who they are other then their title):
http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/07/12/murry-salby-galileo-bozo-or-p-t-barnum
I see nothing tangible in any of those cases. Having a subcontracting business isn’t criminal. They found no wrong doing but fired him for not disclosing all his financial records to the NSF.
The IRS didn’t have a problem with him why did the school?
The worst thing I see there was that he had a divorce in 2002. I really am sorry to hear that. Did he get any speeding tickets? Come on, you need something substantial against him for a good smear.
Galileo was hit with heresy for implying that the Pope was a Simplicio (simpleton).
Today we must turn over all our records and if we don’t it is excommunication.
We are so much more advanced today…. /s
Margaret Hardman says: “Perhaps carrying a concealed weapon does reduce lynchings.”
What does that supposed to mean?
It can mean two things:
1. The armed assassin finding his target before the lynching
2. The armed victim might avoid a lynching.
Either way it sounds like a theat.
Two earlier commenters, which I leave it to you to find, Ox AO, spoke of lynchings and carrying concealed weapons. If you think that what I wrote was a threat you are particularly thin skinned or lack a basic understanding of the language. On both I fear you are not alone on this thread. I have demonstrated that misreading is easy to do iif you want to take offence.
Spartacus P
I forgot something – taking the tax dollar twice. It’s there at desmogblog, who just do what real skeptics do – don’t believe the hype. I’m sure the NSF really debarred Salby on the basis that he was about to out himself as a “skeptic”.
Margaret Hardman says: “Perhaps carrying a concealed weapon does reduce lynchings.”
Obviously you are by far a superior person that I. Please humble me and enlighten me for my frailty on the English language is extremely poor. Thank you my great.
Margaret Hardman says: “taking the tax dollar twice. It’s there at desmogblog”
Oh my great and ever so powerful Margaret Hardman please give us your great wisdom on the difference between the IRS and the NSF? Why does he need to turn over his financial records to the NSF?
On the face of it he has been denied procedural fairness and the termination of his contract is substantively unfair. And ten there is the issue of retaliation and victimization. If I can be of ay use I offer to assist without fee. Perhaps this can be passed on. The Australian university system is currently an incubator of bullying and management by fear. By the way the success rate for employment reinstatement under the ALP Fair Work legislation and tribunal is 1% . Party of te workers.
Apart from appearing as a complete illiterate – the above post was written in haste, anger and sans spectacles. Mods could you please assist an outraged Aussie?
Connolly — This American understood you completely. Your typos only underscored how deeply you care. You, unlike an amazing number of posters above, have a healthy heart –as well as a fine mind (your vocabulary and the substance of what you said demonstrate that). And what a generous offer of your services!
The mods will not likely edit your post, so, I wanted you to know that your intelligence sparkled brilliantly, only enhanced by the compassion-driven scriveners errors.
I’ve done much worse!
Glad you are in the world, Connolly!
Connolly: In my opinion forums that can not be edited by the poster are good it does exactly what Janice Moore was saying it shows how you really feel about the issues. Typos sometimes not always shows the level of feeling and thought one puts into a post. Your post is a classic example of it.
OX Ao — I am SO GALD that you ‘GOT” WHAT I wmeant! LOL, peole likely thing I don’t proofread — well, as sthis post shwos, I UEUALLy do! #[:)]
I agree. Not only for the preservation of the author’s genuine emotional content, but, for the HUMOR it provides, too. (I should really leave more of mine in, but, too prideful, I guess). There are plenty I don’t catch, though. BTW, I did not manufacture the above typos, just typed faster than my speed-limit!
Dr. Salby wrote, “Macquarie would provide… technical support to convert several hundred thousand lines of computer code, comprising numerical models and analyses (the tools of my research), to enable those computer programs to operate in Australia.”
davidmhoffer commented at July 9, 2013 at 10:46 am, “Computer code conversion – I presume that Dr Salby is talking about HPC code (High Performance Computing) in which case there would very likely be major conversion issues that require trained resources to undertake…”
That might be so, but Dr. Salby’s claim still seems odd to me. No program should be dependent upon HPC extensions for specialized hardware, merely to “enable the program to operate” at all. How could he be able to write hundreds of thousands of lines of code, yet not be able to make it operate at all in a different country, for years?