Via Heartland press release:
Dr. Willie Soon of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics released the following statement through The Heartland Institute in response to repeated attacks on his character and scientific integrity.
All media inquires should be directed to Heartland Institute Director of Communications Jim Lakely at jlakely@heartland.org, 312/377-4000 or (cell) 312/731-9364. For more information about Dr. Willie Soon see this page: Heartland.org/willie-soon. To see a previous statement about Willie Soon by Heartland Institute President Joseph Bast, click here.
“In recent weeks I have been the target of attacks in the press by various radical environmental and politically motivated groups. This effort should be seen for what it is: a shameless attempt to silence my scientific research and writings, and to make an example out of me as a warning to any other researcher who may dare question in the slightest their fervently held orthodoxy of anthropogenic global warming.
“I am saddened and appalled by this effort, not only because of the personal hurt it causes me and my family and friends, but also because of the damage it does to the integrity of the scientific process. I am willing to debate the substance of my research and competing views of climate change with anyone, anytime, anywhere. It is a shame that those who disagree with me resolutely decline all public debate and stoop instead to underhanded and unscientific ad hominem tactics.
“Let me be clear. I have never been motivated by financial gain to write any scientific paper, nor have I ever hidden grants or any other alleged conflict of interest. I have been a solar and stellar physicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics for a quarter of a century, during which time I have published numerous peer-reviewed, scholarly articles. The fact that my research has been supported in part by donations to the Smithsonian Institution from many sources, including some energy producers, has long been a matter of public record. In submitting my academic writings I have always complied with what I understood to be disclosure practices in my field generally, consistent with the level of disclosure made by many of my Smithsonian colleagues.
“If the standards for disclosure are to change, then let them change evenly. If a journal that has peer-reviewed and published my work concludes that additional disclosures are appropriate, I am happy to comply. I would ask only that other authors-on all sides of the debate-are also required to make similar disclosures. And I call on the media outlets that have so quickly repeated my attackers’ accusations to similarly look into the motivations of and disclosures that may or may not have been made by their preferred, IPCC-linked scientists.
“I regret deeply that the attacks on me now appear to have spilled over onto other scientists who have dared to question the degree to which human activities might be causing dangerous global warming, a topic that ought rightly be the subject of rigorous open debate, not personal attack. I similarly regret the terrible message this pillorying sends young researchers about the costs of questioning widely accepted “truths.”
“Finally, I thank all my many colleagues and friends who have bravely objected to this smear campaign on my behalf and I challenge all parties involved to focus on real scientific issues for the betterment of humanity.
Dr. Wei-Hock “Willie” Soon
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
# # #
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Here is what I posted on my Facebook page:
“The attack on Dr. Soon began with a Greenpeace news release that was republished on the front page of The New York Times on February 22nd. It was also published in the Boston Globe and the Guardian and many other newspapers and websites.
Here is his statement which will NOT be published in the New York Times or any of the other publications, so I am publishing it here:
“In recent weeks I have been the target of attacks in the press by various radical environmental and politically motivated groups. This effort should be seen for what it is: a shameless attempt to silence my scientific research and writings, and to make an example out of me as a warning to any other researcher who may dare question in the slightest their fervently held orthodoxy of anthropogenic global warming.
“I am saddened and appalled by this effort, not only because of the personal hurt it causes me and my family and friends, but also because of the damage it does to the integrity of the scientific process. I am willing to debate the substance of my research and competing views of climate change with anyone, anytime, anywhere. It is a shame that those who disagree with me resolutely decline all public debate and stoop instead to underhanded and unscientific ad hominem tactics.
“Let me be clear. I have never been motivated by financial gain to write any scientific paper, nor have I ever hidden grants or any other alleged conflict of interest. I have been a solar and stellar physicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics for a quarter of a century, during which time I have published numerous peer-reviewed, scholarly articles. The fact that my research has been supported in part by donations to the Smithsonian Institution from many sources, including some energy producers, has long been a matter of public record. In submitting my academic writings I have always complied with what I understood to be disclosure practices in my field generally, consistent with the level of disclosure made by many of my Smithsonian colleagues.
“If the standards for disclosure are to change, then let them change evenly. If a journal that has peer-reviewed and published my work concludes that additional disclosures are appropriate, I am happy to comply. I would ask only that other authors-on all sides of the debate-are also required to make similar disclosures. And I call on the media outlets that have so quickly repeated my attackers’ accusations to similarly look into the motivations of and disclosures that may or may not have been made by their preferred, IPCC-linked scientists.
“I regret deeply that the attacks on me now appear to have spilled over onto other scientists who have dared to question the degree to which human activities might be causing dangerous global warming, a topic that ought rightly be the subject of rigorous open debate, not personal attack. I similarly regret the terrible message this pillorying sends young researchers about the costs of questioning widely accepted “truths.”
“Finally, I thank all my many colleagues and friends who have bravely objected to this smear campaign on my behalf and I challenge all parties involved to focus on real scientific issues for the betterment of humanity.
Dr. Wei-Hock “Willie” Soon
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics”
———-
I hope some of my friends and family will read this and respond in some way…
It is encouraging to see an eminent scientist who is not sacrificing science for money.
Dr. Soon, that was an excellent statement of your position. Clear and to the many points. You are winning the battle by continuing to be honest and open. Never change.
The cultists are getting desperate now that the hiatus is getting ever closer to reaching two decades in length. Who knows what they will do next.
If the Globe, Post, and Times has any integrity left they will recant their articles slandering Soon. I’m not an attorney but it seems that there are several parties guilty of libel in this matter.
” A scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it. – Max Planck”
You are young and will live to see your work vindicated and the opponents who cannot challenge your work scientifically will pass on with nothing left to enrich this world. Your contributions will stand the test of time. Keep up the good work.
Stay strong Dr. Soon!
A message i have sent to Mr Brad Johnson, the person who opened this petition: “Harvard-Smithsonian: Drop Koch-Funded Climate Denier Wei-Hock Soon”
“Dear sir,
This petition – “Harvard-Smithsonian: Drop Koch-Funded Climate Denier Wei-Hock Soon” – is the ultimate example of how McCartism became to be.
From reading your petition it is clear you, sir, have NO IDEA what the debate is on, what Willie Soon’s science is or what are the facts.
This is just a repeat on the gibberish (and a dangerous one at that) of activists who will stoop as low as this smear campaign to silence individuals with different point of views.
Even if Mr Soon’s ideas were wrong (which they are not – check the science!) there would have been absolutely NO REASON for you to put out a petition like this. People in the civilized world should not act this way. This reminds me of very dark days in totalitarian states.
It is not too late to withdraw this hurtful, misleading and vicious petition.
Sincerely
Eyal Porat
Carcom
ISRAEL”
You can send him your (courteous) remarks here:
http://petitions.moveon.org/contact_creator.html?petition_id=88775
How about starting an alternative petition ‘Hands off our Willie’ !!!
Thank you for your strength, Dr Soon. You are a hero in this. May you never tire.
In my reviewing of numerous internet sites and articles I never cease to be amazed at the diversity of peoples attitudes and behaviour. Unfortunately it is not politically correct any more to call idiots idiots so we have to tolerate their misbehaviour amongst the range of normal people. Unfortunately, with over 6 billion people on the planet even the small percentage that amounts to those off the curve means there are a lots of people to make noise. The rest of us can only make efforts to remind them what “normal” behaviour actually is. Dr Soon’s classy response to the scurrilous attacks on his person and integrity is one such example of “normal behaviour”. Well done sir for not stooping to the gutter.
Hear, hear.
Even disclosure by all, not selective attacks by partisans.
as difficult as it might be, Dr. Soon, put the self-appointed witchfinders out of mind.
they have no scientific standing, and no credibility.
i might not have the benefit of a scientific education, but i am eternally curious.
the dirty tactics of the CAGW gate-keepers – always funded by someone or other, the facts of which are rarely divulged to the public (Kert Davies included) – suggests their CAGW belief system is fragile and in danger of collapse, and they are lashing out.
guess they know the CAGW gravy train might be coming to an end.
To be a real, sceptical, scientist one does not need a scientific “education” IMO. I think therein lies the “problem” with science today. Newton, who had no peers, also received no scientific education. So too Darwin et al. No peers, no scientific “education”, just pure experiment and observation. Pure science!
Dr Soon,
This has happening because of an intensional misdirection by media matters et al in anticipation of the investigation into Pachauri. This is hard-ball politics so don’t expect reason, or appeals for cooler heads to prevail. Your work is part of an effort to kill a trillion dollar wealth redistribution scheme orchestrated over decades by a host of immoral leftist pricks who would kill you if they could get away with it it. You are killing their cash cow. Do you expect them to lay down and take it silently? No way. This is war. They want you dead. Academically, for sure and if that means you die physically, well they will accept that too. At least you’ll be shut up. I think it will only get worse for you. What is worse? You are caught up in a USA federal election. Yup. You represent an obstacle to the very local and personal politics of the democratic party.
The Saul Alinsky method, which they employ, is to focus on one person, personalize it and make the person an issue.
You are the issue. What you say does not matter anymore.
You see Pachauri is the real issue so you must become the proxy issue, the focus of the wrath of the left to distract from the collapse/reconstitution of the IPCC.
So who is the real enemy here? The coordinated attack on you was no accident.
Who is benefiting from having you flapping in the wind. Who is able to operate freely while your life is over turned? It is a small list of people but you probably know better than anyone. Who is capable of the “politics of personal destruction”?
So, if you don’t mind, you are going to have to endure this for a while until the left figures out that destroying you isn’t going to work. So only time will help. I suggest that you take a vacation somewhere nice and kick back for a while because the attack on you is fake and energized , oddly, by your own protestations.
Meanwhile ans similarly, Brian Williams got caught lying about war stories, (like Hillary Clinton) so the left has turned its venom towards Bill OReilly to focus, personalize and to make him the story instead of Brian Williams and Hillary for their lies about their dodging bullets in war zones. It is a simple and effective strategy.
So long as we are talking about you Dr Soon, we are NOT talking about Pachauri, Mann, Gleick, Gore, etc.
This is your cross to bear today. Don’t expect it to get lighter either. Jesus Christ claimed to be the son of God and they nailed him to a cross and killed him. So…being right and honest, as you are, means nothing to your enemies. You are the target du jour. A news cycle or two has to pass then you’ll be left alone. If another woman steps forward in the Pachauri case, they may wack you again is a desperate effort to throw up some some and mirrors.
At least you know that you are effective… now that you are the focus of so much hate.
Cheers.
Paul I think you’ve hit the nail on the head.
I hope any scientist reading will see Dr. Soon as someone to emulate .The cowards behind the attempted smear campaign can’t hold a candle to Dr.Soon in a discussion about the science .
What happened to the New York times ? What are they afraid of ? New York Propaganda is more like it .
When the countries leading newspapers support persecution of scientists the USA is in serious trouble .
The NYT (All the News that Fits) is not our leading newspaper, I’m happy to report.
By circulation, by a wide margin, that would be the WSJ, which is in the skeptics’ corner.
Is Canada freezes over? Polar vortex over the Hudson Bay.
http://oi59.tinypic.com/21mhvsk.jpg
To protect themselves liars must always attack the honest man. Dr. Soon has my respect.
Eugene WR Gallun
Great statement. In a similar vein Margaret Thatcher once said:
I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.”
hoping to bring a smile to Dr. Soon’s face, with this tale of tawdry CAGW “science”:
most have probably seens stories re google and “facts” over the past week, such as New Scientist’s “Google wants to rank websites based on facts not links” by Hal Hodson (link is easy to find online).
it included gems such as:
“THE internet is stuffed with garbage…Google has devised a fix – rank websites according to their truthfulness”
“The software works by tapping into the Knowledge Vault, the vast store of facts that Google has pulled off the internet”
true, google doesn’t claim to be using the new algore-ithms as yet, but i just did a simple search of “willie soon” to see if anyone had published his reply.
top of web results was:
Willie Soon’s Climate Science Denial Wasn’t Ever Credible: Climate …
De Smog Blog (blog)-28 Feb 2015
“The science that Willie Soon does is almost pointless.” – NASA climate scientist Gavin Schmidt, to the New York Times
with more Desmogs immediately below, plus SkepticalScience, Greenpeace, Ecowatch before u got to WaPo’s “No, the sun isn’t driving global warming” way down the page. checked about 10 pages of results without ever finding anything from the popular WUWT.
clicked “news”, refined to “Past Hour” using “Search Tools” and got one result:
3 Mar: Science Recorder: James Sullivan: Climate change researcher goes on the defensive over his findings
PHOTO CAPTION: While Soon, a part-time researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has stayed silent since the scandal broke, he made a statement Monday, claiming that his work was targeted unfairly by the media.
Many of you may have never heard of Wei Hock “Willie” Soon before he made headlines at The New York Times last week. The scientist, who is somewhat popular in circles of climate deniers, was discovered to have accepted $1.3 million in funding from private interest groups such as Exxon Mobil and Koch Industries…
He denounced his critics to be acting as part of “various radical environmental and politically motivated groups.”…
On Capitol Hill in Washington, several members of the Democratic party proposed measures that would require scientists to reveal in depth information about their sources of funding. However, this was met with some sizable criticism from a number of mainstream climate scientists as well, who have had to deal with misrepresentation of the climate crisis in the media for years, as well as the controversy known as “Climategate” that followed leaked e-mails back in 2009, ones which were later quote mined by a number of climate deniers. An international committee found no evidence of fraud or data manipulation…
http://www.sciencerecorder.com/news/climate-change-researcher-goes-on-the-defensive-over-his-findings/
(there are a couple of selective Dr. Soon quotes)
from About ScienceRecorder, i discovered Kramer Phillips is the founder, & they are based in Arlington, VA.
2012: Google product forums: Re: ***Kramer Phillips is back … this time as ‘The Petri Dish’
Jim Draindown Level 1: Kramer Phillips has operated many sites for the purpose of spamming Google News science section, starting with the State Column…
These days rather than republishing articles many times on one site, he operates several sites at once to give him more time in the spotlight. At the moment he’s using:
thespacereporter.com
sciencerecorder.com
natmonitor.com
(CHECK THE COMMENT BY Archie S-G Level 1)
https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/news/3o0eTgCGQcA/nT_Rdz39izYJ
you have to laugh.
Je suis Willie Soon!
Clever, Mervyn. And too true.
Mahatma Ghandi said “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
Can I invite one or more decent warmists, there must be some, to have the courage to come to Wiilie Soons support and show their disgust at this disgraceful activity by their fellow travellers. Just a statement that says, ” disagree by all means but don’t do it in a way that denigrates the reputation of those with whom you disagree” Come on warmists, dig deep into your consciounces and show a bit of courage..
I hope you are not holding your breath!
The Climate Jihadis will wait for a leading Imam to show them the correct way forward and then the sheeple will bow and follow.
A climate fatwa has clearly been issued by the High Druids of the death cult against Dr. Soon, and their submissive minions obey.
In times past, when the “scientific consensus” was failing there came a time when those in power started attacking those scientists (and others) who did not buy into the failing consensus. Sometimes they went so far as to create a lasting martyr out of someone.
We are now at the point where the CO2 hypothesis has failed. The consensus crowd knows it and is now on the attack since their “science” is shown to be bogus. They know that there has been 20 years of no warming even according to the “adjusted” temperature record and very likely cooling according to any honest look at the temperature record.
It is possible that the name Willie Soon will be remembered for this personal assault documented in that house newspaper of the power elite called the New York Times. This episode may well mark a turning point.
There is a scientific viewpoint that during the daytime when the sun is shinning we see the atmosphere cooling the surface and distributing heat towards the poles while the same atmosphere helps to retain heat during the night time. Water in all its forms plays a huge role. CO2 plays only a tiny role. It is a shame that viewpoint is not welcome even at many sites that are “skeptical”.
In the end, perhaps decades from now, science will get to the truth of how the atmosphere works. I bet that nothing Jim Hansen has ever said will be a part of that truth. Time will tell.
Bravo, 100%.
I have no idea whether Dr Soon is right or wrong in his paper. Equally I have no idea whether Dr Morner, Dr Curry, Professsor Lindzen, Dr’s Spencer and Christie, Dr Salby, Bob Carter, Dr Ball et seq are correct in their academic papers. My education is in engineering and seafaring to BA level so how would I know? Then I look at the people who say these respected scientists are wrong….. Gavin Schmidt..the idiot who kept jumping up out of his seat and hiding behind a curtain like a bloody child in an interview with Dr Spencer . Hanson who wears a stupid hat and stands on picket lines like a gullible student ranting about death trains. Mann who cries like a baby and threatens to sue using other peoples money every time someone disagrees with him. Phil Jones who does not understand Excel and loses his data. Trenberth who cannot understand where the nonexistant heat is going. It is like a rogues gallery. When you look at the politicians who pay them for their support you just have to take a deep breath and count to ten. Gore. Clinton. Pauchuri, Schwartzywhatsit,
I don’t need an “education” at a swanky ivory tower to make a simple Character assessment. Who do I believe?
Congratulation Dr Soon. You so obviously come down on the side of the good guys.
In the interests of disclosure…I have worked for Shell. Esso. Petrobras, Tate and Lyle, Dow chemicals etc. A fact that I am very proud of, and I have a lovely coal fire in the grate.
My advice to the alarmist crowd… If you take your head out of your arse you will stop spouting cr**.
Thank you Ivor, you have said what I feel better than I can say myself: it is the behaviour of these protagonists of CAGW that betrays the weakness of their cause and will be their downfall. Let us hope that one day we will thank the good people who took on the unglamourous task of holding on to their integrity and purpose and who stood straight when others bent like reeds in the wind.
It is time that a mainstream television channel or respected newspaper blew the whistle, surely they have enough material and they will be saving the poor from unnecessary hardship and serving mankind.
Excellent comment. Thank you.
I’m always looking for ways to express this viewpoint. Perhaps you won’t mind if I borrow…..
Of course the Carbonari can’t see that it’s the sun.
Their heads are up where the sun don’t shine.
The AGW thing is and was never about science, it was the selected method for the Un to gain world wide political power using climate change as the excuse. In the past it was such things as population explosion, world wide famine etc. They failed, time is now not on their side as the world enters a normal cooling period.
Thus political attacks on scientists that disprove their shonky science, hang in Dr Soon, I am old and have seen it all, they will fail this time also as both science and the sun is running against them.
If you are badly hurt and even lose tenure it will be but temporary as the world comes to its senses, cold is an enemy of all.
Bravo Dr Soon. Your comment on the pressure that questioning of widely held truths puts on young scientists is a sad observation today.
A measured and reasonable response by a man of integrity being intimidated by a pack of jackals.
Pointman