Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
10 March.
The UN Secretary General and the IPCC Head request the
Inter-Academy Council (IAC) to reveal the working methods of the
IPCC.
22 March.
UEA asks Lord Oxburgh, former chairman of the UK
House of Lords SCST, to examine the scientific claims made by CRU
researchers.
24 March.
A leading British forest scientist files a complaint with the
UK Press Complaints Commission alleging misreporting of IPCC
fourth assessment report findings by
The Sunday Times
newspaper.
A month later, a Canadian counterpart files a libel suit against
The
National Post
for misrepresenting climate science findings.
31 March.
The SCST inquiry criticises UEA for fostering a 'culture
of withholding research data', but finds no wrongdoing among CRU
scientists.
14 April.
The Oxburgh Inquiry concludes that the published scientific
findings of CRU researchers were robust.
6July.
An independent inquiry into the content of the IPCC fourth
assessment report, instigated by the Dutch Government, finds few fac-
tual errors; however, it observes that the report tends to highlight
'worst-case scenarios'.
7July.
The UEA Muir Russell Inquiry upholds the integrity of CRU
scientists but highlights problems with sharing research data and
information about analytical techniques with outside parties. Jones
subsequently reinstated as CRU Director. The US Environmental Pro-
tection Agency also issues a report that finds no evidence of scientific
malpractice in the 1,000-plus hacked emails.
15 August.
A US National Science Foundation inquiry into Mann's
research reaches similar conclusions to those of the Pennsylvania
State University inquiry. The same week, the former climate change
sceptic Professor Bjorn Lomborg (2010) publishes
Smart solutions to
climate change
in which he acknowledges the seriousness of future
anthropogenic warming of the Earth's surface.
30 August.
The IAC report recommends a reform of the IPCC working
methods to introduce new checks and balances. These are designed to
ensure robust review of existing evidence about climate change and
increased transparency to outsiders.
14 October.
The IPCC agrees to implement many of
the IAC
recommendations immediately.
2011
10 July.
The BBC releases an independent report, authored by geneti-
cist Professor Steve Jones, into how the corporation reports the latest
science.
