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London Newspaper Apologizes to Climate Report Authors Six months after describing the authors of a World Wildlife Fund report cited in the embattled IPCC study as “green campaigners” with “little scientific expertise,” London’s Sunday Times has published an apology.
Scientists involved in the research, which the IPCC cited as supporting its conclusions about the Amazon rainforest’s sensitivity to rainfall changes, have been contesting the paper’s accusations since the criticisms first appeared.
The Sunday Times’ correction not only acknowledged that the WWF report was supported by peer-reviewed science, it also said that the Times original article had distorted the remarks made to a Times reporter by Dr. Simon Lewis, a University of Leeds rainforest expert, in a manner that made it seem as if Dr. Lewis disputed the Amazon claims.
Dr. Lewis had actually criticized the IPCC report for failing to fully cite peer-reviewed evidence in its report, “[risking] creating the perception of bias and unnecessary controversy.”
In a letter to the New York Times’ Green blog, Dr. Lewis said, “The public’s understanding of science relies on scientists having frank discussions with journalists, who then responsibly report what was said.” He added, “If reporting is misleading then many scientists will disengage, which will mean that the public get more opinion and less careful scientific assessments.” Separately, earlier this month an independent academic commission officially cleared the researchers at University of East Anglia of charges of academic misconduct associated with the so-called “Climategate” scandal. After examining e-mails and research from the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit, the commission said, "we find that their rigor and honesty as scientists are not in doubt." |
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