Climategate Hearings

http://www.torontosun.com/news/world/2010/03/01/13064506-ap.html

“LONDON — The researcher at the centre of the controversy over emails stolen from a British climate research centre is due to be cross-examined Monday in Britain’s Parliament.

Phil Jones, who figured prominently in exchanges that critics claim are proof scientists exaggerated the threat of global warming, was one of several climate experts scheduled to speak before Parliament’s science committee. Some global warming skeptics were slated to speak, as well.

Jones stepped down from his position as the head of the University of East Anglia’s prestigious Climatic Research Unit after a cache of emails between him and other prominent climatologists were published online.”

I’m probably being optimistic when thinking that these hearings will show to the general public that the e-mails do not, in fact, show evidence of a cover up. Even if Britain’s Parliament declares that there was no attempts to hide a conspiracy, it’s not a leap of the imagination to believe that sceptics will declare that the government is in on the conspiracy. It’d be nice to see the Parliament bring in independent third party sources to give an explanation of the content of the e-mails. Particularly the lines regarding the “nature trick” that is used to “hide the decline” those statements have become infamous within sceptic circles as being evidence for a climate change conspiracy. I’ve gone through this before. Sceptics have misinterpreted the meaning of the language used within that e-mail exchange. Hopefully, the hearings will shed more light on this issue.