Phil Jones director of the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit (CRU) and at the heart of the Climategate scandal stepping down pending investigation
Phil Jones is the British scientist in the middle of the growing
ClimateGate scandal. Today comes
word from
NewsBusters that Jones is temporarily stepping down from his position as head of the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit pending an investigation! As NewsBusters previously
reported on November 20, Phil Jones was one of the scientists on the sending and receiving
end of many of the controversial e-mail messages obtained from the University’s computer system.
The UK Telegraph also has more info:
Prof Jones, director of the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit (CRU), has said he ”absolutely” stands by the science produced by the centre – and that suggestions of a conspiracy to alter evidence to support a theory of man-made global warming were ”complete rubbish”.
He said he would stand aside as director until the completion of the independent review, which is being conducted in the wake of the allegations by climate ‘’sceptics”.
The material was taken from servers at the world-renowned research centre before it was published on websites
run by climate change sceptics, possibly in a bid to undermine the global climate summit starting next week in Copenhagen.
Earlier, leading climate change economist Lord Stern, responding to the events at CRU, labelled the views of those who are sceptical about the
existence of man-made global warming as ”muddled and unscientific”.
Lord Stern said evidence of climate change was ”overwhelming”.
Prof Jones said: ”What is most important is that CRU continues its world-leading research with as little interruption and diversion as possible.
”After a good
deal of consideration I have decided that the best way to achieve this is by stepping aside from the director’s role during the course of the independent review and am grateful to the University for agreeing to this. The Review process will have my full support.”
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