cc: "Briffa Keith Prof \(ENV\)" , "Jones Philip Prof \(ENV\)" date: Tue, 13 May 2008 12:28:14 +0100 from: "Burgess Jacquelin Prof \(ENV\)" subject: RE: Freedom of Information Act request to: "Tim Osborn" , "Mcgarvie Michael Mr \(ACAD\)" , "Palmer Dave Mr \(LIB\)" Dear Tim, Keith and Phil, I am very concerned, as you are, about the potential dangers associated with this issue, and the School will do everything it can to protect you and the CRU /UEA's reputation in the face of this threat. I strongly support the decision not to release this correspondence in response to the FOIA request. Yours Jacquie -----Original Message----- From: Tim Osborn [mailto:t.osborn@uea.ac.uk] Sent: 12 May 2008 15:07 To: Mcgarvie Michael Mr (ACAD); Burgess Jacquelin Prof (ENV); Palmer Dave Mr (LIB) Cc: Briffa Keith Prof (ENV); Jones Philip Prof (ENV) Subject: Re: Freedom of Information Act request Sorry, forgot the attachments first time round. Tim ------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Michael, David and Jacquie, so far, we have had responses from 11 of our colleagues who are named on the FOIA request. Their very clear message to us is that we do not have their permission to release emails or other correspondence that they sent to us during the preparation of the IPCC report. Their full responses are contained in the attached file . In addition, we have received specific guidance from Susan Solomon, the co-chair of IPCC working group 1 (and hence in overall charge of the process for writing this report): "distribution of interim materials, or other forms of elaboration are not appropriate". See her full advice in the other attached file . The reason that we're also sending this to you, Jacquie, is that this is a matter of concern to the School, and is not solely an FOIA issue: were we to ignore the wishes of our colleagues and release their emails, it would be damaging to the School. These are all senior scientists within the international climate science field who we will be wishing to collaborate with in terms of joint funding, joint research and joint publications. Keith and I feel that it would seriously harm of future involvement in such collaborative work with these, and perhaps other, scientists if we do not consider their strongly held views regarding the collegial and private interactions that we held with them during the preparation of the IPCC report. We do, of course, want your advice with regards to the FOIA request and to what extent the views of our colleagues might change how UEA will respond to it. Please note that the FOIA request also asks for letters/emails between Tim (as well as Keith) and these 19 individuals and 5 organisations, thus doubling the effort needed to identify this information, and also that the request is not limited to these individuals/organisations but includes any such correspendence related to our work as IPCC authors and any internal CRU correspondence related to the IPCC process. Thus it would be a large undertaking to fulfill this FOIA request. The underlying purpose of this request, and related ones to Phil and subsquent requests that may follow, is to disrupt/delay our work and harm our reputations. While the ultimate aim of this is to bolster those who are campaigning against the message and recommendations of the IPCC, important side effects would be to the detriment of ENV and UEA. Best regards Tim and Keith At 11:36 08/05/2008, Mcgarvie Michael Mr \(ACAD\) wrote: >Jacquie, > >I held a meeting this morning with Keith Briffa, Tim Osborn and Phil >Jones, to discuss a FOIA request which had come from one of the >contributors to the climateaudit.org website. Dave Palmer, the >University's FOIA expert, was also present. It was agreed that I >would alert you to this for your information. (You may recall that I >alerted you to a number of similar requests from another contributor >to the website last year, involving Phil.) > >We have agreed a plan of action to deal with this request within the >regulations. The request is unreasonable as it currently stands (it >asks for all letters and emails between Keith and 19 individuals >worldwide and 5 organisations over IPCC business). I will keep you >posted on this as necessary. > >Best wishes > >Michael > > >Michael McGarvie >Senior Faculty Manager >Faculty of Science >Room 0.22C >University of East Anglia >Norwich NR4 7TJ >tel: 01603 593229 >fax: 01603 593045 >m.mcgarvie@uea.ac.uk > > >