date: Thu, 04 Apr 2002 14:49:31 +0100 from: Phil Jones subject: Fwd: NYTimes.com Article: Dispute Arises Over a Push to Change Cli to: t.d.davies@uea.ac.uk,m.hulme@uea.ac.uk,cru.all@uea.ac.uk FYI Phil >X-Sender: barnettm@meteora.ucsd.edu >X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.0.58 >Date: Wed, 03 Apr 2002 13:21:19 -0800 >To: tbarnett-ul@ucsd.edu, tom@ocean.tamu.edu, klaus.hasselmann@dkrz.de, > hegerl@atmos.washington.edu, p.jones@uea.ac.uk, jtkon@ncar.ucar.edu, > bsanter@pcmdi.llnl.gov, taylor13@llnl.gov, sfbtett@meto.gov.uk, > m.allen1@physics.ox.ac.uk, schnur@dkrz.de >From: Tim Barnett >Subject: NYTimes.com Article: Dispute Arises Over a Push to Change Cli > mate Panel > >fyi...........this is what happens to true believers in the U.S. these >days. tim > > > > > > >>>Dispute Arises Over a Push to Change Climate Panel >>> >>>April 2, 2002 >>> >>>By ANDREW C. REVKIN >>> >>>After a year of urging from energy industry lobbyists, the >>>Bush administration is seeking the ouster of an American >>>scientist who for nearly six years has directed an >>>international panel of hundreds of experts assessing global >>>warming, several government officials have said. >>> >>>The specialist, Dr. Robert T. Watson, chief scientist of >>>the World Bank, is highly regarded as an atmospheric >>>chemist by many climate experts. He has held the unpaid >>>position of chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on >>>Climate Change since the fall of 1996. Now his term is >>>expiring and the State Department has chosen not to >>>renominate him to head the panel, which is run under the >>>auspices of the United Nations and the World Meteorological >>>Organization. >>> >>>Dr. Watson is an outspoken advocate of the idea that human >>>actions - mainly burning oil and coal - are contributing to >>>global warming and must be changed to avert environmental >>>upheavals. >>> >>>Last night, a State Department official said the >>>administration was leaning toward endorsing a scientist >>>from India, which along with other developing countries has >>>been eager for a stronger role in the climate assessments. >>> >>>But many influential climate experts say they have written >>>to the department supporting Dr. Watson. >>> >>>One of those letters was sent last month by Dr. Ralph J. >>>Cicerone, an atmospheric scientist who is chancellor of the >>>University of California, Irvine, and chairman of a >>>National Academy of Sciences panel that assessed the >>>international panel's climate analyses last year at the >>>behest of the White House. >>> >>>In an e-mail message sent to the State Department, Dr. >>>Cicerone urged the administration not to withdraw its >>>support for Dr. Watson and, if it did, at least to replace >>>him with another atmospheric scientist. >>> >>>Otherwise, "such a change would greatly reduce the emphasis >>>on science in I.P.C.C.," he said, referring to the climate >>>panel. He also said it would be "very, very difficult to >>>find anyone better than Watson." >>> >>>But energy industry lobbyists and some Republican elected >>>officials have criticized Dr. Watson as biased and focused >>>on building a scientific argument to justify cutting the >>>use of coal and oil. In a letter to the White House a year >>>ago, for example, Dr. Arthur G. Randol III, senior >>>environmental adviser for ExxonMobil, said Dr. Watson used >>>leaks of drafts of his panel's climate reports to further >>>his "personal agenda." >>> >>>"Can Watson be replaced now at the request of the U.S.?" >>>read the letter. A copy was given to The New York Times by >>>the Natural Resources Defense Council, a private >>>environmental group. Dr. Randol did not respond yesterday >>>to requests for comment. But White House officials said his >>>letter had no bearing on decisions about the panel. >>> >>>The only other significant candidate nominated for panel >>>chairman is Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, an Indian engineer >>>and economist who is now one of five vice chairmen. He is >>>highly regarded, but many scientists said his lack of >>>grounding in atmospheric science made him an unsuitable >>>choice. >>> >>>Nevertheless several lobbyists for energy companies and >>>auto manufacturers are scheduled to meet with senior State >>>Department officials this afternoon, when they are expected >>>to press the administration to endorse Dr. Pachauri. >>> >>>One of the lobbyists said that in a two-man race, it was >>>necessary for industry to make a choice - and that the >>>choice should not be Dr. Watson. >>> >>>The panel's assessments of climate change underpinned >>>negotiations leading to two climate treaties, the latest of >>>them the Kyoto Protocol, which calls for cuts in emissions >>>of heat-trapping gases. President Bush rejected it a year >>>ago. >>> >>>The panel's findings have been criticized as overly dire by >>>energy industry officials and a few scientists. But many >>>other experts have endorsed them, including the panel >>>convened by the National Academy of Sciences. >>> >>>Campaigners at private environmental groups yesterday >>>attacked the efforts to replace Dr. Watson. >>> >>>Some climate panel scientists said that other countries >>>were planning to push for Dr. Watson to remain, and that it >>>might be possible to craft a compromise in which the two >>>scientists served as co-chairmen. >>> >>>In an interview, Dr. Watson said the most important thing >>>was to keep the panel from becoming divided into factions. >>>"We've always worked well by consensus," he said. "I would >>>hope it does not come down to a divisive vote." >>> >>>http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/02/science/02CLIM.html?ex=1018779558&ei=1&en= >>>1d79 >>>52b7850fed8f >>> Prof. Phil Jones Climatic Research Unit Telephone +44 (0) 1603 592090 School of Environmental Sciences Fax +44 (0) 1603 507784 University of East Anglia Norwich Email p.jones@uea.ac.uk NR4 7TJ UK ----------------------------------------------------------------------------