‘Climategate’ Inquiry: CRU research done “fairly and properly”

The official inquiry into the scientific research conducted by the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia has cleared the scientists at the centre of the so-called ‘climategate’ controversy about emails stolen from the University department.

Led by the former chair of the House of Lords science and technology select committee Lord Oxburgh (somebody who incidentally used to be the boss of Shell oil company) found that:

“The basic science seems to have been done fairly and properly.”

The report – which can be read here – concludes:

“We saw no evidence of any deliberate scientific malpractice in any of the work of the Climatic Research Unit and had it been there we believe that it is likely that we would have detected it.

“Rather we found a small group of dedicated if slightly disorganised researchers who were ill-prepared for being the focus of public attention. As with many small research groups their internal procedures were rather informal.”

This is the second inquiry to exonerate the CRU scientists. The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee also found that:

“There is independent verification, through the use of other methodologies and other sources of data, of the results and conclusions of the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia.”