U. S. Senate Minority Report: - Klimaforschung

for what [the journal] Nature now calls the ‘mainstream skeptic’ point of view, which is
that climate change is a largely overblown issue and that the best expectation is modest
change over the next 100 years.” (LINK)
Meteorologist Peter R. Leavitt, President of Weather Information, Inc., who served
on the National Research Council’s Board on Atmospheric Science and Climate until
2008, is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist, former chairman of the American
Meteorological Society’s (AMS) Board of Industrial Meteorology, and recipient of the
AMS Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Advance of Applied Meteorology.
Leavitt also dissented publicly from man-made climate fears in 2008. “Skepticism in regard
to AGW (Anthropogenic Global Warming) does not mean that the opposite is true, only
that there is insufficient hard evidence to conclude that AGW is a significant factor in
climate if it is a factor at all. Progress in science is driven by skepticism. Dogmatism more
often inhibits progress than fosters it,” Leavitt wrote to EPW on December 8, 2008. “There
are numerous reasons to support a skeptical viewpoint. Most of the proponents of AGW
rely on computer models to make their case. Very little substantive work has been done in
showing that the magnitude of the influence of CO2 on climate change suggested by the
various models can be derived directly through the application of first principles. There is
considerable evidence that there are grievous shortcomings in the quality of the data
especially with regards to the accuracy and representativeness of the surface temperature
record acquired from both inland and ocean areas and upon which the various models
depend,” Leavitt explained. “There is considerable evidence that calls into question not
only the quality but the relevance of certain proxy data used to construct a detailed and
Global paleo-climatic record. There is considerable evidence to call into question the
competence and possibly the integrity of those engaged in the analysis of such data which
includes the abuse and misuse of statistics, the failure to maintain or properly archive the
raw data, and the reluctance to provide to outside investigators such basic items as the
notes, methodology and algorithms used to reach the conclusions expressed in their
published assertions,” Leavitt wrote. “The peer review process as applied to AGW studies
is deeply flawed. It lacks transparency and accountability,” he added. “I have no problem
recognizing that over the entire past Century temperatures have shown a net rise. There has
also been a steady and generally indisputable rise in CO2 since regular measurements began
in 1958. But it is wrong to simply relate the warming segments of the 20th Century climate
to this rise in CO2 while ignoring the cooling periods by attributing those to Natural
Variability,” he added. (LINK)
U.S Army Chief Scientist Dr. Bruce West dissented from climate fears in 2008. West
faulted the UN IPCC for having "concluded that the contribution of solar variability to
global warming is negligible." West argued argues many global warming researchers have
not adequate modeled the Sun’s impact, according to a June 3, 2008 article. West believes
the UN and others have "significantly over-estimated" the "anthropogenic contribution to
global warming." West along with Nicola Scafetta of Duke University Physics Department
published a March 2008 analysis showing the “could account for as much as 69% of the
increase in Earth's average temperature.” (LINK) (LINK)
Climatologist Dr. Robert Balling of Arizona State University, the former head of the
university’s Office of Climatology, has served as a climate consultant to the United
Nations Environment Program, the World Climate Program, the World
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