BY SARAH ROSS
CORVALLIS- A series of controversial e-mails sent through an Oregon State University climate change list-serve in the past few weeks was recently discovered by The Oregon Politico.
The chain of e-mails was initiated by the Global Environmental Change Organization (GECO) list-serve, which includes a number of professors, students, employees, and other interested parties. The first e-mail was sent by Dr. Philip Mote, Director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, regarding the upcoming Congressional elections.
Mote began the e-mail by acknowledging that Art Robinson was chosen during last week’s Republican primary race to run against incumbent Democrat Congressman Peter DeFazio, who represents the Eugene area. Robinson gained fame with his work on the Oregon Petition Project, a list of scientists worldwide who disagree with the premise that climate change is caused by humans.
“A robinson [sic] victory would put us in the tragic ranks of our climate colleagues at University of Oklahoma (Senator ‘global warming is a hoax’ Inhofe) and Univ of Alaska (Rep. ‘scientists have their opinion, I have mine’ Young),” wrote Mote.
Climate change skeptics wasted no time in pointing out possible problems with this e-mail.
Dr. Gordon Fulks, a local climate change skeptic, issued a congratulatory letter to Robinson and published it on the blog, Ice Cap.
In his letter, Fulks wrote, “Their blatant use of their official positions to promote your opponent clearly demonstrates that they have abandoned any pretext of objective science. Although trained as a scientist, Phil is now a pure advocate who is busy promoting Ocean Acidification as the next scare to replace Global Warming when Global Warming loses its luster as a funding vehicle.”
Once this message was released, Mote sent an apology message to the list-serve, calling the previous message “a mistake.”
“Normally, messages to this group address science topics related to environmental change and involve announcements of seminars, conferences, and other opportunities. The message I sent was a mistake and I apologize,” Mote wrote.
Mote acknowledged that his original e-mail had sounded like a political endorsement, noted that Robinson’s past activities are not part of his current political platform, accused himself of having used “inflammatory language,” and admitted to have made a small factual error with regard to the Congressional district in which OSU is located.
Mote ended his apology by saying, “Scientists in particular have an obligation to conduct and communicate research objectively. My e-mail Thursday failed to meet this standard and for this I apologize.”
The question remains as to whether Dr. Mote’s e-mail presents legal or ethical questions.
Following the release of his apology, a number of students responded to the GECO list-serve, saying that Mote should not have called his original message “a mistake.”
“Surely, it’s a legitimate use of university email to educate the public when fallacy arguments are being used as way of persuading the public and policy makers on the issues of science?” wrote Rachael Mueller, a graduate student and Research Assistant at OSU.
Todd Wynn, Vice President at Cascade Policy Institute, parent company of the Oregon Politico, voiced his opinion, saying, “Mote’s email definitely brings up a question of legality. Not only is he a scientist that is supposed to remain politically unbiased in order to deliver objective science, but he may very well be violating laws regarding the endorsement of political candidates through his OSU email account.”
Spokesman for OSU, Todd Simmons, hopes that Dr. Mote’s follow-up message and consistent apologies will bring the matter to an end.
“[Dr. Mote] understands that this is not the place where he ought to be airing his opinions on matters such as that and it was probably not the right choice that he made,” said Simmons.
Simmons characterized Dr. Mote’s intentions in sending the original message as light-hearted and an attempt to get out information that he felt was being overlooked.
“He has described it as an accidental foray into politics and one that he won’t repeat and I think regrets having done this time.”
Wow!
Ridiculous that a “scientist” can get away with this….
I think a little FOI is in order here. This email was nothing but propoganda aimed at the GOP. Nothing in his email stated facts. This was the whole basis for ClimateGate - how dissenting voices were muted by elitist academia and the media. Let’s see what his “research” shows and see if it holds water. That will never happen because the full argument by climate alarmists is “The science is settled”.
“He has described it as an accidental foray into politics…”
Accidental foray into politics?!?!
Well…I was in a light-hearted mood, sitting at my computer going about my usual business of saving the planet from green meanies, when all of a sudden out of nowhere I was blind-sided by this out of control political propaganda. It all happened so fast - I like, was so focused on saving my job, I really didn’t even have time to think….
Rachael D. Mueller appears to be another leftist idealogue mascarading as some kind of “objective” scientist, but she is even more hardcore than mote.
http://theoregonpolitico.com/blog/2010/06/01/university-e-mail-chain-creates-climate-controversy/
CO2 causing global warming is a scam par excellence. No one thought to check what would happen if we removed all man-made CO2 from the atmosphere. Man’s contribution is some 3% and nature proviodes the rest. The total CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is around 390 ppmv. If we removed all of the man-made CO2 (worldwide) tomorrow, we would go back to the level we had in 2003 and yes, it was warmer then than now. CO2 and oxygen are two main ingredients for life on earth. Wonder what “Chicken Little” is now going to call oxygen a pollutant? Porbably some politician who wants to tax the air we breathe!
Another “scientist” on the Global Warming Gravy Train, doesn’t want it to stop. After all we unwashed taxpayers should be happy to support such brilliant minds. It’s not like we have anything we need to do with our money.
Nice job, keep up the good work. I will keep readin u.
He looks like a close relative of James Hansen (with hair of course).
While the gravy train needs to be stopped, we all need to slow the sucking of the gravy (limited resources)
Whether its pollution, droughts, food shortages, or oil spills, the fact is we are sucking this planet dry and killing of species at alarming rates.
It is a good thing that Mote spoke out. It is unfortunate that our laws prevent our Public Servants from revealing their political bias. Students would not adopt the thinking of their “Scientist” teachers so quickly and thoroughly, and the taxpaying public would be reminded of the tendencies of their Public Servants. Let us be charitable, and respectful to those we disagree with. If we cannot free them to speak then we should stop the ill at it’s source…Public Funding of our schools.
JamesDean says:
June 4, 2010 at 10:12 am
While the gravy train needs to be stopped, we all need to slow the sucking of the gravy (limited resources)
Whether its pollution, droughts, food shortages, or oil spills, the fact is we are sucking this planet dry and killing of species at alarming rates.
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Maybe you should consider hara-kiri?
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ron loos says:
June 4, 2010 at 5:55 pm
It is a good thing that Mote spoke out. It is unfortunate that our laws prevent our Public Servants from revealing their political bias. Students would not adopt the thinking of their “Scientist” teachers so quickly and thoroughly, and the taxpaying public would be reminded of the tendencies of their Public Servants. Let us be charitable, and respectful to those we disagree with. If we cannot free them to speak then we should stop the ill at it’s source…Public Funding of our schools.
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[1] Public laws prevent no such revelations. But employing public resources to propagate and further a private opinion IS INDEED against the law.
[2] Students are inculcated in so-called ‘public schools’ to accept anything and everything a teacher says as ‘gospel,’ regardless of the truth of matters.
[3] Charity begins in the home. And NO, no one who KNOWINGLY purveys a lie as the truth should =EVER= be shown any degree of charity.
[4] AGREED: ALL public funding for whatever schools should cease, and the sooner the better: GET RID of the monopolistic lock and you’ll get rid of government influence over what’s taught, how it’s taught, when it’s taught, where it’s taught, and why.
BP lying again. They have zero credibility. Ruin our coast and lie the entire way through it. Oil is great, eh?
Its a nice post Sarah! However, I still can’t believe how come a “scientist” got away by doing such a thing.
I know it might come across as impotent fury, but I find the banks’ treatment of you utterly disgraceful!
One impartial voice in BBC within the Tv show. This individual has a really difficult immigration quote. He managed to graduate on the Harvard College. At this time he provides his 1 Radio Show. He could not like this U . s . chief executive.