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.”