Senator Inhofe asked Jackson to halt the endangerment finding until investigations over leaked emails showing collusion by scientists to distort, conceal, and delete inconvenient data are completed.
As the
Associated Press reported on December 1st, "Britain's University of East Anglia says the director of its prestigious Climatic Research Unit is stepping down pending an investigation into allegations that he overstated the case for man-made climate change. The university says Phil Jones will relinquish his position until the completion of an independent review into allegations that he worked to alter the way in which global temperature data was presented."
In addition, Michael Mann, who wrote several of the Climategate emails,
is being investigated by his employer, Penn State University.
In the Senate, Senator Boxer is still considering holding hearings. Senator Inhofe has already
launched a congressional investigation.
Tulsa World
EPA rejects Inhofe's call for delay on finding
By JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau - 12/3/2009
Link to Article
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe called for a delay Wednesday on a greenhouse gas endangerment finding in light of allegedly stolen e-mails the Oklahoma Republican says show leading scientists apparently manipulated climate change data.
Environmental Protection Agency head Lisa Jackson declined Inhofe's request.
"At this point, I have seen nothing that indicates the scientists out there have said that they've changed their consensus," Jackson said.
"These e-mails certainly may show some poor manners, maybe more. I am not a lawyer, and it is not my job to judge that. But what we have to constantly be looking at is the science, and whether there is any information in the e-mails, or anywhere else, that changes the science."
When pressed, Jackson said her agency's work on the endangerment finding will continue. She said the EPA is obligated to continue.
Inhofe called that approach irresponsible, referring to EPA's reliance on the work of the scientists whose e-mails are at the center of the international controversy.
That exchange occurred during and after a hearing on an unrelated topic by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee whose chairman, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said she remains open to looking into the e-mail controversy.
Boxer made it clear, however, she is interested in examining the possible criminal activity that led to disclosure of the e-mails.
On Tuesday, Inhofe, the panel's top Republican and the Senate's most vocal global warming skeptic, requested a hearing on what he calls "climategate."
"The e-mails reveal possible deceitful manipulation of important data and research used by the US Global Research Program and the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)," Inhofe stated in a letter to Boxer.
"For instance, one scientist wrote of a 'trick' he employed to 'hide the decline' in global temperature trends, as well as discussed attempts to 'redefine what the peer-review literature is' to prevent papers raising questions about anthropogenic global warming from appearing in IPCC reports."
Officials familiar with the e-mails, which reportedly came from the University of East Anglia in Great Britain, insist their wording has been taken out of context and does not represent deception.
Concerning the word "trick," they explained it referred to way recent data were added to temperature reconstructions based on proxy data.
Still, Phil Jones announced earlier this week he will stand aside as director of the Climatic Research Unit pending an investigation.
Release of the e-mails came prior to a much-anticipated international climate meeting in Copenhagen.
Rep. John Sullivan, R-Okla., a member of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, said the "scandal" looms on the eve of that meeting.
Sullivan also called for the House panel to investigate the e-mails.
He said the U.S. needs to have all the facts as an international climate treaty is under consideration.
Inhofe said he believes an investigation by the Senate committee depends on how much heat can be generated on the topic.
"The kitchen is getting pretty hot right now," he said.
