No assistance from NIWA
Richard Treadgold | December 14, 2009A mound of email arrived in my inbox over the last few days. Much of it relates to our attempt to get from NIWA the actual adjustments they have made to the national temperature record.
My first priority is to make an informal response to NIWA’s posts on their web site and to the parliamentary answers we’ve received. It’s important that the people who have trusted NIWA know just how they are pulling the wool over our eyes (or trying to) and refusing to cooperate. In fact, they are being far more obstructive than any publicly-owned utility has a right to be, and you deserve to hear the details of it.
A scientific study is under way right now to make a more formal response to NIWA’s obfuscation, but that won’t be finished until some time in the New Year.
My thanks to everyone who has contributed information or suggestions, but their sheer number means it’s taking longer to review them. Which means I’m also unable to follow up for now the new connections we’ve just made with the network of Climate Realists, run by the excellent Neil and Esther Henderson, of Gisborne. But we’ll get there!
The new interest in us, but more importantly in the evidence-based doubts about the truth of dangerous man-made global warming, is wonderful.
So that’s the reason I haven’t posted anything about NIWA’s completely inadequate answers to us. But it will come soon.
I have nothing to say but to keep up the good work. This kiwi, at least, appreciates it.
Thanks. It’s all we need to keep going. – Richard.
I’ve always understood that one of the main reasons we spend scarce taxpayers’ funds on scientific research is to ensure that the outcomes will be in the public domain – rather than become proprietory data which is kept secret for competitive reasons and protected by intellectual property laws.
It’s particularly important to any nation that its official national statistics – such as census or temperature records – are fully transparent and available to all citizens.
This philosophy of openness was at the core of the Official Information Act, which was introduced to Parliament by Hon Jim McLay (as Minister of Justice) in 1981, and passed in 1982 with all-party support. Surely NIWA must recognise its obligations under this Act?
Barry, that’s so true. I agree they don’t acknowledge their obligations. What is the remedy? When the ruler has forgotten his responsibilities, the power of the subject is to refresh his memory.