Beam me to Planet Gore !
Posted on 11/20/2009 8:24:27 AM PST by Red Badger
The email system of one of the world's leading climate researchers was just reported to be infiltrated by hackers. Protected information and email messages sent from climate scientists at the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit (CRU) began turning up on public websites today. Why the CRU was targeted is still unclear--though there's speculation that with the global climate meeting in Copenhagen nearing, opponents of climate action may be going so far as to be doing illegal reconnaissance.
The CRU is perhaps the leading authority on human-caused climate change--they played a key role in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fourth Assessment Report. Which is perhaps the most respected, well-researched, and authoritative report currently available on climate change.
According to the BBC, "A university spokesman confirmed the [CRU's] email system had been hacked and that information was taken and published without permission." An investigation has begun, and the police have been notified. There's also an internal investigation underway.
As of now, there are only theories as to why the attack was carried out. But many point to the increasing tensions between climate change deniers and scientists in the lead up to COP15 at Copenhagen. The BBC reports that "Graham Cluley, a computer security expert, suggested that December's key climate summit in Copenhagen, which has made headlines around the world, could have increased the university's profile as a possible target among hackers." Which is certainly likely--there's no doubt that intensity is rising around the debate:
"There are passionate opinions on both sides of the climate debate and there will be people trying to knock down the other side," Mr Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos, told BBC News. "If they feel that they can gather inside information on what the other side is up to, then they may feel that is ammunition for their counterargument."
Plenty of facts remain to emerge before we go spinning our climate change denier conspiracy theories, so stay tuned--things could get interesting.
Lots of stuff. Falsification of data. Use of peer-review process to suppress critics' views. Propaganda techniques to sway emotions of the public. People need to go to jail over this.
I think we should start emailing these losers!
Spin spin spin, we are all going to be dizzy by the time this is done.
Right out of Creighton's "State of Fear". It's all in there.
Where do most hackers, and people that would be interested in hacking reside politically? THE LEFT.
I doubt seriously that those opposed to the radical agenda of the Global Warming fringe hacked anything. This is a simple attack by some brainy yoot or by the AGW crowd looking to marginalize further the face of skeptics.
OK. But lots of hackers in Russia and Bulgaria
Whoever hacked into University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit was smart enough to cover his tracks
A Russian server is an non-investigatable black hole and beyond UK and American law unless someone squeals or takes credit
Watch, they'll spin this just like ACORN. The media will dutifully do their part, and it will all just fade away.
To: Ben Santer , wigley@ucar.edu Subject: Last week's events Date: Mon Aug 22 16:22:28 2005
Ben and Tom,
Congratulations on the paper coming out on Aug 12. I did talk to Nature about the three papers.
Last week seems to have been a good one to have had off. I did this because of the IPCC submission deadline of Aug 12. As you said Tom, there were some stupid messages going around. If only these people would try and write peer-review papers, provided they get proper reviews. The one from Sonia should be kept as it proves that E&E is not a proper journal. I almost missed the one with Pielke's resignation in. Is this going to make your CCSP task easier or harder? Presumably now you'll get all his comments to officially deal with. Maybe you'll be able to ignore them?
Cheers Phil Prof. Phil Jones Climatic Research Unit Telephone +44 (0) 1603 592090 School of Environmental Sciences Fax +44 (0) 1603 507784 University of East Anglia Norwich Email p.jones@uea.ac.uk NR4 7TJ UK ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The media focus will be on “WHO” and not “WHAT”................
Is there a happier man than Tim Blair right now?
This is a real popcorn moment. The AWG “scientists” shown to be frauds, as if we didn’t already know.
I read on another link that this might be a whistle blower who released this. If that’s the case then the media will do the fastest 180 on the accuracy and reliability of them when up till now they were patriots and heroes for doing it.
Yeah the Fraud perps will start yelling about the process that got their lies exposed.
Kepp our eyes on the info not the scare tactics.
Come on guys. this isn’t the work of some hacker sitting in his bedroom with a pot of coffee and a cartoon of Cigs.
Get real.
This was pure talent.
“The right to search for truth implies also a duty; one must not conceal any part of what one has recognized to be true.”
—Albert Einstein
Would not be surprised one bit if it was an inside job. A malcontent slipped a hacker the passwords and security protocols or put the data on a flash drive himself and walked out with it. The hacker story is a good way to deflect attention from an inside job
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.