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Heartland Institute Heartbreak
The drama unfolding around the release of internal documents of the Heartland Institute (HI) has been interesting, if unfortunate, to watch. In case you've not been following the action, someone posing as a board member of the HI obtained internal documents concerning funding, plans, etc, and anonymously sent them to DeSmogBlog. The HI is probably the most prominent of global warming skeptic "think tanks," and DeSmogBlog covers the corporate attempts to obscure climate issues. We now know that the anonymous poser was climate scientist Peter Gleick, who publicly admitted his role and apologized.
My judgment was blinded by my frustration with the ongoing efforts -- often anonymous, well-funded, and coordinated -- to attack climate science and scientists and prevent this debate, and by the lack of transparency of the organizations involved. Nevertheless I deeply regret my own actions in this case. I offer my personal apologies to all those affected.Gleick's actions are unfortunate for at least two reasons. First, they were arguably unethical and unlawful, but certainly dishonest, and that dishonesty will hurt more than just him. Second, they distract attention from what the HI has been up to (serving as a policy front group for corporate donors, creating an educational curriculum, etc), and may even create a feeling of sympathy for HI among the public.
I'm reminded of Doctrine and Covenants 10:28:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, wo be unto him that lieth to deceive because he supposeth that another lieth to deceive, for such are not exempt from the justice of God.
But I can't help but note the asymmetry here. Gleick's actions have been condemned by Nature and other climate scientists, as well as prompted his resignation from several science organizations. I expect that similar consequences will continue to play out.
Meanwhile, it seems that amongst the climate skeptic community that there is nothing too false or misleading that can't be used to undermine mainstream climate science. Whether taking stolen emails out of context or pushing plainly incorrect information, there just doesn't seem to be any cost for dishonesty, let alone incompetence, amongst climate skeptics.
Sign of the times, I suppose.
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