cc: Keith Briffa <k.briffa@uea.ac.uk>, Tim Osborn <t.osborn@uea.ac.uk>, Raymond Bradley <rbradley@geo.umass.edu>
date: Sat, 12 Jul 2003 07:35:29 -0400
from: "Michael E. Mann" <mann@virginia.edu>
subject: Re: 03-19 Mann et al. - climate change press release issued
to: Harvey Leifert <HLeifert@agu.org>, Phil Jones <p.jones@uea.ac.uk>

   Dear all,
   This translation from my colleague Gavin Schmidt,
   mike
   ____________________________
   Global Warming: Climatologists respond to the American right.
   The scientific consensus against the ideologues: The heat is on!
   Thirty eminent (anglo-saxon) scientists specialising in climate
   change and the greenhouse effect have just re-affirmed in an
   article in EOS that the anthropogenic contribution to global
   warming is stronger than a simple hypothesis. The article is a
   response to a a series of publications that the Bush administration
   are relying on to reject the terms of the Kyoto Protocol.
   Among the authors in the EOS article, we find Michael Mann,
   geophysicist from UVa. His research has evaluated the impact of
   human activity on planetary climate. He has notably put forward
   evidence of highly abnormal temperature rises in the 20th
   Century. His studies, published in some of the most prestigious
   journals, have contributed to what the National Academy of Science
   and AGU recognised in 1998, as anthorpogenic global warming.
   Don't touch my car!
   Despite the growing number of studies that indicate that the
   current levels of GHG emissions are destabilising the global
   climate, the American government still refuses to ratify the Kyoto
   Protocol. Apart from ideological arguments concenring the 'sacred
   character of the American way of life', the Bush administration
   argues against the scientific case presented in the IPCC reports.
   The administration particularly relies on the work of two
   astrophysicists, Willie Soon and Sallie Baliunas. These two have
   denied the reality of the warming during the 20th Century in two
   different articles. These studies were little noticed in the
   scientific world, but were nevertheless largely financed and
   publicised by the "think tanks" on the American right. The intense
   lobbying that led to the rejection of Kyoto was accompanied by the
   creation of a series of scientific foundations linked to
   ultraconservative groups which currently influence American
   politics (such as the Heritage Foundation or the Moonies).
   The objective of these research centres is to produce
   counter-arguments and muddy the waters. If they admit to a global
   warming, the "experts" of the George Marshall Coalition or
   Institute attribute that to solar forcing. These same "experts" do
   not hesitate at the same time to declare that there has not been
   any warming, and that the data from IPCC has been falsified.
   Climatologist versus Astrophysicists
   For other "specialists", coming from the so-called Center for the Study
   of Carbon Dioxide & Global Change, the greenhouse effect will even
   be ecologicaly beneficial because it favours increased photosynthesis!
   Denouncing the lack of seriousness and the scientific independence
   of the work of Baliunas and Soon, Mann and his colleagues therefore
   decided to refute their arguements one by one in EOS. In producing
   a detailed review of the data and the models, they reject the
   astrophysicists conclusions and reaffirm the existence of an
   anthropogenic component to global warming.
   They underline, amongst other points, that the publication of their
   response in a peer-reviewed journal demonstrates that there does
   exist a strong consensus of scientists with regard to [the causes
   of] global warming.
   At 09:42 AM 7/11/2003 -0400, Harvey Leifert wrote:

     Phil,
     You have also made it onto the junk science website. They reprinted the release, with
     the introductory note (approximately), if you believe this they will tell you another!
     On the other side, a French news site has proclaimed Mike et al. leaders of the
     anti-Bush-because-of -Kyoto brigade. It's only in French, but if you can read it, it's
     at [1]http://www.transfert.net/a9101
     Regards,
     Harvey
     Phil Jones wrote:

      Mike,
         The New Scientist article is here in hard copy form. It isn't on the web site - no
     link to it.
      It is fair and shows a diagram of the NH and SH (from the GRL paper !!!). Titled
      'Climatologists hit back at greenhouse sceptics'.
         Fred Pearce didn't call Tim and Keith here earlier in the week. The only call they
     got was
      from the Sunday Telegraph who may run with something, but they haven't called back.
         No-one called me in Japan, so I guess we will have to wait for the GRL article. I'm
     away
      from August 2 for two weeks, so I hope you'll get more then. I will be here the whole
     of the
      July 28 week.
         The sceptics have seen it though from the two emails from Timo Hameranta.
         Cheers
      Phil
     At 21:17 10/07/03 -0400, Michael E. Mann wrote:

     Dear Harvey,
     Do you know if there has been anything in the press on this yet? I've seen the press
     release posted on various outlets on the WEB, and there has been lots of interest from
     politicos and other scientists on this. However, the only article that I'm aware of on
     this is apparently slated for the July 12 issue of "New Scientist". I haven't seen the
     article yet (not available online).
     Perhaps Tim, Phil, or Ray have other information.
     best regards,
     mike
     At 04:56 PM 7/7/2003 -0400, Harvey Leifert wrote:

     All,
     We issued the press release at 3:40 p.m. EDT Monday, July 7. It was sent to 900 science
     writers worldwide on our distribution list and posted on EurekAlert!, the AAAS web site
     for science press releases.
     Almost immediately, we received requests for the full article from The New York Times,
     USA Today, National Public Radio, Toronto Star, San Jose Mercury News, Cox Newspapers,
     Richmond Times-Dispatch, and four freelancers. It was too late for most Europeans to
     receive the release Monday, so we expect additional requests Tuesday morning.
     Thanks to all for your help.
     Harvey
     --
     Harvey Leifert
     Public Information Manager
     American Geophysical Union
     2000 Florida Avenue, N.W.
     Washington, DC 20009, USA
     Phone: +1-202-777-7507
     Fax: +1-202-328-0566
     Email: [2]hleifert@agu.org
     Web: [3]http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/media.html
     ###

     ______________________________________________________________
                         Professor Michael E. Mann
                Department of Environmental Sciences, Clark Hall
                           University of Virginia
                          Charlottesville, VA 22903
     _______________________________________________________________________
     e-mail: [4]mann@virginia.edu  Phone: (434) 924-7770   FAX: (434) 982-2137
              [5]http://www.evsc.virginia.edu/faculty/people/mann.shtml

     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    [6]p.jones@uea.ac.uk
     NR4 7TJ
     UK
     ----------------------------------------------------------------------------


--
Harvey Leifert
Public Information Manager
American Geophysical Union
2000 Florida Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20009, USA
Phone: +1-202-777-7507
Fax: +1-202-328-0566
Email: [7]hleifert@agu.org
Web: [8]http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/media.html
###

   ______________________________________________________________
                       Professor Michael E. Mann
              Department of Environmental Sciences, Clark Hall
                         University of Virginia
                        Charlottesville, VA 22903
   _______________________________________________________________________
   e-mail: mann@virginia.edu   Phone: (434) 924-7770   FAX: (434) 982-2137
            [9]http://www.evsc.virginia.edu/faculty/people/mann.shtml

