date: Mon, 19 Mar 2007 08:38:53 -0000
from: "Alan Kendall" <A.Kendall@uea.ac.uk>
subject: Re: FOI - CRU requests
to: "Phil Jones" <p.jones@uea.ac.uk>

   Phil, I can assure you that Dave Palmer did not know about the particular threadline that I
   drew his attention to because, during my telephone conversation with him, his voice
   expressed surprise (and perhaps resignation?) as he opened up the website and because he
   thanked me for drawing the information to his attention.



   I repeat, I am not primarily interested in the dispute between yourself and ClimateAudit
   and will keep my opinions to myself.  However when I read that people are suggested methods
   of legal redress against the University for not supplying research data, I felt that I
   needed to act.  I could not contact you by telephone, so resorted to informing Dave
   Palmer.  I would do exactly the same if similar circumstances arose again.



   AlanK

   ----- Original Message -----

   From: [1]Phil Jones

   To: [2]Alan Kendall

   Cc: [3]C Vincent

   Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 3:02 PM

   Subject: Re: FOI - CRU requests

      Alan,
          I have told these people on several occasions that some of the data are
      restricted. They refuse to believe this. We make all the gridded data available
      on the CRU web site. 99.9% of climate scientists are happy with this, and
      out data are widely used.
         I have met Dave Palmer and told him of the web site and that his first
      response letter appeared there, so he did know about it. These same
      people are also sending similar requests to US people using their FOI.
          The work they are referring to is from 1990 by the way - a paper in
      Nature that has been regularly cited. There has never been an attempt in
      Nature to send in a comment on it.
          Also, these people are self-appointed auditors. They have no interest in
      doing their own work. I suggested once that they produce their own
      gridded temperature database, but they said they weren't interested in
      that. This to me tells me where they are coming from - and it isn't
      the science.  I have tried engaging with them in 2003/4 but realised after
      a few months it was pointless.
         Anyway, we can differ on this. Glad to hear you look at Real Climate.
      Cheers
      Phil
     At 13:43 16/03/2007, Alan Kendall wrote:

     Phil, I'm sorry you take exception to my contacting David Palmer about this matter.  I
     felt that, since the University was being "slagged off" on a much read website and
     people were advancing possible legal ways in which the information they request could be
     obtained from the university, it was important to warn David Palmer about this
     development.  I assumed that you would be aware of what might be being said on that
     website, whereas David Palmer would not be expected to be so informed.  In fact he was
     not, and thanked me for the information

     I'm not exactly sure what you are complaining about and if the same situation arose
     again I think I would act in exactly the same way again.

     What you do with your data is not my concern, nor was it ever.  I would not presume to
     interfere in this area, nor have I done so.  I am, however, concerned that UEA will be
     beset by possible legal challanges and I consider it only prudent to warn those
     involved.  Here ends any further envolvement.

     Also please don't you presume to lecture me about what particular website I should or
     should not be consulting.  I'll make my own mind up.  In actual fact , I read both
     ClimateAudit and RealClimate.


     AlanK

          ----- Original Message -----
          From: [4]Phil Jones
          To: [5]a.kendall@uea.ac.uk
          Cc: [6]Mcgarvie Michael Mr (ACAD)
          Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 11:02 AM
          Subject: FW: FOI - CRU requests
           Alan,
              I appreciate your concern about UEA and ENV's image, but I don't
           appreciate you calling our press office about what is happening
           on the Climate Audit website. The website is run by a self
           appointed group, who ignore most climate facts. They are not
           interested in getting at the truth.If you want to learn more
           about the subject I would suggest the Real Climate website.
           [7]http://www.realclimate.org/
           I do occasionally look at Climate Audit. The group are clearly very right
           of centre, and just make things up to suit their arguments. I can tell
           you that we are not altering any of the data in the last 15 years.
           All that work was done years ago. If changes are occurring then
           they are because we have more station data going in now than we
           used to, or the gridding algorithm has changed.
           We put all the gridded data on the CRU web site. We have signed
           agreements with some national Met Services not to pass on
           the raw station data.
           Cheers
           Phil

          Subject: FW: FOI - CRU requests
          Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2007 16:12:30 -0000
          X-MS-Has-Attach:
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          Thread-Topic: FOI - CRU requests
          Thread-Index: AcdnG9I1fXPEzDveTPuufgoyc3swfQAAJ4bw
          Priority: Urgent
          From: "Palmer Dave Mr \(LIB\)" <David.Palmer@uea.ac.uk>
          To: "Mcgarvie Michael Mr \(ACAD\)" <k364@uea.ac.uk>,
                  "Phil Jones" <p.jones@uea.ac.uk>
          X-UEA-Spam-Score: -102.6
          X-UEA-Spam-Level: ---------------------------------------------------
          X-UEA-Spam-Flag: NO
          Gents,
          I won't be in tomorrow but I think you should take a look at what's going on . Phil,
          you are quoted in a comment to the 9 March 2007 posting & might have a view on it.
          I don't want to make this a big deal but if others in ENV are noticing this..
          Cheers, Dave
          ______________________________________________
          From:  Palmer Dave Mr (LIB)
          Sent:  Thursday, March 15, 2007 4:06 PM
          To:    Inglis Kitty Ms (LIB)
          Subject:       FOI - CRU requests
          Importance:    High
          Kitty,
          Got a call from Alan Kendall, ENV, expressing concern regarding UEA's 'visibility'
          on a Climate Audit website.  He was quite concerned regarding the comments
          surrounding the publication on this website of our letters of response to requests.
          I have subsequently spoken to Annie Ogden because of potential media aspect to this
          story
          Website is: [8]http://www.climateaudit.org/
          You will soon see the relevant articles and comments.
          I'm not sure if this website has a limited readership or is something we need to be
          concerned with but the extent and nature of comments is multiplying rapidly.
          Not sure I wanted my '15 minutes of fame' this way lol
          Cheers, Dave
          ____________________________
          David Palmer
          Information Policy Officer
          University of East Anglia
          Norwich, England
          NR4 7TJ
          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
          ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

     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
     ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

