date: Fri, 17 Mar 2000 09:59:02 -0700 (MST)
from: Tom Wigley <wigley@meeker.ucar.edu>
subject: Re: Support for CRU
to: Mike Hulme <m.hulme@uea.ac.uk>

On Fri, 17 Mar 2000, Mike Hulme wrote:

> Thanks Tom, I have the letter from Bob and it is very encouraging.  Your
> comments about Mike Grubb confirm our view that Imperial have chosen the
> wrong person to 'head' their Centre, but then it seems he has negotiated
> himself a new Chair at Imperial and delivering this new Centre was probably
> part of the deal.  We have a suspicion (but no more than that) that Steve
> Rayner (one of the Assessment Panel) may also have an interest in this -
> but there is nothing we can do about that.
> 
> We reckon that Schellnhuber, and probably Alan Thorpe, would go for the UEA
> bid, and we think we probably have the NERC vote, but in the end I think a
> lot will come down to how Sir Crispin Tickell decides the dice should fall.
>  Is Grubb the sort of person that would impress Tickell?


Grubb is good at impressing ignorant people.  Crispin is not only ignorant
(in the economics area) but also a *real* snake in the grass.  What he
will do is vote on the basis of what he can get out of it, not on the
basis of knowledge-based and fair judgement.  At least Woods and Mason
will be more balanced -- but their knowledge in these areas is also
superficial.  The trouble is that all three *think* they know more than
they do.  I think you are up against it.  However, good luck.

Cheers,


Tom


> 
> The Panel meet next Wednesday so I may miss you - I leave CRU about 2pm on
> Tuesday.  If we do miss each other, then thanks again for your support to
> our bid - you'll hear the outcome as soon as we know it!
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Mike
> 
> At 11:45 15/03/00 -0700, you wrote:
> >Dear Mike,
> >
> >Bob Harriss (ESIG Director) says he'll be glad to support the CRU et al.
> >bid -- he may have already written to you.  Eileen Claussen (Pew) told me
> >that Michael Grubb had also contacted her.  She thinks he is a jerk; but
> >because of the formal contact from both groups, she thought it best to
> >support neither.  Too bad.
> >
> >By the way, if you want to play an underhanded trick, you could try to get
> >some *real* economists to express their opinions on Michael.  I know that
> >Rich Richels and Jae Edmonds have a very low opinion of him (as do I).  He
> >has no formal background in economics, even though he claims to do
> >credible economic analyses.  Basically, he is a "greenie"; and he bends
> >his "science" to suit his ideological agenda.  I don't know how you can
> >alert the people who are judging the two bids to this: but it may be
> >helpful to know the facts.
> >
> >For what it is worth, I have a similarly low opinion of John Woods and
> >John Mason -- a couple clever "know-it-all"s in my view.
> >
> >Cheers, 
> >
> >
> >Tom
> >
> >
> >
> >**********************************************************
> >Tom M.L. Wigley
> >Senior Scientist
> >ACACIA Program Director
> >National Center for Atmospheric Research
> >P.O. Box 3000
> >Boulder, CO 80307-3000
> >USA
> >Phone: 303-497-2690
> >Fax: 303-497-2699
> >E-mail: wigley@ucar.edu
> >Web: http://www.acacia.ucar.edu
> >**********************************************************
> >
> >
> 


**********************************************************
Tom M.L. Wigley
Senior Scientist
ACACIA Program Director
National Center for Atmospheric Research
P.O. Box 3000
Boulder, CO 80307-3000
USA
Phone: 303-497-2690
Fax: 303-497-2699
E-mail: wigley@ucar.edu
Web: http://www.acacia.ucar.edu
**********************************************************

