Climate Change Scientist Keith Jones Temporarily Leaves Post Amid Investigation
Keith Jones, the head of the Climate head of the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia says he’s stepping aside while the university conducts a review focusing on exactly how his unit conducted climate change research.
Jones’ departure comes a couple of weeks after servers at the CRU were hacked, making public a string of scintillating emails that, at least on face value, cast doubt on the reality of man-made climate change. University officials have confirmed that the leaked emails are legitimate.
In one particular email from 1999, which has drawn a lot of attention, Jones writes that he will perform “the trick of adding in the real temps for each series for the past 20 years… to hide the decline.”
In a statement posted today on the university Web site, Jones says:
What is most important is that CRU continues its world leading research with as little interruption and diversion as possible. After a good deal of consideration I have decided that the best way to achieve this is by stepping aside from the Director’s role during the course of the independent review and am grateful to the University for agreeing to this. The Review process will have my full support.
