In a turnabout is fair play move, House democrats have launched an investigation into the funding sources of several key climate change skeptics likely based on concerns over the recent
revelations about Willie Soon. But a number of leading climate scientists privately expressed concern to me
about this:
Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva is on a mission to expose climate skeptics. Some say he's going too far ...
In a turnabout from years of debate about intrusion into scientific research, Democratic lawmakers launched investigations this week into the funding sources of several scientists whose work is popular with skeptics of manmade climate change. And that’s bringing a furious counterattack from right-wing pundits — including some who cheered on a past probe by former Republican Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli into a leading scientist whose research pointed to man-made causes of climate change. ...
Grijalva requested information dating back to 2007, including all drafts of the scientists’ testimony before government bodies, the researchers’ sources of external funding, their financial disclosure forms and "communications" regarding their testimony and funding sources.
Naturally, the usual suspects are calling it the fourth coming of the Reich. But aside from the feverish swamps where Hitler rises from the grave and inexplicably sides with the party that champions equal rights and celebrates ethnic diversity, here's some important points to consider: public testimony and published work are both fair game. Making sure proper disclosures are done is good public policy all the way around. But collecting and reading through private letters and emails between scientists working on a project is not only a little bit creepy, it virtually guarantees a layperson might come across some quip or private joke completely out of context and see wrongdoing when there is none.
I'm pleased to report that the climate scientists most concerned about the latter include the ones who were needlessly harassed the most when the usual suspects bent over backward to smear them using every lever of legal power for years. Folks, that's called integrity—see also strength of character.