| January 28, 2010 |  |
UK Scientists Must Comply with British Freedom of Information Act Requests
WASHINGTON, DC (January 28, 2010) – The British Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has announced that University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit scientists did not properly respond to information requests as required by Great Britain's Freedom of Information Act. The law requires prosecution within six months of a violation. Given the ICO became aware of the violations more than six months after they took place, it cannot prosecute the university.
Below is a statement by Francesca Grifo, director of the Scientific Integrity Program at UCS:
"There are right ways and wrong ways for scientists to fight back against the climate skeptics who are trying to confuse the public about global warming. Failure to comply with the Freedom of Information Act is the wrong way. This unfortunate distraction takes our attention away from the critical task before us. We need to dramatically curb global warming emissions to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.
"But while it's wrong to avoid disclosing information, it's also wrong to use Freedom of Information Act to overwhelm scientists with repetitive, burdensome requests. Too often, scientists have had their research taken completely out of context.
"Scientists have a professional responsibility to uphold scientific integrity, even in a severely polarized environment. The vast majority of scientists who work on climate change live up to this standard. All scientists should resist the urge to hide information, even if they suspect that their research will be misused.
"The science behind climate change is overwhelmingly strong. As U.S. scientists with significant expertise on climate change wrote in a letter to Congress on December 4, 'multiple independent lines of evidence are drawn from numerous public and private research centers all across the United States and beyond, including several independent analyses of surface temperature data.' "
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet's most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
