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Virginia AG Probing Michael Mann For Fraud

Posted by kdawson on from the all-the-research-we-approve-of dept.

eldavojohn writes "Republican Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has requested receipts and research documents relating to nearly half a million dollars in state taxpayer money used to conduct climate change research at the University of Virginia while under direction of Michael Mann, originator of the famous 2001 IPCC Hockey Stick graph depicting rapid climate change. Mann appears to be a prime target for Cuccinelli — who has also requested hearings with the EPA to contest the grounds of their carbon dioxide studies. Mann's expenditures of taxpayer money may become problematic if Cuccinelli finds violations of Virginia's Fraud Against Taxpayers Act. Cuccinelli has been active in pushing conservative views in the past, including an effort to remove the titillating mammary from the beloved Great Seal of Virginia. No end in sight for the politicizing of the science and research surrounding climate change."

4 of 617 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Ken Cuccinelli by Penguinisto · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well, for what it's worth, Michael Mann and a few others contribute regularly to the arguably political website known as Real Climate, a website which isn't exactly known to allow dissenting views.

    By their own words, the site was organized to provide immediate spin/response (you pick) to media stories on the subject of AGW... much like any other environmental organization does for topics that relate to their own specific causes... organizations that most folks do not hesitate to label as political in nature.

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  2. Re:Not the only conservative views he's pushed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Have you actually read the opinion? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/Cuccinelli.pdf

    He's telling the public universities that, in his opinion, they don't have the authority to have those sorts of policies unless specifically authorized by the General Assembly. Previous AGs have said the same thing. Part of his job is to provide legal advice, which is exactly what he did.

  3. Re:It is very serious by WeatherGod · · Score: 5, Informative
    And you are right... they didn't pull it out of their asses. There were *some* scientific literature out there saying that an ice age was pending. It was just a lot more interesting than the many more scientific literatures that were saying that the Earth was warming.

    http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/2008BAMS2370.1

  4. Re:His Official Policy on Homosexuality Is No Secr by epiphani · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well, yes, that is flamebait. Global warming was politicized long before Al Gore came along - however his success pushed it into the area of public conversation, and then it because more recognizable to a lot of people.

    While I don't claim this piece is unbiased, it is _very_ informative on the politics behind global warming campaigning. It's also quite a few years old and possibly out of date, but certainly enlightening nonetheless. I recommend you have a look.

    http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/denialmachine/index.html

    Now back to our regular topic, which has nothing at all to do with any of this post...

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