07 March 2011

ClimateWire Correction Request

[UPDATE 3/9: ClimateWire , having still not contacted me directly, has appended a correction to their article, addressing one of the three mistakes, leaving two unaddressed.  Still not good.  Here is the correction:
Correction: An earlier version of this article included a quote from Pielke about "egregious errors" in reference to the IPCC's findings on the melting rate of Himalayan glaciers; however, Pielke was referring instead to the IPCC's assertion of a relationship between climate change and rising costs of natural disasters.]
[UPDATE 3/8: More than 24 hours pass and not even an acknowledgement of my email to the reporter and two editors.  Not good.]

I talk to people in the media a lot, and occasionally I am quoted, almost always correctly.  ClimateWire has a story today from a reporter who I did not talk to and whose reporting is not so good.  Here is the letter I just sent to the ClimateWire journalist:
Dear Debra-

Your article today contains several major errors in its reporting of the WSJ conference last week.

1. I did not say that the IPCC Himalayan glacier error was "egregious".  I used that term to refer to the IPCC inclusion of a graph on disaster costs and climate change.

2. I did not say or imply (nor do I believe) that the glacier error or UEA emails "cast a shadow on the entire body of research showing evidence of anthropogenic climate change." I did say that the institutions of climate science were poorly prepared for dealing with the allegations of error.

3. Chris Field and I are not "frequent sparring partners."  We have discussed climate issues together publicly only once before.

I spent the bulk of the time on the panel discussing the IPCC's treatment of the science of disasters and climate change and the institutional maturity of the climate science community.  I find it remarkable that you ignored those issues.

That said, I am requesting that you correct the two serious misquotations of my remarks and the mischaracterization of my relationship with Chris Field. If you choose to contest this I am sure that the WSJ tape from the event can set the record straight.

Many thanks,

Roger