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Freedom of information requests ‘attack science’
Top scientist says FoI used aggressively by campaign groups, particularly climate sceptics, to impede research
A top UK scientist says campaign groups are using the Freedom of Information Act aggressively to hinder research. Sir Paul Nurse, who won a Nobel prize in 2001, told the Guardian that Freedom of Information requests were used to "intimidate" scientists.
Nurse cited climate change as an area with a particular problem, claiming that scientists working in that field were being targeted with concerted requests for data intended to slow down their research.
He said the Freedom of Information Act had opened a "Pandora's box", adding: "It's released something that we hadn't imagined... there have been cases of it being misused in the climate change debate to intimidate scientists.
"I have been told of some researchers who are getting lots of requests for, among other things, all drafts of scientific papers prior to their publication in journals, with annotations, explaining why changes were made between successive versions.
"If it is true, it will consume a huge amount of time. And it's intimidating."
Nurse called on the government to tweak legislation to give scientists some protection while their research was ongoing. Similar measures exist in Scotland and the US, according to the University of East Anglia's pro vice-chancellor, Tom Ward.
Ward has experienced the activities of campaign groups opposed to climate change research: in 2009, personal emails and documents were stolen from UEA's Climate Research Unit and leaked on the internet as supposed evidence of collusion to fake results.
The inquiries that followed cleared the scientists involved of all misconduct. One of them, the independent Science Assessment Panel, concluded that repeated Freedom of Information requests made by climate change sceptics "could have amounted to a campaign of harassment". ·
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Oh dear, oh dear. Scientists being paid from the public purse not liking requests from the intelligent public, many of whom have excellent science qualifications themselves, on the real story behind the story of 'global warming alarmism'...no, sorry, may I retract? I mean 'climate change'..............................Well, welcome to reality. We have spotted the slime-mold tactics of changing the terms of the debate to something irrefutable - we KNOW climate change is NORMAL - get used to it. You are telling the world nothing with this trick. Have we all heard of the Ice Ages - note the plural - "Ice AgeS". That's getting colder, warmer, colder, warmer...is there a pattern emerging on your graph here? If graphs are too difficult, try the Pixar film "Ice Age I, II, III..." even five year old can get it. GROW UP Mr-White-Coat-expert-fed-at-the-public-expense-and-where-do-I-get-my-next-research-grant-cheque-from? Is it climatology or scareology you are into? Does the goverment, and the DG RESEARCH dept of the European Union (current funding stream FP7, and yes, it is MY job to know these things), pay your wages? And why? Is it because they love the tax-and-control politics which flow automatically from it? Does the "we need more carbon taxes and we are actually saving the planet from Western greed" message playing loud here? Does China ever get criticised because then build a new coal-fired power station a WEEK to fuel their economic growth graph? Can I have an FOI answer on this please?