Meteorologists warn of 'chilling effect' from Democrat's probe of climate research
By Laura Barron-Lopez - 02/27/15 01:21 PM EST
The American Meteorological Society is warning a top House Democrat that singling out funding provided to certain climate scientists "sends a chilling message to all academic researchers."
The meteorological society said it is committed to transparency, but took issue with letters sent by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) this week asking universities to provide documents on the funding that was provided to seven professors for climate research.
"Publicly singling out specific researchers based on perspectives they have expressed and implying a failure to appropriately disclose funding sources — and thereby questioning their scientific integrity — sends a chilling message to all academic researchers," director of the meteorological society, Keith Seitter, wrote in a letter to Grijalva on Friday.
Seitter said Grijalva's request "impinges on the free pursuit of ideas."
Grijlava's inquiry came after The New York Times revealed Harvard professor Willie Soon received more than $1.2 million from the Koch Foundation for his research. Soon broadly questions the notion that greenhouse gas emissions are a threat to humanity.
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/234126-meteorological-society-climate-research-funding-probe-sends
