'Climategate' Scientists Cleared

The scientists at the center of the so-called “Climategate” email scandal were a “dedicated if slightly disorganized” bunch who didn’t intentionally commit any scientific malpractices, an independent academic review panel has concluded. But the panel did raise an eyebrow at the team’s statistical methods, saying it was “very surprising” that they hadn’t consulted professional statisticians more often.

The University of East Anglia, which commissioned the report and houses the Climate Research Unit, cheered the report, saying, “The veracity of CRU’s research remains intact.” A think tank of climate skeptics dismissed the report as “rushed” and “superficial,” but other scientists said they weren’t surprised. “The fact is that several other groups … have reached very similar conclusions,” one told the Wall Street Journal. Another broader inquiry commissioned by the school should arrive in a few weeks. (More Climategate stories.)