New York Times Tells Climate Scientists to Avoid 'Personal Agendas'

The New York Times, in an editorial published today, said mistakes and errors discovered in climate change studies and reports should not undermine conclusions "that the planet has been warming gradually for more than a century and that human activity is largely responsible."

Noting that opponents of the theory that human activity is the culprit had jumped on the inconsistencies, the Times said the errors "were not good news at a time when world leaders need to make tough decisions to control greenhouse gas emissions and when public confidence in the science is essential."

After mentioning errors unearthed in U.N. panel on climate change reports, the Times wrote: "Set against the bulk of the panel's work--for which it received a Nobel Prize in 2008--these errors seem small, the result of sloppiness, not deliberate misrepresentation. But they are still costly."

The Times cited a recent commentary in the journal Nature in which Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences, wrote that while the scientific understanding of climate change remains "undiminished," the "perceived misbehavior of even a few scientists can diminish the credibility of science as a whole."

The Times added: "Cicerone is right on all counts: given the complexity and urgency of climate change--and its vulnerability to political posturing--scientists engaged in the issue must avoid personal agendas and be intellectually vigilant and above reproach."