(March 2, 2015) — Dr. Willie Soon of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics released the following statement through The Heartland Institute in response to repeated attacks on his character and scientific integrity.
All media inquires should be directed to Heartland Institute Director of Communications Jim Lakely at jlakely@heartland.org, 312/377-4000 or (cell) 312/731-9364. For more information about Dr. Willie Soon see this page: Heartland.org/willie-soon. To see a previous statement about Willie Soon by Heartland Institute President Joseph Bast, click here.
“In recent weeks I have been the target of attacks in the press by various radical environmental and politically motivated groups. This effort should be seen for what it is: a shameless attempt to silence my scientific research and writings, and to make an example out of me as a warning to any other researcher who may dare question in the slightest their fervently held orthodoxy of anthropogenic global warming.
“I am saddened and appalled by this effort, not only because of the personal hurt it causes me and my family and friends, but also because of the damage it does to the integrity of the scientific process. I am willing to debate the substance of my research and competing views of climate change with anyone, anytime, anywhere. It is a shame that those who disagree with me resolutely decline all public debate and stoop instead to underhanded and unscientific ad hominem tactics.
“Let me be clear. I have never been motivated by financial gain to write any scientific paper, nor have I ever hidden grants or any other alleged conflict of interest. I have been a solar and stellar physicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics for a quarter of a century, during which time I have published numerous peer-reviewed, scholarly articles. The fact that my research has been supported in part by donations to the Smithsonian Institution from many sources, including some energy producers, has long been a matter of public record. In submitting my academic writings I have always complied with what I understood to be disclosure practices in my field generally, consistent with the level of disclosure made by many of my Smithsonian colleagues.
“If the standards for disclosure are to change, then let them change evenly. If a journal that has peer-reviewed and published my work concludes that additional disclosures are appropriate, I am happy to comply. I would ask only that other authors-on all sides of the debate-are also required to make similar disclosures. And I call on the media outlets that have so quickly repeated my attackers’ accusations to similarly look into the motivations of and disclosures that may or may not have been made by their preferred, IPCC-linked scientists.
“I regret deeply that the attacks on me now appear to have spilled over onto other scientists who have dared to question the degree to which human activities might be causing dangerous global warming, a topic that ought rightly be the subject of rigorous open debate, not personal attack. I similarly regret the terrible message this pillorying sends young researchers about the costs of questioning widely accepted “truths.”
“Finally, I thank all my many colleagues and friends who have bravely objected to this smear campaign on my behalf and I challenge all parties involved to focus on real scientific issues for the betterment of humanity.
Dr. Wei-Hock “Willie” Soon
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Dr Soon – thank you for your tireless work and courageous stand against this pack of cowards. You are to be commended for your honesty, and courage.
Thank you for standing tall and thanks to your employer for showing some integrity by not putting the skids under you.
While I was in academia I used to “Go Along to Get Along”. I failed to speak up against the nonsense from my colleagues at the Nicholas School of the Environment headed by William Chameides. To do so seemed disloyal……something like a “Own Goal” in soccer.
Today I regret this cowardice. Real scientists will never “Go Along” just to get funding for their employer:
https://diggingintheclay.wordpress.com/2014/12/16/countering-consensus-calculations/
Dr. Soon is being bullied by watermelons, you know green on the outside but red on the inside. Is this an ad hominem tactic?
Are our media really educated? They might have a degree, unless they’re Brian Williams of course, but educated? More like propagandist.
It is incumbent upon all of us who call ourselves scientists to stand up in solidarity with Dr. Soon. No matter how distant your own field might be from that of climate or geophysics, if an inquisition can be launched here, it can be launched against any of us. The McCarthyists can all be easily seen, calling themselves out in their editorials, tweeting invective on social media. Michael Mann is foremost among them – he is a disgrace.
So if a mafioso contributes to his alma mater, that would extend mob membership to the faculty of the recipient? Why isn’t the obvious nonsense of the charge against Dr. Soon picked up by our educated media? In a fair world, Dr. Soon’s statement would be unnecessary.
Hang in there Willie – science is on your (our) side! The CAGW extremists have added yet another black eye to their propaganda campaign. The significance of such desperation moves is not lost on even the climatologically under-uninformed.
I wonder if any papers published by the UK Met Office, or their scientists, declare the revenue received from renewable generators, as being a potential conflict of interest?
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2015/03/02/the-met-office-renewable-energy-service/
“95 per cent of scientists support anthropogenic (man made) climate change”, is what the parrots who can’t be bothered to actually look at the data have been brainwashed to continually repeat.
I think it should be “95 per cent of scientists know on what side their bread is buttered.”
“95 per cent of scientists support anthropogenic climate change”, is what the parrots who can’t be bothered to actually look at the data have been brainwashed to continually repeat. I think it should be “95 per cent of scientists know on what side their bread is buttered.”
Congratulations, Dr. Soon,
You have done real science a giant favor in making this statement and challenging the faceless, gutless cargo/junk science community to straighten up and get their act together..
I hope this gets into the MSM with or without their usual smartass comments.
Reblogged this on Tallbloke's Talkshop.