RandomGuy
08-26-2011, 01:46 PM
This was widely used by what I call the "denier" movement as a cause celebre, in that this guy was essentially accused of making shit up about seeing drowned polar bears.
Turns out that after all, he was merely the victim of a political witchhunt, in which global warming skeptics in Alaskan government actively persecuted him for the scientific paper he had the temerity to publish that pointed to warming at the pole and declining ice cover as the likely cause of the phenomena he and several others witnessed.
Federal agency lifts Alaska scientist's suspension
..ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska scientist suspended for six weeks has been restored to his job at the agency that oversees offshore petroleum drilling.
A spokeswoman for the Bureau of Ocean Energy, Management, Regulation and Enforcement says Dr. Charles Monnett (moh-NAY') was returning to work Friday.
Melissa Schwartz says by email that Monnett was told he would have no role in developing or managing contracts, and would work in the agency's environmental assessment division.
The Interior Department's Office of Inspector General last week said by letter that Monnett had assisted a researcher in preparing a proposal while being the government official responsible for the reviewing of the proposal.
Advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility has claimed Monnett was targeted for his paper on drowned polar bears that spurred publicity on climate warming.
That is a short bit, but here are some more background articles:
http://www.livescience.com/15313-polar-bear-researcher-suspended.html
Here, of course, is the denier spin on the entire event:
http://nation.foxnews.com/global-warming/2011/07/29/global-warming-industry-rocked-polar-bear-fraud
Arctic scientist's complaint being reviewed
By BECKY BOHRER, Associated Press – Aug 12, 2011
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An inquiry is under way into the treatment of suspended Arctic scientist Charles Monnett, an Interior Department official said.
The department's scientific integrity officer, Ralph Morgenweck, confirmed the inquiry in a letter this week to the watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. PEER, which filed a complaint last month on Monnett's behalf, provided a copy to The Associated Press on Friday.
The group accuses top officials within Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, or BOEMRE, of scientific and scholarly misconduct for their treatment of Monnett.
PEER said Monnett, who coordinated much of BOEMRE's research on the Arctic ecology and wildlife, was placed on leave pending results of an inspector general's investigation into "integrity issues."
PEER, in its complaint, asked that Monnett be reinstated and that the investigation be dropped or pursued by specifying charges against Monnett, in accordance with department policy.
An Interior spokesman said Friday that the letter shows that PEER's allegation is being reviewed under the "standard procedures" contained within a scientific integrity policy implemented earlier this year.
PEER lists as subjects of its complaint agency director Michael Bromwich, acting Alaska regional director James Kendall, deputy regional director Jeffery Loman and any others involved in the handling of Monnett's case. It also names a special agent within the inspector general's office, who has questioned Monnett and his chain-of-command.
PEER has said the investigation into Monnett has focused on the scientific merit of a 2006 article in which he and a colleague recorded their observations of apparently drowned polar bears in the Arctic. That article helped to galvanize the global warming movement.
Monnett's suspension came in the midst of a monthslong investigation by the inspector general's office. BOEMRE has indicated that his being placed on leave was related to how a polar bear research project was awarded and managed.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i8y1UvFxahnxZCd7Ka_U_Dg3__nQ?docId=2a6d035bc ef74f9e962f2f0225000d4a
Turns out that after all, he was merely the victim of a political witchhunt, in which global warming skeptics in Alaskan government actively persecuted him for the scientific paper he had the temerity to publish that pointed to warming at the pole and declining ice cover as the likely cause of the phenomena he and several others witnessed.
Federal agency lifts Alaska scientist's suspension
..ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska scientist suspended for six weeks has been restored to his job at the agency that oversees offshore petroleum drilling.
A spokeswoman for the Bureau of Ocean Energy, Management, Regulation and Enforcement says Dr. Charles Monnett (moh-NAY') was returning to work Friday.
Melissa Schwartz says by email that Monnett was told he would have no role in developing or managing contracts, and would work in the agency's environmental assessment division.
The Interior Department's Office of Inspector General last week said by letter that Monnett had assisted a researcher in preparing a proposal while being the government official responsible for the reviewing of the proposal.
Advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility has claimed Monnett was targeted for his paper on drowned polar bears that spurred publicity on climate warming.
That is a short bit, but here are some more background articles:
http://www.livescience.com/15313-polar-bear-researcher-suspended.html
Here, of course, is the denier spin on the entire event:
http://nation.foxnews.com/global-warming/2011/07/29/global-warming-industry-rocked-polar-bear-fraud
Arctic scientist's complaint being reviewed
By BECKY BOHRER, Associated Press – Aug 12, 2011
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An inquiry is under way into the treatment of suspended Arctic scientist Charles Monnett, an Interior Department official said.
The department's scientific integrity officer, Ralph Morgenweck, confirmed the inquiry in a letter this week to the watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. PEER, which filed a complaint last month on Monnett's behalf, provided a copy to The Associated Press on Friday.
The group accuses top officials within Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, or BOEMRE, of scientific and scholarly misconduct for their treatment of Monnett.
PEER said Monnett, who coordinated much of BOEMRE's research on the Arctic ecology and wildlife, was placed on leave pending results of an inspector general's investigation into "integrity issues."
PEER, in its complaint, asked that Monnett be reinstated and that the investigation be dropped or pursued by specifying charges against Monnett, in accordance with department policy.
An Interior spokesman said Friday that the letter shows that PEER's allegation is being reviewed under the "standard procedures" contained within a scientific integrity policy implemented earlier this year.
PEER lists as subjects of its complaint agency director Michael Bromwich, acting Alaska regional director James Kendall, deputy regional director Jeffery Loman and any others involved in the handling of Monnett's case. It also names a special agent within the inspector general's office, who has questioned Monnett and his chain-of-command.
PEER has said the investigation into Monnett has focused on the scientific merit of a 2006 article in which he and a colleague recorded their observations of apparently drowned polar bears in the Arctic. That article helped to galvanize the global warming movement.
Monnett's suspension came in the midst of a monthslong investigation by the inspector general's office. BOEMRE has indicated that his being placed on leave was related to how a polar bear research project was awarded and managed.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i8y1UvFxahnxZCd7Ka_U_Dg3__nQ?docId=2a6d035bc ef74f9e962f2f0225000d4a