Russell Panel on Climategate Needs Complete Overhaul

Those who thought an independent inquiry would get to the bottom of the Climategate mess will be sorely disappointed. Following the resignation of Philip Campbell for his anti-Climategate views it turns out that a second appointee Professor Geoffrey Boulton was a previous employee of UEA .
 From the GWPF Website
In a speech to the Royal Society of Edinburgh on 29 October 2009, Professor Boulton said: "We have the evidence, we have a consensus on scientific interpretation, we have the investment, we know (Stern) that mitigation now rather than later is cheaper. But, we have not sorted out the politics and started to adapt behaviour to minimize risks. We cannot do this without public support. If we fail, we will be risking the consequences of catastrophic climate changes."
 And from James Delingpole 
 Dr Campbell has since resigned his post – and rightly so, as the Global Warming Policy Foundation makes clear. But are we to feel any more confident about the alleged neutrality of another of Sir Muir’s appointments, Professor Geoffrey Boulton?As with Campbell is seems that Sir Muir-Russel was unaware of Boulton's views and Boulton himself should have recused himself. The Review panel claims that none of their team members “has a predetermined view on climate change and climate science” and that “they were selected on the basis they have no prejudicial interest in climate change and climate science.”

Bishop Hill certainly doesn’t think so. He notes that Professor Boulton….

• spent 18 years at the school of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia works in an office almost next door to a member of the Hockey Team
• says the argument over climate change is over
• tours the country lecturing on the dangers of climate change
• believes the Himalayan glaciers will be gone by 2050
• signed up to a statement supporting the consensus in the wake of Climategate, which spoke of scientists adhering to the highest standards of integrity
• could fairly be described as a global warming doommonger
• is quite happy to discuss “denial” in the context of the climate debate.

It seems unlikely to me that Boulton's view's could not have been known given how quickly the bloggers ferreted them out. The whitewash was definitely on but thank God for the internet.