SANITY – AT 8:04 P.M. ET:  Some in the "global warming community" of Great Britain are showing signs of sanity and intelligence.  From Fox News:

At a meeting Monday of 150 climate scientists, representatives of Britain's weather office proposed that the world's climatologists start all over again and produce a new trove of global temperature data that is open to public scrutiny and "rigorous" peer review.

Compare please to the testimony of our environmental protection chief, in the story just below, who announced that the science was settled.  No questions needed.

After the firestorm of criticism called Climate-gate, the British government's official Meteorological Office has decided to give its modern climate data a do-over.

At a meeting on Monday of about 150 climate scientists in the quiet Turkish seaside resort of Antalya, representatives of the weather office (known in Britain as the Met Office) quietly proposed that the world's climate scientists start all over again on a "grand challenge" to produce a new, common trove of global temperature data that is open to public scrutiny and "rigorous" peer review.

It's about time.

Please notice that they're meeting in a Turkish resort.  This, of course, is necessary for detailed scientific thinking.

Of course, the authors of the proposal do not admit any fault, and indeed say that they don't expect much change in conclusions.  That, however, is face-saving. 

The proposal must be looked at with two eyes.  And the key will be in how it's executed.  We've seen too many examples of "studies" that are rigged in advance, or conducted by "experts" with conflicts of interest.  The global warming crowd has been ruthless in suppressing dissent and smearing anyone who disagrees.  So this proposal for a "do-over" is only a first, tentative step. 

But here is a chance for scientists to act like real scientists, not political scientists.  We hope the international community of scientists agrees to go back to the drawing board, in a fully transparent manner, and under impeccable supervision, and show respect for the thoughtful skeptics who've come forward.

February 23, 2010