H.Res. 954 (111^th): Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the scientific protocols, data collection methods, and peer review standards for climate change research which are necessary to preclude future infringements of the public trust.

Whereas in order to ensure public trust in scientific assessments that serve as a foundation for policy actions, research should be based on the scientific method and established standards of professional conduct, including a fundamental expectation that scientific research results are an objective, honest, and accurate reflection of a researcher’s work, and that data and methodology underlying such results are archived and made available to other scientists so that they may be verified and replicated;

Whereas the United States National Science and Technology Council defines research misconduct as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results;

Whereas the definition of fabrication includes making up data or results and recording or reporting them and the definition of falsification includes manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record;

Whereas Federal policy for addressing research misconduct requires a full inquiry and investigation of the misconduct as well as a correction of the research record, the imposition of special certification or assurance requirements to ensure compliance with applicable regulations, and in the case where criminal or civil fraud violations have occurred, that the matter be referred to the Department of Justice;

Whereas as many countries previously committed to promote and cooperate in the full, open, and prompt exchange of relevant scientific, technological, technical, socioeconomic, and legal information related to the climate system and climate change, and to the economic and social consequences of various response strategies;

Whereas recent events have uncovered extensive evidence from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in England (in this resolution referred to as the CRU) which involved many researchers across the globe discussing the destruction, altering, and hiding of data that did not support global warming claims;

Whereas these exchanges also detail attempts by some, including the head of the CRU, to alter data that is the basis of climate modeling across the globe including by using the trick of adding in the real temps to each series … to hide the decline [in temperature];

Whereas the exchanges describe attempts to silence academic journals that publish research skeptical of significant man-made global warming and refer to efforts to exclude contrary views from publication in scientific journals;

Whereas the discussions refer to deleting data and emails to avoid disclosure in the event of a freedom of information request;

Whereas these exchanges reveal actions that may constitute a serious breach of scientific ethics and violations of the public trust that appear to qualify as research misconduct under United States Federal policy;

Whereas if internationally generated data or information is to be used as the basis for the United States to impose any regulations or enter into any global agreement, such data and information should adhere to principles and policies of the United States Government;

Whereas the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (in this resolution referred to as the IPCC) was designated to provide timely information and advice on scientific and technological matters, including—

Whereas the IPCC seeks to review and assess the most recent scientific, technical, and socioeconomic information produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate change and utilizes such information in the generation of its Assessment Reports;

Whereas the IPCC relied heavily upon the data and information provided by the CRU;

Whereas the United States and many other countries rely upon and utilize the scientific assessments of the IPCC as a basis for policy action to limit the potential consequences of projected climate change;

Whereas countries from all over the world plan to meet in Copenhagen, Denmark, this month to discuss limiting greenhouse gas emissions by each country based on the information generated by the IPCC and the CRU;

Whereas the President of the United States and many Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate plan to attend this global conference on climate change;

Whereas the global conference could result in future domestic regulations and limitations on emissions based on questionable scientific assessments of the IPCC, which will irrevocably alter the United States economy, significantly increase energy costs, and very likely cost trillions of dollars to the American public and the loss of numerous American jobs; and

Whereas it is desirable that a bipartisan group of Members equally divided between the majority and minority be appointed by the Speaker and minority leader of the House of Representatives for the purpose of monitoring the status of scientific assessments on Global Climate Change and reporting periodically to the House of Representatives on those negotiations: Now, therefore, be it