This is a major scientific scandal. A hacker breached the network of a government-funded, so-called “leading Climate Research Unit” in Britain, and the resulting email exposure has given the global warming community a collective black eye.  The emails demonstrate a clear pattern of data manipulation, organized resistance and obstruction to disclosure, and private admissions to publicly denied faults in the research.

The New York Times naturally couldn’t resist a little spin and damage control:

The evidence pointing to a growing human contribution to global warming is so widely accepted that the hacked material is unlikely to erode the overall argument. However, the documents will undoubtedly raise questions about the quality of research on some specific questions and the actions of some scientists.

Ridiculous.  The evidence has been so thoroughly discredited and dunked that it is unconscionable for a major media organ, even one as biased as the New York Times, to engage in this level of spin.  But while the media doesn’t get it, the public increasingly does.

Opinion polls show faith in AGW continues to be the minority position.  Meanwhile, Al Gore is facing an increasingly emboldened public backlash for both his views and his hypocrisy.

Update: I’ve started a Climategate Link-o-Rama page to keep up with the story.  I’ll update it with the best resources on the controversy as I come across them.

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