Overblown, underreported Climategate

The e-mails that were stolen from scientists at England's top institution for studying climate change quickly became a political soccer ball for the politically motivated skeptics who seem to believe that scientists operate as they do — with an ideological ax to grind. (And judging from my conversations with relatively well-informed friends, the story introduced some skepticism where there wasn't any before).

There's been a lot of empty debate on the significance of the e-mails but very little reporting on how the e-mails were stolen, who stole them, what they say and whether or not anything in them actually diminishes the case for man-made climate change. (From what I have read, they don't in the least). My friend Keith Kloor at the Collide-a-scape blog has, as usual, been on top of the issue. This Wall Street Journal commentary piece is by one of the scientists whose correspondence was stolen. It's worth a read.