From Professor Fred Singer

To the Institute of Physics, United Kingdom:

I am an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society and a co-organizer of a Petition drive to the APS Council to modify or withdraw the published APS Statement on Climate Change [see Nature 460:457, 23 July 2009]. Some 250 members and Fellows of the APS have now joined in signing this Petition, including members of the US National Academy of Sciences, a Nobelist, and many other prize winners.

I urge you to ignore all of the insubstantial criticisms leveled against your submission to the House of Commons’ inquiry into ClimateGate. All scientists should applaud your call for openness and sharing of data – even without the legal requirements of the Freedom of Information Act, and regardless of one’s position on the causes of global warming. To echo Margaret Thatcher’s admonition to President George Bush: “Don’t go wobbly!” (more…)

From The Viscount Monckton of Brenchley

Terri Jackson, Founder of the Energy Group at the Institute of Physics, has invited us to draw public attention to the fact that the Institute of Physics, which is supposed to be a charity dedicated to academic freedom, was unwilling to allow Margaret Thatcher’s finance minister, Lord Lawson of Blaby, to give an address at the Institute on the sole ground that he believes it is economically pointless and disproportionately costly to try to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.

Last year, at a meeting of the Energy Group at the Institute, the possibility of inviting Lord Lawson to speak was raised and there were no objections. Peter Gill, then chairman of the Energy Group, asked Ms. Jackson get in touch with Lord Lawson to extend the invitation. A date for the meeting was agreed.

However, as soon as the Institute found out that Lord Lawson was to be one of its speakers, Ms. Jackson says a series of opposing actions were set in train. First, the chairman was told that the finances of the group did not extend to covering Lord Lawson’s visit, including the hire of the room where he was to speak. However, the Group’s finances were in good order, and there was plenty of money to pay the quite limited costs of the meeting.

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