[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 954 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 954

  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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 8, 2009

Mr. Hall of Texas (for himself, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Olson, Mr. Neugebauer, 
Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Akin, Mr. Broun of Georgia, Mr. Sensenbrenner, Mr. 
Bilbray, Mr. Bartlett, Mrs. Biggert, and Mr. Smith of Texas) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                         Science and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  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--

    (1) assessments of the state of scientific knowledge relating to 
climate change and its effects;

    (2) advice on scientific programs;

    (3) international cooperation in research and development related to 
climate change; and

    (4) response to scientific, technological, and methodological 
questions;

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
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the establishment of scientific protocols and a robust 
        oversight mechanism governing an infrastructure of observing, 
        monitoring, measuring, and verification technologies, data 
        collection methods, and peer review standards is necessary to 
        preclude future infringements of public trust by scientific 
        falsification and fraud; and
            (2) climate change research information provided by the 
        Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change should meet United 
        States Federal standards for scientific research as defined by 
        the National Science and Technology Council and the National 
        Academy of Sciences before being used as the basis for action 
        by the United States Government.
    Sec. 2.  The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall transmit a 
copy of this resolution to the President.
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