The Kel Word: Jon Stewart Takes on James Inhofe in ClimateGate 3.0

As reported in the wee hours of the morning, the ClimateGate controversy has now moved to Congress. This action comes on the lead-up to the Copenhagen summit next week and the heels of Professor Phil Jones of the Climate Research Institute (CRU) announcing his resignation this past Tuesday. Jones' emails are at the center of the debacle. On the other hand, University of Arizona's Dr. Malcolm Hughes, who was named in and received a number of the emails in question, says he has nothing to hide and contends that the term “trick” is often used by researchers touting a simple solution for a problem.

Hughes refers, of course, to this infamous statement made in one of the emails: “I’ve just completed Mike’s nature trick of adding in the real temps to each series for the last 20 years (ie from 1981 onwards) and from 1961 for Keith’s to hide the decline.” Hughes was contacted recently by Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe who told him not to destroy any evidence that might incriminate or connect him to the scandal. An infamous climate change denier, Inhofe once famously declared, “The fact that this whole idea on the global warming, I'm glad that's over, gone, done. We won. You lost. Get a life.”

Jon Stewart reminded us on Wednesday night's The Daily Show that that was Inhofe's position before this latest escapade, so he's likely quite thrilled about all of this brouhaha. Stewart also proffered these sage words to all the scientists out there: “If you care about an issue and want to make it your life’s work, don’t cut corners! It’s disheartening for people inclined torwards the scientific method, and it’s catnip to these guys who are going to end up celebrating tonight, drunk, roaming the Arctic circle trying to skull f$#@ polar bears which are quickly disappearing because of rising oceans caused now, apparently, by God's tears.”

And, email controversies notwithstanding, the sea levels are still rising, with the latest estimates forecasting a doubling of previous predictions. The newly released numbers find that, if current trends continue, by 2100, major hubs such as London, Shanghai, and New York will be endangered and cities including Calcutta and Dhaka will be completely engulfed.