The recently published and controversial hacked emails that have been appearing in forums all over the world are creating a stir within and outside of the climate change community. Several scientists have been targeted by alternative media and many experts’ testimony has come into question as news of data manipulation is running through the internet. Given the controversial nature of this program, speculation as to the source of the hacked emails has been flying. One suspected source is the Russian Secret Service’s hacker unit.
When the server of origin that the emails originally came from was traced to a source in Siberia, investigators suspected the Russian Secret Service may have been responsible. Clearly whoever did the computer hack, according to a senior member of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, was not an amateur. Rather, he said, it was likely a highly politically motivated and professional job. Others within the group went further to suggest it may have been motivated originally by the FSB. The FSB security services were originally descended from the KGB, who are suspected of investing large quantities of money in their hacking team services. The Tomsk office, from which the hacked email originated has regularly congratulated students in the area who have hacked anti-Russian voices, saying they are merely expressing their position as citizens, and showing their loyalty which is greatly respected. Cyber attacks originating from the Kremlin have also been thought to have occurred in Estonia, a country which isn’t on the best of terms with Russia. These allegations, however, were never proved.
The emails of course have fueled skepticism over climate change’s origins and are expected to make a treaty in Copenhagen creating a global government to fine and enforce climate change more difficult to create. The Copenhagen meeting has met strong criticism in the past as geopolitical activists have accused the group of perpetrating what some are calling the most massive hoax to ever be perpetrated in the world. Many are calling the ensuing chaos “Climate Gate” after the Watergate scandal which took place in the Watergate hotel in 1970s of Nixon’s fame. Several have drawn parallels between the two, although Achim Steiner, director of the United Nations Environment Program, said “This is not climate gate, it’s hacker gate. Let’s not forget the word ‘gate’ refers to a place (in this case, the Watergate hotel) where data was stolen by people who were paid to do so.” The spies, however, were not confirmed to have originated from Russia, let alone be hired by the government.
It’s unknown what will happen at the Copenhagen meeting on climate control. Many are saying the leaked emails are being themselves used more for political purposes than the information within them. It would appear the emails themselves contained little information directly related to climate control outside of one particular quote where one scientist alludes to a method of skewing data to hide the decline in global temperatures over the past ten years. Regardless, it’s certain the controversy will heat up before it finally is resolved.