IV 

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 

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•HRES 954 IH 

lying 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 


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•HRES 954 IH 

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; 


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•HRES 954 IH 

(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 apVerDate Nov 24 2008 01:13 Dec 09, 2009 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR954.IH HR954

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•HRES 954 IH 

pointed 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 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that— 

3 (1) the establishment of scientific protocols and 

4 a robust oversight mechanism governing an infra5 structure of observing, monitoring, measuring, and 

6 verification technologies, data collection methods, 

7 and peer review standards is necessary to preclude 

8 future infringements of public trust by scientific fal9 sification and fraud; and 

10 (2) climate change research information pro11 vided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 

12 Change should meet United States Federal stand13 ards for scientific research as defined by the Na14 tional Science and Technology Council and the Na15 tional Academy of Sciences before being used as the 

16 basis for action by the United States Government. 

17 SEC. 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives 

18 shall transmit a copy of this resolution to the President. 

Æ 


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