Watson, Robert IPCC

Fired by Cheney? at the behest of Connaighton? cooney? randol?

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)Sir Robert Tony Watson <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George" title="Order of St Michael and St George" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">CMG</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Society" title="Royal Society" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">FRS</a> (born 21 March 1948) is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">British</a> chemist who has worked on atmospheric science issues including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_depletion" title="Ozone depletion" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">ozone depletion</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming" title="Global warming" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">global warming</a>and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleoclimatology" title="Paleoclimatology" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">paleoclimatology</a> since the 1980s.
<div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 7px; display: table; zoom: 1; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249);"><div id="toctitle" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><h2 style="color: black; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; display: inline; line-height: 1.3; background: none;">Contents</h2>  [<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#" id="togglelink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">hide</a>] </div><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#Education_and_awards" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">1 Education and awards</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#Career" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">2 Career</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#Background" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">3 Background</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#Opinion" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">4 Opinion</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#See_also" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">5 See also</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#References" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">6 References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#External_links" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">7 External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Education and awards<span class="mw-editsection" style="font-weight: normal; -webkit-user-select: none; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Watson(scientist)&action=edit&section=1&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Education and awards" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>Watson received a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Philosophy" title="Doctor of Philosophy" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">PhD</a> in gas phase chemical kinetics (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_chemistry" title="Atmospheric chemistry" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">atmospheric chemistry</a>) from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Mary,University_of_London" title="Queen Mary, University of London" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Queen Mary College</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_London" title="University of London" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">University of London</a> in 1973.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[1]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[2]</a> He has received awards for his contributions to science, including the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAS_Award_for_Scientific_Reviewing" title="NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing</a> from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Academy_of_Sciences" title="United States National Academy of Sciences" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">National Academy of Sciences</a> in 1992,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-Reviewing-3" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[3]</a> the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Science" title="American Association for the Advancement of Science" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Award_for_Scientific_Freedom_and_Responsibility" title="Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility</a> in 1993, the insignia of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George" title="Order of St Michael and St George" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Honorary Companion of St Michael and St George</a> from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Majesty%27s_Government" title="Her Majesty's Government" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">British Government</a> in 2003, and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champions_of_the_Earth" title="Champions of the Earth" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Champions of the Earth</a> Award from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Environment_Programme" title="United Nations Environment Programme" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">United Nations Environment Programme</a> in 2014.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-EarthChampion-4" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[4]</a><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Career[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Watson(scientist)&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Career" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>Watson was the Director of the Science Division and Chief Scientist for the Office of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Earth_Science_Enterprise" title="NASA Earth Science Enterprise" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Mission to Planet Earth</a> at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA" title="NASA" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">National Aeronautics and Space Administration</a> (NASA). Watson then became Associate Director for Environment in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Office_of_the_President_of_the_United_States" title="Executive Office of the President of the United States" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Office of the President of the United States</a> in the White House.In 1996, Watson joined the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bank_Group" title="World Bank Group" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">World Bank</a> as Senior Scientific adviser in the Environment Department, became Director of the Environment Department and Head of the Environment Sector Board in 1997 and is currently the Chief Scientist and Senior Adviser for Sustainable Development. He took up a position as Chair of Environmental Science and Science Director of the Tyndall Centre at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_East_Anglia" title="University of East Anglia" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">University of East Anglia</a>, United Kingdom, in August 2007<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-Tyndall-5" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[5]</a> and joined the British Government's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_for_Environment,Food_and_Rural_Affairs" title="Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs</a> (Defra) as Chief Scientific Adviser in September 2007.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-DEFRA-6" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[6]</a>Watson had a role in either the regulation efforts of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_depletion_and_global_warming" title="Ozone depletion and global warming" class="mw-redirect" style="color: rgb(11, 0, 128); text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Ozone depletion and global warming</a>. The Montreal and Vienna conventions were installed long before a scientific consensus was established.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-RG-7" style="text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">[7]</a> Until the 1980s EU, NASA, NAS, UNEP, WMO and the British government had dissenting scientific reports.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-RG-7" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[7]</a> Watson played a crucial role in the process of unified assessments<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-RG-7" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[7]</a> and did so as well for the IPCC.He was Chairman of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Environment_Facility" title="Global Environment Facility" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Global Environment Facility</a>'s Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel from 1991 to 1994, Chair of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergovernmental_Panel_on_Climate_Change" title="Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> (IPCC) from 1997 to 2002 and Board co-chair for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Ecosystem_Assessment" title="Millennium Ecosystem Assessment" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Millennium Ecosystem Assessment</a> from 2000 to 2005. He is currently Director of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Assessment_of_Agricultural_Science_and_Technology_for_Development" title="International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development</a> and co-chair of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_Assessment_of_Ozone_Depletion" title="Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">International Scientific Assessment of Stratospheric Ozone</a>. He has been Chair or co-chair of other international scientific assessments, including the IPCC Working Group II, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Environment_Programme" title="United Nations Environment Programme" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">United Nations Environment Programme</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Meteorological_Organization" title="World Meteorological Organization" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">World Meteorological Organization</a> (UNEP/WMO), and the UNEP Global Biodiversity Assessment.Professor of Environmental Sciences; Director of Strategic Development, Tyndall at the University of East Anglia,Watson was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_Bachelor" title="Knight Bachelor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">knighted</a> in the 2012 New Year Honours for his government service.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-8" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[8]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-9" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[9]</a><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Background[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Watson(scientist)&action=edit&section=3&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Background" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h2><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Revkin" title="Andrew Revkin" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Andrew Revkin</a> writing for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Times" title="New York Times" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">New York Times</a> described Watson as an "outspoken advocate of the idea that human actions—mainly burning coal and oil—are contributing to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming" title="Global warming" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">global warming</a> and must be changed to avert environmental upheavals."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-Revkin2002-10" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[10]</a>In April 2002 the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" title="United States" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">United States</a> pressed for and won his replacement by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajendra_Pachauri" title="Rajendra Pachauri" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Rajendra Pachauri</a> as IPCC chair. According to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Scientist" title="New Scientist" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">New Scientist</a>, "The oil industry seems to be behind the move." The industry campaign to oust Watson had begun days after <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">George W. Bush</a>'s inauguration in January 2001, with a memo to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House" title="White House" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">White House</a> from Randy Randol of oil giant <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExxonMobil" title="ExxonMobil" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">ExxonMobil</a> asking "Can Watson be replaced now at the request of the US?"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-MacKenzie2002-11" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[11]</a><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">Opinion[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Watson(scientist)&action=edit&section=4&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Opinion" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>In 2010, he warned the IPCC against overstatement:<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-Leake2010-12" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[12]</a>[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">not in citation given</a>]<dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"The mistakes all appear to have gone in the direction of making it seem like climate change is more serious by overstating the impact. That is worrying. The IPCC needs to look at this trend in the errors and ask why it happened." Adding "We should always be challenged by sceptics. The IPCC’s job is to weigh up the evidence. If it can’t be dismissed, it should be included in the report. Point out it’s in the minority and, if you can’t say why it’s wrong, just say it’s a different view."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-WebsterPagnamenta2010-13" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[13]</a></dd></dl>Ten years earlier in 2000, Watson had said:<dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">The overwhelming majority of scientific experts, whilst recognizing that scientific uncertainties exist, nonetheless believe that human-induced climate change is inevitable. Indeed, during the last few years, many parts of the world have suffered major heat waves, floods, droughts, fires and extreme weather events leading to significant economic losses and loss of life. While individual events cannot be directly linked to human-induced climate change, the frequency and magnitude of these types of events are predicted to increase in a warmer world.</dd></dl><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; color: rgb(37, 37, 37); line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">The question is not whether climate will change in response to human activities, but rather how much (magnitude), how fast (the rate of change) and where (regional patterns). It is also clear that climate change will, in many parts of the world, adversely affect socio-economic sectors, including water resources, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and human settlements, ecological systems (particularly forests and coral reefs), and human health (particularly diseases spread by insects), with developing countries being the most vulnerable. The good news is, however, that the majority of experts believe that significant reductions in net greenhouse gas emissions are technically feasible due to an extensive array of technologies and policy measures in the energy supply, energy demand and agricultural and forestry sectors. In addition, the projected adverse effects of climate change on socio-economic and ecological systems can, to some degree, be reduced through proactive adaptation measures. These are the fundamental conclusions, taken from already approved/accepted IPCC assessments, of a careful and objective analysis of all relevant scientific, technical and economic information by thousands of experts from the appropriate fields of science from academia, governments, industry and environmental organizations from around the world.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson(scientist)#cite_note-Watson2000-14" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); white-space: nowrap; background: none;">[14]</a></dd></dl><h2 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3; background: none rgb(255, 255, 255);">See also[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Watson_(scientist)&action=edit&section=5&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: See also" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">edit</a>]</h2><ul style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/svg+xml,%3C%3Fxml%20version%3D%221.0%22%20encoding%3D%22UTF-8%22%3F%3E%0A%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20version%3D%221.1%22%20width%3D%225%22%20height%3D%2213%22%3E%0A%3Ccircle%20cx%3D%222.5%22%20cy%3D%229.5%22%20r%3D%222.5%22%20fill%3D%22%2300528c%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A); color: rgb(37, 37, 37); line-height: 22.4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthopogenic_global_warming" title="Anthopogenic global warming" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Anthopogenic global warming</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Warming" title="Global Warming" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Global Warming</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol" title="Kyoto Protocol" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background: none;">Kyoto Protocol</a></li></ul>===

gelbspan:

<h3>Exxon, Exx Off</h3>

If the administration's energy plan was covered with the fingerprints of the country's biggest coal company, its climate policies appear to have been directly dictated by the planet's largest oil company.

Just weeks after Bush assumed office, ExxonMobil official Randy Randol sent a memo to the White House, which was subsequently obtained by the Natural Resources Defense Council through a series of Freedom of Information Act requests. The memo cited a quote from Robert Watson, chair of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: "The United States is way off meeting its targets. A country like China has done more, in my opinion, than a country like the United States to move forward in economic development while remaining environmentally sensitive." Clearly, Watson's assertion did not sit well with the memo's authors, who went on to ask: "Can Watson Be Replaced Now At the Request of the United States?"

ExxonMobil recommended that the Bush administration remove Watson, along with two officials instrumental in producing the U.S. National Assessment on Climate Change, an EPA document that the White House would seek to eviscerate in the spring of 2003. In their place, the oil giant recommended appointing longtime climate "skeptics" John Christy and Richard Lindzen.

Ultimately, the Bush administration did scuttle Watson's reappointment. But, apparently fearing a major backlash, it decided not to back such vocal contrarians as Christy and Lindzen.

--

Sir Robert Tony Watson <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George" title="Order of St Michael and St George">CMG</a> is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">British</a> scientist who has worked on atmospheric science issues including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_depletion" title="Ozone depletion">ozone depletion</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming" title="Global warming">global warming</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleoclimatology" title="Paleoclimatology">paleoclimatology</a> since the 1980s.Born 21.03.1948

<h2>Contents</h2>

</div>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#Education_and_awards">1 Education and awards</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#Career">2 Career</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#Background">3 Background</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#Opinion">4 Opinion</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#References">6 References</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#External_links">7 External links</a></li>

</ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2>Education and awards</h2>

Watson received a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Philosophy" title="Doctor of Philosophy">PhD</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemistry" title="Chemistry">Chemistry</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Mary,University_of_London" title="Queen Mary, University of London">Queen Mary College</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_London" title="University of London">University of London</a> in 1973. He has received awards for his contributions to science, including the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAS_Award_for_Scientific_Reviewing" title="NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing">NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing</a> from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Academy_of_Sciences" title="United States National Academy of Sciences" class="mw-redirect">National Academy of Sciences</a> in 1992<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson%28scientist%29#cite_note-Reviewing-0">[1]</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Science" title="American Association for the Advancement of Science">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Award_for_Scientific_Freedom_and_Responsibility" title="Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility" class="mw-redirect">Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility</a> in 1993 and the insignia of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George" title="Order of St Michael and St George">Honorary Companion of St Michael and St George</a> from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Majesty%27s_Government" title="Her Majesty's Government" class="mw-redirect">British Government</a> in 2003.

<h2>Career</h2>

Watson was the Director of the Science Division and Chief Scientist for the Office of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Earth_Science_Enterprise" title="NASA Earth Science Enterprise">Mission to Planet Earth</a> at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA" title="NASA">National Aeronautics and Space Administration</a> (NASA). Watson then became Associate Director for Environment in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Office_of_the_President_of_the_United_States" title="Executive Office of the President of the United States">Office of the President of the United States</a> in the White House.

In 1996, Watson joined the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bank_Group" title="World Bank Group">World Bank</a> as Senior Scientific adviser in the Environment Department, became Director of the Environment Department and Head of the Environment Sector Board in 1997 and is currently the Chief Scientist and Senior Adviser for Sustainable Development. He took up a position as Chair of Environmental Science and Science Director of the Tyndall Centre at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_East_Anglia" title="University of East Anglia">University of East Anglia</a>, United Kingdom, in August 2007<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson%28scientist%29#cite_note-Tyndall-1">[2]</a> and joined the British Government's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_for_Environment,Food_and_Rural_Affairs" title="Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs">Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs</a> (Defra) as Chief Scientific Adviser in September 2007.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_note-DEFRA-2">[3]</a>

He was Chairman of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Environment_Facility" title="Global Environment Facility">Global Environment Facility</a>'s Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel from 1991 to 1994, Chair of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergovernmental_Panel_on_Climate_Change" title="Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> (IPCC) from 1997 to 2002 and Board co-chair for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment from 2000 to 2005. He is currently Director of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Assessment_of_Agricultural_Science_and_Technology_for_Development" title="International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development" class="mw-redirect">International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development</a> and co-chair of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_Assessment_of_Ozone_Depletion" title="Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion">International Scientific Assessment of Stratospheric Ozone</a>. He has been Chair or co-chair of other international scientific assessments, including the IPCC Working Group II, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Environment_Programme" title="United Nations Environment Programme">United Nations Environment Programme</a>/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Meteorological_Organization" title="World Meteorological Organization">World Meteorological Organization</a> (UNEP/WMO), and the UNEP Global Biodiversity Assessment.Professor of Environmental Sciences; Director of Strategic Development, Tyndall at the University of East Anglia,

Watson was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_Bachelor" title="Knight Bachelor">knighted</a> in the 2012 New Year Honours for his government service.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson%28scientist%29#cite_note-3">[4]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson%28scientist%29#cite_note-4">[5]</a>

<h2>Background</h2>

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Revkin" title="Andrew Revkin">Andrew Revkin</a> writing for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Times" title="New York Times" class="mw-redirect">New York Times</a> described Watson as an "outspoken advocate of the idea that human actions—mainly burning coal and oil—are contributing to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming" title="Global warming">global warming</a> and must be changed to avert environmental upheavals."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_note-Revkin2002-5">[6]</a>

In April 2002 the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a> pressed for and won his replacement by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajendra_Pachauri" title="Rajendra Pachauri" class="mw-redirect">Rajendra Pachauri</a> as IPCC chair. According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Scientist" title="New Scientist">New Scientist</a>, "The oil industry seems to be behind the move." The industry campaign to oust Watson had begun days after <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush">George W. Bush</a>'s inauguration in January 2001, with a memo to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House" title="White House">White House</a> from Randy Randol of oil giant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExxonMobil" title="ExxonMobil">ExxonMobil</a> asking "Can Watson be replaced now at the request of the US?"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson%28scientist%29#cite_note-MacKenzie2002-6">[7]</a>

<h2>Opinion</h2>

In 2010, he warned the IPCC against overstatement:<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_note-Leake2010-7">[8]</a>not in cite above

<dl>

<dd>"The mistakes all appear to have gone in the direction of making it seem like climate change is more serious by overstating the impact. That is worrying. The IPCC needs to look at this trend in the errors and ask why it happened." Adding "We should always be challenged by sceptics. The IPCC’s job is to weigh up the evidence. If it can’t be dismissed, it should be included in the report. Point out it’s in the minority and, if you can’t say why it’s wrong, just say it’s a different view."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_note-WebsterPagnamenta2010-8">[9]</a></dd>

</dl>

Ten years earlier in 2000, he also said:

<dl>

<dd>The overwhelming majority of scientific experts, whilst recognizing that scientific uncertainties exist, nonetheless believe that human-induced climate change is inevitable. Indeed, during the last few years, many parts of the world have suffered major heat waves, floods, droughts, fires and extreme weather events leading to significant economic losses and loss of life. While individual events cannot be directly linked to human-induced climate change, the frequency and magnitude of these types of events are predicted to increase in a warmer world.</dd>

</dl>

<dl>

<dd>The question is not whether climate will change in response to human activities, but rather how much (magnitude), how fast (the rate of change) and where (regional patterns). It is also clear that climate change will, in many parts of the world, adversely affect socio-economic sectors, including water resources, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and human settlements, ecological systems (particularly forests and coral reefs), and human health (particularly diseases spread by insects), with developing countries being the most vulnerable. The good news is, however, that the majority of experts believe that significant reductions in net greenhouse gas emissions are technically feasible due to an extensive array of technologies and policy measures in the energy supply, energy demand and agricultural and forestry sectors. In addition, the projected adverse effects of climate change on socio-economic and ecological systems can, to some degree, be reduced through proactive adaptation measures. These are the fundamental conclusions, taken from already approved/accepted IPCC assessments, of a careful and objective analysis of all relevant scientific, technical and economic information by thousands of experts from the appropriate fields of science from academia, governments, industry and environmental organizations from around the world.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_note-Watson2000-9">[10]</a></dd>

</dl>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthopogenic_global_warming" title="Anthopogenic global warming" class="mw-redirect">Anthopogenic global warming</a></li>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Warming" title="Global Warming" class="mw-redirect">Global Warming</a></li>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol" title="Kyoto Protocol">Kyoto Protocol</a></li>

</ul>

<h2>References</h2>

<li id="cite_note-Reviewing-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_ref-Reviewing_0-0">^{</a></span}> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AWARDS_scirev">"NAS Award for Scientific Reviewing"</a>. National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 27 February 2011.</li>

<li id="cite_note-Tyndall-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_ref-Tyndall_1-0">^{</a></span}> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://tyndall.ac.uk/people/robert-watson">"Robert Watson"</a>. Tyndall.ac.uk. Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. Retrieved 2010-07-20.</li>

<li id="cite_note-DEFRA-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_ref-DEFRA_2-0">^{</a></span}> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/science/how/adviser.htm">"Chief Scientific Adviser"</a>. DEFRA. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 5 October 2007. Retrieved 2010-07-20.</li>

<li id="cite_note-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_ref-3">^{</a></span}> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Gazette" title="London Gazette">London Gazette</a>: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/60009/supplements/1">(Supplement) no. 60009. p. 1</a>. 31 December 2011.</li>

<li id="cite_note-4"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_ref-4">^{</a></span}> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_New_Year_Honours" title="2012 New Year Honours">New Year Honours 2012</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/30_12_11newyears2012.pdf">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/30_12_11newyears2012.pdf</a></li>

<li id="cite_note-Revkin2002-5"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_ref-Revkin2002_5-0">^{</a></span}> Revkin, Andrew C. (2 April 2002). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/02/world/dispute-arises-over-a-push-to-change-climate-panel.html">"Dispute Arises Over a Push To Change Climate Panel"</a>. NYTimes.com (New York Times). Retrieved 2010-07-20.</li>

<li id="cite_note-MacKenzie2002-6"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_ref-MacKenzie2002_6-0">^{</a></span}> MacKenzie, Debora (20 April 2002). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change/mg17423392.400">"Too hot for head of climate panel"</a>. NewScientist.com. New Scientist. Retrieved 2010-07-20.</li>

<li id="cite_note-Leake2010-7"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_ref-Leake2010_7-0">^{</a></span}> Leake, Jonathan (7 February 2010). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7017907.ece">"Top British scientist says UN panel is losing credibility"</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timesonline.co.uk" title="Timesonline.co.uk" class="mw-redirect">Timesonline.co.uk</a> (Sunday Times). Retrieved 2010-07-20.</li>

<li id="cite_note-WebsterPagnamenta2010-8"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_ref-WebsterPagnamenta2010_8-0">^{</a></span}> Webster, Robin; Pagnamenta (15 February 2010). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7026932.ece#cid=OTC-RSS%26attr=797093">"UN must investigate warming 'bias', says former climate chief Every error exaggerated the impact of change"</a>. TimesOnline.co.uk (Sunday Times). Retrieved 2010-07-20.</li>

<li id="cite_note-Watson2000-9"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Watson_%28scientist%29#cite_ref-Watson2000_9-0">^{</a></span}> Watson, Robert T. (13 November 2000). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20070604193752/http://www.ipcc.ch/press/sp-cop6.htm">"Presentation of Robert T. Watson Chair Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change at the Sixth Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change"</a>. International Panel on Climate Change. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ipcc.ch/press/sp-cop6.htm">the original</a> on 2007-06-04.</li>

</ol>

</div>

<h2>External links</h2>

<ul>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.world-nuclear.org/sym/1998/watsobio.htm">Brief bio</a></li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www1.uea.ac.uk/cm/home/schools/sci/env/people/facstaff/watsonr">University of East Anglia bio</a></li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/sop2004/dkv/signs_politics.html">Short CV</a></li>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Scientist" title="New Scientist">New Scientist</a>, 20 April 2002, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change/mg17423392.400">"Too hot for head of climate panel"</a></li>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate_%28magazine%29" title="Slate (magazine)">Slate</a>, April 22, 2002, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://slate.msn.com/id/2064611/">"Did Exxon Mobil Get Bush To Oust the Global Warming Chief? – Al Gore spoils Dubya's Earth Day"</a></li>

<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nrdc.org/media/docs/020403.pdf">ExxonMobil memo</a></li>

</ul>

----

<h2 class="sl-art-head-hed">Did Exxon Mobil Get Bush To Oust the Global Warming Chief?</h2>

<h1 class="sl-art-head-dek">Al Gore spoils Dubya's Earth Day.</h1>

By <a rel="author" href="http://www.slate.com/authors.timothy_noah.html">Timothy Noah</a>|Posted Monday, April 22, 2002, at 6:54 PM ET

</div>

Al Gore is celebrating Earth Day by accusing President Bush of jettisoning Robert Watson, head of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, at the behest of an oil company. In an April 21 <a target="_blank" data-linktype="External" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/21/opinion/21GORE.html">New York Times op-ed</a>, Gore wrote:

</div>

ExxonMobil has been allowed to veto the United Statesgovernment's selection of who will head the prestigious scientific panel that monitors global warming. Dr. Robert Watson, the highly respected leader of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change, was blackballed in a <a target="_blank" data-linktype="External" href="http://www.nrdc.org/media/docs/020403.pdf">memo</a> to the White House from the nation's largest oil company. The memo had its effect last Friday, when Dr. Watson lost his bid for re-election after the administration threw its weight behind the "let's drag our feet" candidate, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri of New Delhi, who is known for his virulent anti-American statements.

</blockquote>

</div>

If true, this is pretty compromising. Is it true? Let's start with what's beyond dispute:

</div>

1) Watson's bid for a second term was, indeed, not supported by the Bush administration. Instead, the State Department <a target="blank" data-linktype="External" href="http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2002/9132.htm">announced</a> on April 2 that it would support Pachauri. Two days later, State Department spokesman Philip Reeker <a target="blank" data-linktype="External" href="http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2002/9177.htm">tried</a>, unsuccessfully, to convince reporters that this was not a slight to Watson.

2) Exxon Mobil lobbyist Randy Randol (who declined to take Chatterbox's phone call today) did indeed forward a <a target="blank" data-linktype="External" href="http://www.nrdc.org/media/docs/020403.pdf">memo</a> to John Howard, senior policy associate at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, a little more than a year before the Bushies announced their decision to ditch Watson. (The memo was <a target="blank" data-linktype="External" href="http://www.nrdc.org/media/default.asp#0419ExxonMobil">made public</a> by the Natural Resources Defense Council, which acquired it under the Freedom of Information Act.) The memo noted that Watson "was hand picked by Al Gore and served in the Clinton/Gore White House Office of Science and Technology Policy." The memo accused Watson of wanting "to get media coverage of his views before there was a chance for the process to challenge his personal agenda." (Watson denied this in an <a target="_blank" data-linktype="External" href="http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/04/05/global_warming/index.html">April 5 interview</a> with Salon's Damien Cave.) Here is what followed, bold-faced and indented: "Issue: Can Watson Be Replaced Now At The Request of the U.S.?" The obvious thrust of the memo was that yes, he can and should.

3) Rajendra Pachauri, and not Robert Watson, was last week <a target="_blank" data-linktype="External" href="http://www.ipcc.ch/press/pr20042002.htm">elected chairman</a> of the IPCC.

</blockquote>

</div>

Now let's consider what is in dispute:

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1) Who wrote the memo Exxon Mobil's Randy Randol forwarded to the White House? Logically, it should be Randol, or someone who works for him. Chatterbox still thinks that's very likely. But Exxon Mobil spokesman Tom Cirigliano [honeywell, J&J]  <a target="_blank" data-linktype="External" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18289-2002Apr19.html">told the Associated Press on April 19</a> that no one at Exxon Mobil wrote the memo—that Randol merely passed on a memo prepared by some mystery third party. "We've never taken any kind of public or private position on the subject of Dr. Watson or the leadership of the I[P]CC," Cirigliano said. This overlooks a note from Randol on the fax cover sheet, which begins, "Attached is a brief memo outlining the issues," which certainly sounds like an endorsement of its contents, as does Randol's promise to "call to discuss the recommendations regarding the team that can better represent the Bush Administration interests until key appointments and re-assessments are made." If Randol didn't write what followed, Chatterbox is tempted to accuse him of plagiarism. Whether someone at Exxon Mobil actually wrote the memo or not, Exxon Mobil was clearly making its desires plain.

2) Did the White House can Watson because Exxon Mobil told it to? This can't be proved. An administration source tells Chatterbox that the Exxon Mobil memo was never forwarded to anyone else at the White House or in the State Department and that the White House Council on Environmental Quality has no input on who runs the IPCC. But if Exxon Mobil took the trouble to send the memo to the CEQ, it's likely that it also forwarded the memo, or at least made the same argument, to others at the White House and the State Department. (If Exxon Mobil didn't do so and instead let the matter drop after it had lobbied the wrong office, the company should immediately fire its Washington staff for incompetence.) It's also likely that other energy companies expressed similar views to the White House about Watson. No one but an energy company (or a law firm representing one) would bother to bring the matter up.

3) Is Rajendra Pachauri, as Gore writes, a "drag our feet" candidate? That's an unfair caricature. Pachauri's previous public statements show him to be strongly in favor of international action to combat global warming. It is true, though, that Pachauri, unlike Watson, is not an atmospheric scientist, and that this will likely be a serious handicap. (Pachauri has degrees in economics and engineering, which are relevant to the job but not as essential as a strong grounding in basic science.)

4) Is Pachauri, as Gore writes, "anti-American"? He is, a bit. Gore spelled out what he meant in an Earth Day speech today at Vanderbilt University:

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[T]he man President Bush has just chosen as the leader of the world's most prestigious environmental body has even called for, in his words, "a worldwide movement which boycotts American goods as a source of global pollution." …[He] is also the principal opponent of President Bush's stated policy that developing countries should share in the reduction of greenhouse gases.

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Pachauri's tactic is to insist that the United States and other highly developed nations make drastic reductions in their emissions of greenhouse gases before less developed nations (like his homeland of India) are forced to. That makes him hostile to market solutions in which U.S. companies upgrade inefficient plants overseas as an alternative to reducing carbon dioxide output in less-dirty plants in the United States. Which is, indeed, the approach favored by the Bush administration. The larger point, though, is that Bush would just as soon not do anything about global warming. Backing a candidate likely to embroil the IPCC in a paralyzing spat between Western and non-Western nations is a pretty good way to achieve that.

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Did Exxon Mobil come up with the idea not just to ditch Watson, but to back Pachauri? If so, the company probably should fire its Washington lobbyists. Why? Because Pachauri's <a target="_blank" data-linktype="External" href="http://www.teriin.org/features/art114.htm">call for a boycott</a> was directed specifically at none other than Exxon Mobil!

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