Global warming research grant in danger of fund freeze

A top member of Congress wants President Obama to freeze more than $500,000 in stimulus money going to a Penn State global warming researcher after the school said it was expanding an investigation into the professor’s work.

Rep. Darrell Issa of California, the top Republican on the House investigations committee, said the school’s investigation calls into question the credibility of research by Michael Mann, who has played a major role in shaping the international debate on global warming.

“Until this investigation is completed, the National Science Foundation should immediately freeze all grants and funding, including the $541,184 stimulus grant to Professor Mann,” Mr. Issa said. “Taxpayers should not be paying for propaganda masquerading as science.”

An NSF spokeswoman did not immediately have a comment on the request.

A three-person panel at Penn State reviewed more than 1,000 e-mails that were apparently hacked from a British climate research facility and that have called into question some of the methods of top scientists who support the idea that global warming is real.

Critics say the e-mails show a conspiracy to shape climate data and to quash results and studies questioning global warming.

The Penn State panel cleared Mr. Mann of allegations he falsified or tried to destroy data, but said it couldn’t decide whether his overall actions were outside the bounds of acceptable research conduct. The panel sent the charge on to another five-person panel for further investigation.

The three-year stimulus grant began in June, according to the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank that has also called for the money to be halted.