Don't do anything until we know all the facts

That's the argument from one business coalition. Don't do anything about regulating CO2 until we know all the facts about what went on at the University of East Anglia climate study center. Who jiggered what numbers? So the Western Business Roundtable calls for a moratorium on any EPA action to regulate CO2 emissions in the U.S.

"The scientists who developed the data on which EPA is basing its work have all but admitted that their data was corrupted and that some of it might have been purposely deleted to avoid public disclosure," said Jim Sims, President and CEO of the Western Business Roundtable. "They have admitted to corrupting the very scientific process needed to ensure the integrity of the computer models on which climate predictions are based.

"At a minimum, the U.S. government should put a moratorium on spending any tax dollars on a process that is based on potentially faulty and corrupted data," Sims said.

"The revelation of data corruption at the East Anglia Climate Research Unit in the U.K. must be investigated fully before any public policies based upon that data are completed," Sims said. "Without a complete and full investigation, the public's trust in any of these regulations is going to be damaged severely, and they will fail in their mission."

Sims said: "An overwhelming majority of the Congress, on both sides of the aisle, do not support the EPA moving forward on the endangerment process without Congressional direction anyway. They certainly will not support EPA issuing regulations based on potentially faulty science."

I have blogged before how the EPA was in position to usurp the Congress by moving ahead on CO2 regulation. The great thing about this argument to do a thorough investigation: it will take years. By then the WBR may find another Republican in the White House and this whole business nightmare of government action may pass away altogether.

WESTERN BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE (WBR)

In their words, here are the core principles of WBR: "Public policies should encourage investment, growth, job creation and economic opportunity across all economic sectors. "Public policies should encourage common sense, balanced solutions that maximize entrepreneurial freedom and innovation. "Public policies governing natural resource and energy development must be informed by the facts and realities of technology development and deployment in order to be successful."

The WBR perhaps assumes somebody else will worry about public health, environmental pollution and all those pesky issues. Not their problem. Of course, you can already know who the members of WBR are: energy, mining and energy companies. A list on this website.

And carefully look at this sentence: "The scientists who developed the data on which EPA is basing its work." There are numerous global warming studies having nothing to do with the University of East Anglia or even temperature data. They range from increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere to disappearing ice caps in Arctic, Greenland and mountain ranges.

This is only one of the many political arguments that will be now be based on the hacked docs from the University of East Anglia. Expect intensive lobbying and probable legal action to get all global warming regulations stopped in the U.S.