KEY POINTS:
An American organisation is refusing to remove the names of New Zealand scientists from its website despite concerns that their research relating to climate change has been hijacked by climate sceptics.
The Heartland Institute in Chicago has infuriated scientists from around the world by naming them in articles that "confirm key facts and theories that undermine the notion that the modern warming is entirely man-made or will be catastrophic".
Many of the scientists felt their work had been distorted and mis-reported, as they did not share the conclusion that global warming was mainly caused by natural cycles.
The institute, which says it is a non-political and non-profit educational organisation, responded that it was not presenting the scientists as climate change sceptics.
Instead it was highlighting areas of their research which the institute said challenged the view that human activity was fuelling global warming.
Joseph Bast, president of the Heartland Institute, said the list of 500 scientists on its website had published work which contradicted some of the tenets of "global warming alarmism".
Mr Bast took issue with comments made by New Zealand scientist Dr Jim Salinger, who was annoyed he had been included on the list and wanted to be taken off.
Dr Salinger had told the Herald he objected to the implication that his research supported the theory thatglobal warming, which he believed was real, was not man-made but a result of natural cycles.
Mr Bast said Dr Salinger's comment that global warming was real was an empty cliche and the institute was not denying global warming.
Dr Salinger was merely listed in a bibliography of co-authors of scholarly articles that confirmed key facts and theories that undermined the notion that the modern warming was entirely man-made or would be catastrophic.
Dr Salinger yesterday responded that the institute continued to misrepresent his position and that of most leading climate scientists.
He said natural variation could not on its own account for the measured increase in temperature during the late 20th century.
But when it was combined with the measured increase in greenhouse gases, there was a good fit with increase in global average temperature over the late 20th century.
"The extensively researched and widely accepted explanation fits the evidence: we are experiencing human-induced climate change. The institute's position does not."
The conclusion of many peer-reviewed studies was that human-induced climate change was real.
"The extent of the effects ... depends in part on what we do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
