Dear geoengineering group, I have been trying to respond to Eli Kintisch' ScienceInsider article for three days. Science has not been able to help me post a comment. Because Ken posted the article here and because most of those following this issue are on this google group, I am posting my response here and will continue to try to comment directly on Eli's blog:
-------------------- Eli, thank you for your coverage of the Climate Response Fund (CRF) and our upcoming conference at Asilomar on risk assessment and management for climate intervention technologies. CRF decided some time ago not to make a formal press announcement about our nonprofit (which was incorporated as a US 501c3 organization earlier this year) or about the planned conference until after the Copenhagen climate negotiations were completed. We believe that the focus now should be on support for the earliest and most aggressive possible emissions reductions, and do not want to have discussion of our efforts on climate engineering distract in any way from the important work at Copenhagen. We want to assure you and your readers that we take the issue of conflict of interest very seriously and have taken steps to eliminate conflicts: I no longer have a position, stock or a share of any intellectual property in Climos. No individual from Climos is on the board of CRF, an employee of CRF or on our group of advisors. We also have a strong organizational conflict of interest policy that would prevent me from participating in any decision to provide funds to Climos in the event that they would seek funding. The steps I have taken to separate myself and CRF from Climos meet or exceed conflict of interest policies for the US federal government and exceed those for most academic institutions (which allow intellectual property to be held by researchers while actively performing research in the same area) and most peer-reviewed publications (which do not require disclosure of financial interests other than the source of funding for the material being published) as well as conform with best practices in the nonprofit community. In addition we have not accepted donations from individuals or groups that would profit financially from climate engineering technologies. If you or your readers want to suggest further steps to avoid conflict we are very happy hear comments. Margaret Leinen Founder and CEO, Climate Response Fund -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=.
