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Met Office to reveal climate data Climate protests ahead of summit
(about 4 hours later)
The Met Office (MO) is to announce it will publish the raw data it uses to analyse man-made global warming. Demonstrations are to be held across the UK and in the Irish Republic later to demand action on climate change ahead of the Copenhagen summit.
It follows a row about the reliability of data from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia which has been dubbed "Climategate". Protesters in London, Belfast, Glasgow and Dublin want world leaders to reach a tough new deal on cutting emissions.
The MO has written to 188 countries for permission to publish the historic data it says proves that the world is warming up due to man-made emissions. The protests come as the Met Office prepares to publish the raw figures it uses to assess man-made global warming.
A spokesman denied reports ministers had tried to block the publication. It follows a row, dubbed "Climategate", about the reliability of data from the University of East Anglia.
E-mail row Last month, hundreds of emails from the university's Climatic Research Unit were leaked onto the internet, prompting claims that scientists manipulated data on global warming to strengthen the argument that it is man-made.
The material, dating back 160 years from more than 1,000 weather stations around the world, is expected to be released this week. Now the Met Office has written to 188 countries for permission to publish material, dating back 160 years from more than 1,000 weather stations around the world, which it says proves climate change is caused by humans.
It comes as an independent review is announced into leaked e-mails at the CRU in Norwich to see whether there is evidence of manipulation or suppression of data "at odds with acceptable scientific practice". Climate camp
The MO - one of the foremost global authorities on climate change - works closely with the CRU. On Saturday, environmental campaigners, aid agencies, trade unions and organisations including the Women's Institute are expected to take part in the so-called Wave protest in London.
The MO's database is a main source of analysis for the UN's climate change science body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which joins talks next week at the long-awaited Copenhagen summit. A rally will take place close to the American embassy in Grosvenor Square at 1200 GMT, followed by a march to the Houses of Parliament.
An MO spokesman denied it would spend up to three years re-examining the climate change data, and said it had already planned to publish the material long before the "Climategate" controversy broke. Mr Brown can help inspire a fair, effective and binding international deal at Copenhagen Ashok Sinha, Stop Climate Chaos class="" href="/2/hi/in_depth/wales/2009/green_wales/8395624.stm">Climate protesters in 'Wave' demo
But the spokesman admitted the e-mail row had made the whole exercise more urgent. At Westminster Central Hall an ecumenical service will also be held, featuring an address by Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams.
Downing Street has said Gordon Brown is "unequivocal" about the scientific case for action against climate change. Later, members of the Camp for Climate Action say they are planning to camp at an as-yet secret location somewhere in the capital.
Mr Brown said the climate was the "greatest challenge" facing the world. The Stop Climate Chaos coalition, which includes Oxfam, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, is also organising demonstrations in Belfast, Glasgow and Dublin in the Irish Republic.
He is one of several world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, who will attend the Copenhagen summit aimed at cutting emissions. Director Ashok Sinha said: "We will call on Gordon Brown to make Copenhagen count by committing rich countries to reduce their emissions by at least 40% in the next 10 years, finally putting the right sort of money on the table to help poor countries, and urgently start the process of decarbonising our energy supply.
"With bold leadership at home, Mr Brown can help inspire a fair, effective and binding international deal at Copenhagen."
Downing Street has said the prime minister is "unequivocal" about the scientific case for action against climate change.
He will join Barack Obama in Copenhagen next week, after the US President announced that he had changed his plans and would now attend the end of the conference.
Ahead of the summit, Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband will be taking part in "the first ever ministerial mass phone call" on Saturday, after inviting questions from the public via his website, Ed's Pledge.
'Big political decisions'
There will be people who don't want the world to make those big decisions Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband
Mr Miliband told the BBC he would be "very surprised" if there had been any wrongdoing on the part of the scientists involved in "Climategate".
"We're in a moment when the world is about to make some big political decisions," he said.
"And there will be people who don't want the world to make those big decisions and they are trying to use this in part to say somehow this is all in doubt and perhaps we should put the whole thing off.
"Well, I just think they're wrong about that."
The Met Office's database is a main source of analysis for the UN's climate change science body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which joins talks next week at the long-awaited Copenhagen summit.
A Met Office spokesman said it had already planned to publish the material long before the "Climategate" controversy broke, but admitted the e-mail row had made the whole exercise more urgent.
The spokesman denied reports that government ministers had tried to block the publication.