Evidence that Cyclone Gabrielle was caused by Climate Change
Steven Cranston made this Official Information request to James Shaw
Response to this request is long overdue. By law James Shaw should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.
From: Steven Cranston
Dear James Shaw,
You have made regular public statements blaming the devastating effects of Cyclone Gabrielle on climate change.
I request all data and scientific evidence that you relied on to conclude that ex tropical cyclones will either increase in intensity or frequency due to a gradually warming climate.
Please assign appropriate levels of certainty with your response.
As your public statements referenced scientific ‘evidence’, I request that evidence accumulated via the traditional and trusted scientific method be provided. If you intend to use research based on a scientific ‘consensus’ as a substitute for evidence, can you provide a clarification statement that your Ministry now officially considers a consensus interchangeable with evidence.
Yours faithfully,
Steven Cranston
From: J Shaw (MIN)
James Shaw
Tçnâ koe,
Thank you for contacting the office of Hon James Shaw, Minister of Climate
Change and Associate Minister for the Environment (Biodiversity).
While the Minister considers all correspondence to be important and all
messages are carefully read and considered, it is not always possible to
provide a personal response to every email received.
· If your message is for Minister Shaw’s advice, or if you have
copied your email to another Minister and/or Member of Parliament with
more appropriate portfolio responsibilities, then this will be noted.
· If you have invited Minister Shaw to an event then a member of
staff may contact you for more information. Please note we do endeavour to
process invitations within 7 working days.
· If you have made a request for official information then this
will be managed in accordance with the provisions of the Official
Information Act 1982, which may include transfer to a more relevant
Minister or agency.
· If you have made a request under the Privacy Act then this will
be managed in accordance with the principles of the Privacy Act 2020,
which may include transfer to a more relevant Minister or agency.
· If you are a journalist then your request will be referred to
the Press Secretary.
· If your email relates to Green Party policy, your email will be
redirected to [1][email address]
· To find out more about Minister Shaw read his [2]biography or
recent [3]statements.
Ngâ mihi
Office of Hon James Shaw
Reception +64 4 817 6663 | Ministerial Email [4][James Shaw request email] |
Web [5]beehive.govt.nz |
Postal Freepost Parliament, Private Bag 18 041, Parliament Buildings,
Wellington 6160, New Zealand
[6]https://www.facebook.com/JamesShawMP/htt...
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From: J Shaw (MIN)
James Shaw
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Tēnā koe,
Thank you for contacting the office of Hon James Shaw, Minister of Climate
Change and Associate Minister for the Environment (Biodiversity).
While the Minister considers all correspondence to be important and all
messages are carefully read and considered, it is not always possible to
provide a personal response to every email received.
o If your message is for Minister Shaw’s advice, or if you have copied
your email to another Minister and/or Member of Parliament with more
appropriate portfolio responsibilities, then this will be noted.
o If you have invited Minister Shaw to an event then a member of staff
may contact you for more information. Please note we do endeavour to
process invitations within 7 working days.
o If you have made a request for official information then this will be
managed in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information
Act 1982, which may include transfer to a more relevant Minister or
agency.
o If you have made a request under the Privacy Act then this will be
managed in accordance with the principles of the Privacy Act 2020,
which may include transfer to a more relevant Minister or agency.
o If you are a journalist then your request will be referred to the
Press Secretary.
o If your email relates to Green Party policy, your email will be
redirected to [1][email address]
o To find out more about Minister Shaw read his [2]biography or recent
[3]statements.
Ngā mihi
Office of Hon James Shaw
Reception +64 4 817 6663 | Ministerial Email [4][James Shaw request email] |
Web [5]beehive.govt.nz |
Postal Freepost Parliament, Private Bag 18 041, Parliament Buildings,
Wellington 6160, New Zealand
[6]cid:image001.png@01D60E50.D03B7B60[7]cid:image002.png@01D60E50.D03B7B60[8]cid:image003.png@01D60E50.D03B7B60[9]cid:image004.png@01D60E50.D03B7B60[10]cid:image005.png@01D60E50.D03B7B60
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References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/bio...
3. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/hon...
4. mailto:[James Shaw request email]
5. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/hon...
6. https://www.facebook.com/JamesShawMP/
7. https://twitter.com/jamespeshaw?ref_src=...
8. https://www.instagram.com/jamesshawmp/?h...
9. https://nz.linkedin.com/in/jamespeshaw
10. http://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/hon-...
From: J Shaw (MIN)
James Shaw
Kia ora Steven,
On behalf of the Hon James Shaw, I wish to officially acknowledge your
Official Information request received by our office on Wednesday, 1 March
2023 requesting:
· All data and scientific evidence that the Minister relied on to
conclude that ex tropical cyclones will either increase in intensity or
frequency due to a gradually warming climate. Please assign appropriate
levels of certainty with your response.
· As the Minister’s public statements referenced scientific
‘evidence’, I request that evidence accumulated via the traditional and
trusted scientific method be provided. If the Minister intends to use
research based on a scientific ‘consensus’ as a substitute for evidence,
can he provide a clarification statement that his Ministry now officially
considers a consensus interchangeable with evidence.
We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible, and, in
any event no later than Wednesday, 29 March 2023. If we are unable to
respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of
that timeframe.
Ngā mihi,
The Office of Hon James Shaw
Minister of Climate Change | Associate Minister for the Environment
(Biodiversity) | Green Party Co-Leader
Room 2.025, Parliament House| Private Bag 18041 | Wellington 6160 | New
Zealand
The information contained in this email is privileged and confidential and
intended for the addressee only. If you are not the intended recipient,
you are asked to respect that confidentiality and not disclose, copy or
make use of its contents. If received in error you are asked to destroy
this email and contact the sender immediately. Your assistance is
appreciated.
show quoted sections
From: Patricia Parre
Tēnā koe Steven,
Please find attached a response to your recent request (below) from the
Minister of Climate Change, Hon James Shaw.
Ngā mihi,
Patricia
Patricia (Trish) Parre (she/her)| Private Secretary – Climate Change |
Office of Hon James Shaw MP
Minister of Climate Change | Associate Minister for the Environment
(Biodiversity)
show quoted sections
From: Steven Cranston
Dear Patricia Parre,
I was asking for specific research papers or data you relied on which used the scientific method (ie have been rigorously assessed against observational data)
If you could provide up to 3 papers that you have referenced to come to the conclusion that ex tropical cyclones are increasing in frequency or intensity in the South Pacific would be greatly appreciated.
Can you please link any NIWA statements to the specific research they used to make the statement.
Yours sincerely,
Steven Cranston
From: Steven Cranston
Dear Patricia Parre,
For clarity, I am asking for any additional research on the attribution of climate change to cyclone Gabrielle as the world weather attribution study in known to have used the incomplete NIWA database.
In short, has the minister relied entirely on this database to make the claim? No other papers or IPCC studies will have used the scientific method if they have not cross referenced against observational data from NZ. Is all this research then relying on the NIWA database?
Yours sincerely,
Steven Cranston
From: Steven Cranston
Dear Patricia Parre,
Hi, after doing a reference check on the information provided by the Minister in his response, I have noticed that MfE (Our Atmosphere and Climate Report 2020) does not support the conclusion that the proportion of rainfall arriving as extreme events is increasing nationally.
Given the contradictions in advice between NIWA and MfE, it is of particular importance to receive the scientific papers or data that the Cyclone Gabrielle claims were based on.
This request is now overdue, can you please provide a prompt responce.
Yours sincerely,
Steven Cranston
From: Steven Cranston
Dear Patricia Parre,
Can you please explain why this request has been delayed? If no response I will take it to the ombudsman
Yours sincerely,
Steven Cranston
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