Top scientists accuse House panel of harassing climate researchers

Eight key scientific bodies warn Republican congressman Lamar Smith that his committee's investigation into Noaa could have a 'chilling effect' on science

Leading scientists have accused a Republican-led committee of subjecting climate researchers to politically motivated "harassment" amid an increasingly fractious investigation into the activity of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa).

Eight key scientific bodies have written to Republican congressman Lamar Smith, chairman of the House committee on science, to warn that the committee's inquiry into Noaa could have a "chilling effect on the willingness of government scientists to conduct research that intersects with policy-relevant scientific questions".