The Buzz: Facts as Cold and Hard as Melted Ice

The Washington Post is facing criticism after refusing to issue a correction for an erroneous statistic cited by Op-Ed columnist George Will's column topic—that global sea ice levels are the same as they were in 1979. The statistic was summoned to support his column's viewpoint that global warming effects are exaggerated by "eco-pessimists." The statistic was attributed to the University of Illinois's Arctic Climate Research Center, which has posted a comment on its website saying their research indicates that levels of sea ice are, in fact, significantly lower today. The Washington Post continues to stand by its fact-checking procedures.

Related ScienceBlogs Posts:

• Fact-checking? We don't need no stinkin' fact-checking!

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  The focus has shifted from George F. Will's refusal to accept the science of climate change to the Washington Post's refusal to accept responsibility for Will's breach of journalism's most sacred tenets.

• George Will - We must not allow his dishonesty to be ignored

  Denialism February 20, 2009

  I'm heartened to see a broad disgust with George Will's lies about climate science. After all it's pretty extraordinary when a major syndicated columnist repeats a lie about science, not once, not twice but three times despite being corrected.

• George Will is Not Entitled to His Own Facts

  The Intersection February 20, 2009

  Over at Wonk Room, Brad Johnson is trying to get responses from the Post about why George Will is allowed to ignore fact and reality, and why the Post won't run a correction of his errors. It's pretty pathetic.

• I wish I were a Republican, so I could just make stuff up

  Pharyngula February 20, 2009

  If you're a science writer like he is, your articles get fact-checked until they bleed. If you're George Will, conservative pedant and pundit, not so much.