ClimateGate

cli⋅mate gate [klahy-mit gayte]

–noun

1. disclosure of Climate Research Unit global warming files showing conspiracy, collusion in exaggerating warming data, possibly illegal destruction of embarrassing information, organized resistance to disclosure, manipulation of data, private admissions of flaws in their public claims and much more.

2. leaked files show that prominent scientists were so wedded to theories of man-made global warming that they ridiculed dissenters who asked for copies of their data, plotted how to keep researchers who reached different conclusions from publishing, and concealed apparently buggy computer code from being disclosed under the Freedom of Information law.

Synonyms:
3. fraud, crime, deceit, lies.

Why does this matter? Computer models have been erected upon this data, which have been incorporated into governmental and U.N. reports, which have become the basis for actual and proposed government policies.

So what? The Cap and Trade bill and the EPA's plans to regulate carbon dioxide are based on these computer models. In international politics: The Copenhagen summit is coming up where the sovereignty of the United States may hang by a thread in the name of "global warming."

So, unlike last year's buzz word "vetting" this one really matters!

•Details of this definition courtesy of CBSnews.com, realclearpolitics.com, and Telegraph.co.uk.