The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research is defending their temperature recordings in the High Court at Auckland today after a dispute brought by a group which questions climate change figures.
The New Zealand Climate Education Trust - a branch of the NZ Climate Science Coalition - is challenging some statements made by National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) on climate trends.
Niwa's general manager of communications, Geoff Baird, told APNZ they were confident in their science and the integrity of their science.
The trust has asked the court to invalidate the New Zealand official temperature record; stop Niwa from using the current record to advise the Government or the public; and to require Niwa to provide a full and accurate temperature record.
The trust's spokesman, Brian Leyland said he believed it was the first time official temperature records had been challenged in court.
"Many scientists believe that, although the earth has been in a natural warming phase for the past 150 years, it has not heated as much as Government archives claim. The precise trend figure is extremely important, as it forms the sole basis of the claim that human activities are the dominant cause of the warming."
The hearing has been set down for a week.
- Rebecca Quilliam of APNZ
