Updated: Media Catches Up On Climategate Suspicions

Update: There's additional info via Ed Driscoll here. While I can appreciate that some are questioning why Russia would do this if it meant more energy exploration in the West. I think it's possible that view may be underestimating the influence of the Earth Firsters, with or without Global Warming. The fact is we have held off on Nuclear and much energy exploration long before AGW became big news. I've little faith it would simply turn on, again with AGW debunked.

Was Russia behind the Climate email disclosures?

Suspicions were growing last night that Russian security services were behind the leaking of the notorious British ‘Climategate’ emails which threaten to undermine tomorrow’s Copenhagen global warming summit.

An investigation by The Mail on Sunday has discovered that the explosive hacked emails from the University of East Anglia were leaked via a small web server in the formerly closed city of Tomsk in Siberia.

Well, it's a thought – or was on November 26, anyway.

A climate change scandal round-up and a question: Is anyone else having fun pondering as to whether or not there's an old KGB rat named Vlad behind the still growing potential climate change fraud? Of various suspects, Russia would have means, access and plenty of motivation. The original data leak went up on a Russian server, which could easily be spun, or interpreted, as a reason to not suspect Russia, as much as it could be a reason to suspect they were involved. Actually, it may serve even better as a reason for doubt.

Given the scope of this still exploding story in a matter of about two days, one at least has to wonder if there isn't some force driving the thing from start to end. Yet, few people are speculating as to who pulled off the original hacking, or why. Coming as it does just before potentially significant buy in from the US thanks to Obama, there are more than a few players involved who have a lot at risk relevant to climate change speculation.

So, I can't help but wonder who has the kind of resources it would take and plenty of motivation. If it's one potential suspect, I'm betting it never gets found out. Given Russia's willingness to engage in political assassination even relatively recently, isn't it at least fair to speculate? They certainly would have motivation enough. And the resources, access and general capability to pull it off.

Russia’s economy is heavily dependent on oil and natural gas exports. In order to manage windfall oil receipts, the government established a stabilization fund in 2004. By the end of 2007, the fund was expected to be worth $158 billion, or about 12 percent of the country’s nominal GDP. According to calculations by Alfa Bank, the fuel sector accounts for about 20.5 percent of GDP, down from around 22 percent in 2000. According to IMF and World Bank estimates, the oil and gas sector generated more than 60 percent of Russia’s export revenues (64% in 2007), and accounted for 30 percent of all foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country.

Kremlin policy makers continue to exhibit an inclination to advance the state's influence in the energy sector. Taxes on oil exports and extraction are still high, and Russia’s state-influenced oil and gas companies are obtaining controlling stakes in previously foreign-led projects. State-owned export facilities have grown at breakneck pace, while private projects have progressed more slowly or have been met with roadblocks by state-owned companies or by various government agencies.

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