In his 1990 book '' Technological Risk '' , Lewis wrote that " all models agree that the net effect " of increasing greenhouse gases " will be a general and global warming of the earth ; they only disagree about how much . None suggest that it will be a minor effect , to be ignored while we go about our business . " Reducing the effects , including significant sea level rise , would " require global cooperation and sacrifice now , to avert something far in the future , and a conjectural something at that . There is no evidence in human history that is in the cards , but one can always hope . " In a letter dated 6 October 2010 , Lewis wrote to Curtis Callan , President of the American Physical Society ( APS ) , resigning from the society . Lewis said that he had joined the APS 67 years previously , when it was " as yet uncorrupted by the money flood " which he said had " become the raison d’être of much physics research , the vital sustenance of much more , and it provides the support for untold numbers of professional jobs . " In his view , it was " the global warming scam , with the ( literally ) trillions of dollars driving it , that has corrupted so many scientists , and has carried APS before it like a rogue wave . It is the greatest and most successful pseudoscientific fraud I have seen in my long life as a physicist . " For evidence , he recommended reading " the ClimateGate documents " as set out by Montford ’s book '' The Hockey Stick Illusion '' . This letter of resignation was made public , and " Lewis was vaulted to celebrity status by conservative and contrarian Web sites and commentators " . On 12 October , the Global Warming Policy Foundation announced that Lewis had agreed to join their " Academic Advisory Council " . On 12 October the APS issued a statement that there was no truth in Lewis 's accusations ; it pointed out that the vast majority of its membership works in areas not dealing with climate change , and its policy statements were developed in accordance with strict ethical standards . The APS completely rejected Lewis 's claims of " scam " and " fraud " , stating that virtually all reputable scientists were agreed on observations of human caused global warming . In a personal reply , Callan criticized Lewis 's disrespectful allegations about colleagues . Responding to complaints Lewis raised alleging rejection of a petition for a Topical Group on Climate Science , Callan said the proposal had been accepted and was being implemented , but unfortunately Lewis had decided to resign rather than participate
ClimateGate
Climatic Research Unit email controversy
Harold Lewis