Yes. Everybody has heard of this story. It comes from a time when the way that scientific research was identified, shared, and evaluated was entirely different both at a structural and individual level. It is also famous as shit in part because the story is so dramatic and unusual. I do not believe that it is in any way indicative that revolutionary research which demonstrated that CO2 emissions can be massively increased without generating meaningful planet-scale warming would be made inaccessible.

ExxonMobil would be shouting it from the tops of the hills at every second of every day. The GOP would hold nonstop hearings for these researchers to present their work over and over and over. And I'm telling you that existing atmospheric science faculty would weep with joy over this news.