Tuesday, March 20, 2007

 

How Bush Administration spiked Climate Science


BREAKING NEWS Associated Press Monday March 19, 2007 10:01 PM

A White House official has admitted editing reports on global warming ``to align these communications with the administration's stated policy'' on climate change.

The House Government Reform Committee heard that the 181 changes made in three climate reports reflected a consistent attempt to emphasize the uncertainties surrounding the science of climate change and undercut the broad conclusions that man-made emissions are warming the earth.

Philip Cooney, an oil industry lobbyist appointed by President Bush as chief of staff at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, left the White House to work at Exxon Mobil Corp. when his activities were made public in 2005.

The House Government Reform Committee heard James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and one of the country's leading climate scientists, reveal that the White House repeatedly tried to control what government scientists said about climate change. ``Interference with communications of science to the public has been greater during the current administration than at any time in my career,'' he said. In 2005 he was told he could not take part in an interview with National Public Radio on orders from senior NASA public affairs officials. Instead, three other NASA officials were offered for the interview. The press officer who gave the instruction, George Deutsch, told the committee he had simply been ``relaying'' the views of higher-ups at NASA.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., suggested that there is nothing wrong with government scientists being subject to some limits in what they say. ``You're speaking on federal paid time. Your employer happens to be the American taxpayer,'' Issa said. Hansen spoke for many when he retorted: ``It's not the American way. And it's not constitutional.''

Comments: Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?


Stats