Climate Expert Says NASA Tried to Silence Him

Lucre Lucifer writes "The top climate scientist at NASA, James E. Hansen, says that the Bush Administration tried to silence him(NY Times) after he gave a lecture last month calling for prompt reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases linked to global warming. In the talk, he said that significant emission cuts could be achieved with existing technologies, particularly in the case of motor vehicles, and that without leadership by the United States, climate change would eventually leave the earth 'a different planet.' The administration's policy is to use voluntary measures to slow, but not reverse, the growth of emissions."

Comments

No policy statements here

[barchibald]

I love that science can't involve policy statements. The promote free an open presentation of ideas regarding the facts, but are not to make policy statements:

• Dear patient: You have lung cancer. I'm not at liberty to discuss if we should do anything about it.
• If you drive your car over the cliff you will die. I have no opinion on whether or not you should drive your car over the cliff.
  

Heaven forbid we let experts make policy!

Ugh.

Who pays his salary, anyway?

[ammulder]

If George Bush hired him, he can do whatever he damn well pleases with the reports. But as long as my tax dollars are in there, this guy is welcome to speak the truth. So long as he's clear about what's his opinion and what's NASA's opinion, and it sure sounds like he has been.

Re:Who pays his salary, anyway?

[tinrobot]

If George Bush hired him, he can do whatever he damn well pleases with the reports. But as long as my tax dollars are in there, this guy is welcome to speak the truth.

The problem is that George Bush seems to have the notion that the government exists solely for his benefit, but not the people's. This is why people in the government are being silenced when they speak about things that upset George Bush and/or his friends.

Re:Open and Shut

[rolfwind]

This guy is the head climatologist at NASA. He has been at NASA since 1967.

He says other politicians in the past tried to ignore him/quiet him down in the past, but since a speech last December, the current administration has been actively trying to muzzle him and he has been threatend with "dire consequences" if he doesn't quiet down.

I don't see anything open and shut with this case.

Read the article, it's interesting if nothing else. Others are just trying to paraphrase/summarize it in their bias for you.

Re:Open and Shut

[welcher]

It doesn't seem like you've read the article very closely. The story here is that censorship of scientists is rife in government funded research institutions:

"The fight between Dr. Hansen and administration officials echoes other recent disputes. At climate laboratories of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for example, many scientists who routinely took calls from reporters five years ago can now do so only if the interview is approved by administration officials in Washington, and then only if a public affairs officer is present or on the phone. There scientists' points of view on climate policy align with those of the administration, however, there are few signs of restrictions on extracurricular lectures or writing."

I'd say that senior scientists in these institutions are mature enough to be making their own decisions about when interviews and writings are appropriate.

Re:Silenced!

[ltbarcly]

Bush is daily dropping bombs on people to help the financial interests of certain people (oh, right, it was so that we could fight the terrorists over there. Now that we have invaded Iraq the terrrorists wouldn't try to attack America.).

Can you cite a single time the president has told the truth about any issue? (about something not immediatly verifiable. Yes, when he lit the capitol christmas tree, and then said "It's lit!" he was telling the truth.)

The answer is no, you can't, but feel free to try if you really like the guy. Every statement this president has made which involved delayed verification has been false. Thank you TV for making us all idiots.

Re:Open and Shut

[GOD_ALMIGHTY]

Did we read the same article? This is a different level of scrutiny with the flimsiest of reasons. The quotes from career federal employees and other members of the science community directly contradicted the appointed officials views. And as for this, "Citing handwritten notes taken during the conversation, Ms. McCarthy said Mr. Deutsch called N.P.R. "the most liberal" media outlet in the country. She said that in that call and others Mr. Deutsch said his job was "to make the president look good" and that as a White House appointee that might be Mr. Deutsch's priority."; NPRs' listeners pay taxes just like Fox News' listeners. Mr. Deutsch has no authority to deny interviews due to the political leanings of those requesting the interview or if an interview might not make the president look good. That is the heart and soul of propaganda, which is still illegal in this country.

I understand and sympathize with the administration's position, it's hard when the facts are biased against you, but the law is the law. While I've got plenty of bones to pick with the NYT over unobjective reporting, calling this liberal only works if, by liberal, you mean objective. The behavior of the administration described in the article is like a cancerous tumor that will destroy our nation if we let it. Dr. Hansen's refusal to be silenced and those who support him have taken the most honorable position a scientist can take. It's a pity some people can't see that.

The scariest quote from the article

[naasking]

Here is honestly the scariest thing I've read recently:

The fight between Dr. Hansen and administration officials echoes other recent disputes. At climate laboratories of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for example, many scientists who routinely took calls from reporters five years ago can now do so only if the interview is approved by administration officials in Washington, and then only if a public affairs officer is present or on the phone.

Re:Silenced!

[ltbarcly]

If everybody jumped off a bridge you would too, I take it.

If Clinton is literally the antichrist and the example of every possible vice this does not make Bush any better. Bush IS a liar. Bush DOESN'T tell the truth. It is not a defense to point at other liars in an attempt to change the subject away from something that makes you uncomfortable.

Re:Silenced!

[ltbarcly]

Sure. You'll mainly notice it when his mouth is open.

Possible lie:
"Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of biological weapons." -- Sept 12, 2002

Certain lie:
"We found weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories." --May 29, 2003

Why? lie:
"I was sitting outside the classroom waiting to go in, and I saw an airplane hit the tower -- the TV was obviously on. And I used to fly, myself, and I said, well, there's one terrible pilot." -- Dec 04, 2001 (There was no video of the first plane hitting WTC on television until days later. Bush was informed of the second strike while already in the classroom.)

Care to give an example of the president telling a truth? (It has to be something that isn't immediatly verifiable, we aren't to emperor has no clothes territory.. yet)

Bush accidentally tells the truth

[Slur]

I got a few...

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." - Aug 5, 2004

"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the 'truth' to sink in. You gotta catapult the propaganda." - May 25, 2005

"Tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that murder is justified to serve their grand vision and they end up alienating decent people across the globe." - Oct 27, 2005