Congress Hears From Muzzled Scientists

BendingSpoons writes "More than 120 scientists across seven federal agencies have been pressured to remove the phrases 'global warming' and 'climate change' from various documents. The documents include press releases and, more importantly, communications with Congress. Evidence of this sort of political interference has been largely anecdotal to date, but is now detailed in a new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held hearings on this issue Tuesday; the hearing began by Committee members, including most Republicans, stating that global warming is happening and greenhouse gas emissions from human activity are largely to blame. The OGR hearings presage a landmark moment in climate change research: the release of the 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The IPCC report, drafted by 1,250 scientists and reviewed by an additional 2,500 scientists, is expected to state that 'there is a 90% chance humans are responsible for climate change' — up from the 2001 report's 66% chance. It probably won't make for comfortable bedtime reading; 'The future is bleak', said scientists."

Comments

Doesn't this seem a little sick to anyone?

[spankey51]

How can people be allowed to get away with this sort of thing? I can understand a leader wrongfully convincing his country to go to war. To convince thousands of people to sacrafice their lives for NOTHING. I can understand the Dawg-eat-dawg environment that our government works in and how winning an argument can seem more important than what the argument stands for. What I can't understand is how, at the end of the day, when we've destroyed the majority of the ecosystems on our planet; and millions of people have died of famine, disease and displacement. All we had to do was listen to the people who's job it was to forsee these events in nature! The vast majority of the scientific community beleives that we are going to cause major environmental unrest if things remain the way they are... So naturally it makes sense for bush to ignore things like the kyoto protocol right? I wonder if he ignores his military advisors in the same fashion? Certainly seems that way. The leader of our nation is a friggin child and is going to be responsible for countless deaths, decades of misery, pain and suffering. I hope he gets what he deserves. Alas, the world doesn't work that way. He'll probably be the hero in the end.

Re:Hmm...

[d3ac0n]

Wow, trying to back up one logical fallacy with another.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_authority

Making a logical argument DOES NOT REQUIRE sources. Insisting I produce them is an Appeal to Authority. You again attempt to attack me by not addressing the content of my argument, and instead attempt to brush the entire argument away by insisting I provide sources. You have yet to address the content of my argument, and have been reduced to plugging your fingers in your ears and humming loudly.

I accept your surrender and rightly claim debate victory.