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Nebraska Scientists Refuse To Carry Out Climate Change-Denying Study

Lasrick writes "Nebraska researchers say they refuse to be used as political pawns: 'The problem, according to members of the governor-appointed Climate Assessment and Response Committee, is that the bill behind the study specifically calls for the researchers to look at 'cyclical' climate change. In so doing, it completely leaves out human contributions to global warming.'"

4 of 640 comments (clear)

  1. Only in America by Billly+Gates · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Name one other country with a political party who is so hellbent on reality distortion to do such silly things with tax payer money? Name one other country who will purposedly ally themselves with corporate interests agaisn't the will of the people to do such silly things like publish these studies?

    America is turning into the laughing stock of the world. It is truly embarrasing. Conservative Americans might be mad at my post or the suggestions we should all start voting for democrats, but at least they are somewhat sane and do not deny reality.

  2. Re:Governor Appointed by 0123456 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How do we keep politics out of this?

    By eliminating all taxpayer funding of 'science'.

    As Eisenhowr said, in the paragraphs everyone ignores just after he warned of the growing Military-Industrial Complex:

    Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades.

    In this revolution, research has become central, it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government.

    Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers.

    The prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present – and is gravely to be regarded.

    So long as politicians fund science with taxpayers' money, it will be politicized.

  3. The study is about the effects of climate change by Xolotl · · Score: 5, Interesting

    No one has RTFA it seems ... (I know, I know, /.)

    The scientists are being asked to study the effects of climate change on Nebraska, not climate change itself.

    in that context restricting them to studying the effects of cyclical changes only is stupid, and the reason for their protest.

    See also the longer article here http://www.omaha.com/article/20131024/NEWS/131029338/1707#state-climate-change-study-may-go-begging-for-scientists

  4. Re:You think that government is apolitical? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Government is the most powerful entity in our mixed society.

    That stopped being true thirty years ago.

    If by "powerful" you mean the ability to influence society, it's not even close. If you mean, "the ability to put armies in the field", corporations are catching up fast. If you mean, "the ability to exert their will on individuals, corporations are way ahead of governments.

    With the rise of corporate sovereignty, corporations are now saying, "We don't need governments, so we plan to ignore them".

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.