ClimateScienceWatch |
Promoting integrity in the use of climate science in government |
Climate Science Watch is a nonprofit public interest education and advocacy project dedicated to holding public officials accountable for the integrity and effectiveness with which they use climate science and related research in government policymaking, toward the goal of enabling society to respond effectively to the challenges posed by global warming and climate change. See Details |
Censorship of Government Scientists
The ability of our society and public officials to make good decisions about climate change depends on uncensored and unimpeded communication about the findings of scientific research and scientifically based assessments of key issues.
Have things changed? What reforms are needed? Remarks at Whistleblower Week in Washington
Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008
Climate Science Watch director Rick Piltz spoke at a Whistleblower Week in Washington event May 12, on a panel on “Scientific Freedom and the Public Good.” In addition to comments in response to questions about his own experience, he talked about the current situation with the Bush administration and the future direction of the federal climate research program and its relationship to society. See Details for full text.
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Union of Concerned Scientists study: Hundreds of EPA scientists report political interference
Posted on Monday, April 28, 2008
An investigation of the Environmental Protection Agency released April 23 found that 889 of nearly 1,600 staff scientists reported that they experienced political interference in their work over the last five years. Hundreds of scientists reported being unable to openly express concerns about EPA’s work without fear of retaliation. A majority of respondents said EPA policies do not let scientists talk freely with the news media about their findings. The next President, Congress, and EPA administrator should act to ensure integrity in the treatment of scientific research and end practices that impede communication between agency scientists and the public. Scientists should be able to express concerns about inappropriate political interference and push back when necessary, without fear of retaliation.
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GAP press release on stealth release of climate change transportation impacts report
Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008
A March 14 news release by the Government Accountability Project leads with: “This past Wednesday, March 12, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Climate Change Science Program quietly released a major assessment report on the likely impacts of global climate disruption on a wide range of transportation infrastructure in the Gulf Coast region. This report release was buried by the DOT, and officials have been blocking journalists from speaking with the report’s lead author.”
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Stealth release of major federal study of Gulf Coast climate change transportation impacts
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008
On March 12 the U.S. government released a major assessment report on the likely impacts of global climate disruption on a wide range of transportation systems and infrastructure in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. The report was released in a way that was clearly intended to minimize public attention to it, and our media sources say the Department of Transportation is blocking journalists from talking with the lead author at the agency about the findings in the report. Why? Read on....
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AAAS honors climate scientists James Hansen and Robert Watson
Posted on Sunday, February 17, 2008
On February 16, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, at its annual meeting in Boston, honored Jim Hansen of NASA with the AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, and former IPCC chairman Bob Watson with the AAAS International Scientific Cooperation Award. Both have been targets of the Bush administration’s politicization of climate science.
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“Scientific Freedom and the Public Good” – Statement to the next president
Posted on Friday, February 15, 2008
On February 14 a group of prominent scientists, organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists, released a statement – “Scientific Freedom and the Public Good”—calling for the next president to put an end to political interference in science and create changes that would allow federal science to flourish. We support the UCS Restoring Scientific Integrity Network.
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New Harper government policy muzzles communication by Environment Canada government scientists
Posted on Wednesday, February 13, 2008
"The concept of free speech is non-existent at Environment Canada,” says Canadian university climate scientist Andrew Weaver. The National Post (Canada) reported that Environment Canada recently instituted media message control rules for government scientists in an action that appears worthy of some of what was documented earlier under the Bush-Cheney administration. The Post reports that the policy of requiring that the content of all responses to media inquiries be controlled through public relations officials in Ottawa is infuriating scientists, who had long been encouraged to discuss their work with the media and the public.
CBS News to re-air “Rewriting the Science” and other 60 Minutes climate change stories on Jan. 20
Posted on Thursday, January 17, 2008
On Sunday, January 20, CBS News Presents will re-air three climate change stories that were done by 60 Minutes during the past two years. These include a segment on the warming trend in the Arctic region, another on Antarctica, and a third, “Rewriting the Science,” on administration political interference with climate change communication. The latter includes interviews with Jim Hansen of NASA and CSW Director Rick Piltz.
Coming Dec. 27: “Censoring Science: Inside the Political Attack on Dr. James Hansen”
Posted on Saturday, December 22, 2007
Here’s something we’ve pre-ordered for New Year’s reading: Censoring Science: Inside the Political Attack on Dr. James Hansen and the Truth of Global Warming, by climate science author Mark Bowen, “tells a chilling story of deliberate efforts by senior NASA managers, acting in concert with the Bush White House, to play up uncertainties and minimize dangers regarding global warming....A must-read not just for environmentalists but for all politically conscientious readers.” (Kirkus Reviews) The book, published by Dutton, is scheduled for release on December 27.
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House Oversight approves report on political interference with climate science communication
Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007
On December 12 the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved a majority report that concludes that the Bush Administration politically interfered with climate change science communication and misled policymakers and the public about the dangers of global warming. The Committee was divided. The Republican minority put forward a “Preliminary Minority Views” report that draws conclusions based on unquestioningly accepting at face value misleading statements by Phil Cooney and other current and former administration officials.
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House Oversight Committee report contradicts NOAA Administrator Lautenbacher’s testimony
Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007
On 16 February 2006, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., was asked in a Senate Hearing whether there was White House censorship of communication by NOAA scientists. Lautenbacher responded that he was "not aware that there is any truth to that at all," that he had "never seen anybody to be able to muzzle a scientist," that scientists say "whatever they want to say," and that "we don’t interfere with the ability of our scientists to discuss their peer reviewed science." His statement is contradicted by a report issued on Monday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
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House Oversight report on administration political interference with climate change science
Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007
On December 10 the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, chaired by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), released a proposed report on the results of a 16-month investigation of allegations of political interference with government climate change science under the Bush Administration. The report draws on more than 27,000 pages of documents obtained by the Committee from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Commerce Department. The report draws on and validates information we and others brought forward, and includes material that has not previously been published. On the corrupting influence of CEQ, we told Greenwire: “Everybody was complicit. Everybody knew what was going on, although nobody had the full story, because the tentacles of CEQ were out in so many different directions.”
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Webcast and Written Testimony from Senate Hearing on U.S. Global Change Research Program
Posted on Thursday, November 15, 2007
On November 14, 2007, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation held a hearing on “A Time for Change: Improving the Federal Climate Change Research and Information Program.” We provide links to an archived Webcast and to the written statements of the witnesses; soon we’ll have more to say about this interesting hearing. Stay tuned.
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Legal deadline today for White House to issue federal science communication principles
Posted on Wednesday, November 07, 2007
President Bush on 9 August 2007 signed into law the America Competes Act, including a provision that requires the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to "develop and issue an overarching set of principles to ensure the communication and open exchange of data and results" from Federal scientists and to "prevent the intentional or unintentional suppression or distortion of such research findings." The principles are due "no later than than 90 days" after the law was enacted, i.e. no later than today, 7 November 2007. Will the White House comply with the law by meeting today's deadline?
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CSW director ABC News Now interview on CDC climate testimony censorship
Posted on Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Climate Science Watch director Rick Piltz was interviewed October 25 on ABC News Now, as part of ABC News coverage of White House censorship of CDC director Julie Gerberding’s Senate testimony on the human health impacts of climate change. See Details for text of the interview.
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