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

U.S. Climate Change Science Program

The public interest calls for knowledgeable, independent investigation of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, through which federal agencies coordinate $1.7 billion in annual support for research on climate and global change.

NOAA’s misleading internal Congressional briefing points on hurricanes and global warming

Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials came in for legitimate criticism last year for putting out misleading, incomplete, and one-sided information about the state of scientific research on the connection between global warming and increased hurricane intensity. An internal NOAA document obtained by Climate Science Watch lays out a set of official talking points on “Hurricanes and Climate Change” for use in Congressional testimony and legislative briefings, indicating that the agency’s spinning of this issue continues in 2006.

Two new studies link increased hurricane intensity to global warming

Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006

The New York Times reports May 31 that climate researchers at Purdue University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology separately have presented new evidence, in forthcoming science publications, supporting the idea that global warming is causing stronger hurricanes. A NOAA meteorologist is quoted as referring to the researchers’ analysis as “theology.” We wonder whether this NOAA meteorologist was the only federal scientist the Times reporter asked for a comment (if so, why?), or whether he was the one the Times was offered by the NOAA Public Affairs operation. (Archived)

NOAA predicts 4-6 major Atlantic hurricanes in 2006

Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006

On May 22 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced its forecast that a very active hurricane season is looming in the North Atlantic region. For the six-month 2006 North Atlantic hurricane season beginning June 1, NOAA is predicting 13 to 16 named storms, with eight to 10 becoming hurricanes, of which four to six could become “major” hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher. The hurricane forecast announcement does not mention research that has linked global warming to increased hurricane intensity.

NPOESS weather and climate satellite crisis: Should heads roll at NOAA?

Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006

An investigative report by the Commerce Department Inspector General is sharply critical of high-level federal management for failing to deal effectively with long delays and major cost overruns in the development and deployment of an essential satellite remote-sensing system under development by NOAA, the Defense Department, and NASA. The National Polar-orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) is intended as an operational system to provide state-of-the art data for weather forecasting and climate system monitoring. Some members of Congress are calling for the ouster of NOAA Administrator Lautenbacher in response to the IG’s report.

Open U.S. Review of IPCC draft report is a good thing—Part 2: Press coverage

Posted on Monday, May 15, 2006

Critics suggested that the federal Climate Change Science Program had posted the government review draft of the IPCC assessment report, Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis, because the Bush administration was seeking to diminish its news value later when the final report is published. While understandable in light of the distrust the administration has engendered in its treatment of climate science, this interpretation—published in the journal Nature and subsequently picked up in other media outlets—is based on a misunderstanding of the open review procedure and its positive value. In addition, Nature and other publications violated the review protocol for the draft report by publishing specific references to the report’s findings.

Open U.S. review of IPCC draft report is a good thing, despite criticism—Part 1

Posted on Tuesday, May 09, 2006

After the federal Climate Change Science Program posted on its Web site the government review draft of the IPCC assessment report, “Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis,” critics suggested variously that the Bush administration is making it possible for the review process to be hijacked by special interest groups, and that the administration is posting the report in draft form to defuse its news value when the final report is published. Such concerns are off the mark and are based on a misunderstanding of the review procedure and its value. We should be on the side of an open process with broad-based input to the U.S. Government’s review of this extraordinarily important report. The Climate Change Science Program Office should be commended, not criticized, for making the report readily available for review.

IPCC Draft Climate Change Assessment Report Posted for Government and Expert Review

Posted on Thursday, April 13, 2006

The government review of the second-order draft of “Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis”—the Working Group I contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report—has been initiated. The U.S. Climate Change Science Program Office is coordinating the solicitation of comments by U.S. experts and stakeholders to inform development of an integrated set of U.S. Government comments on the report. The question remains: How will the U.S. Government address the mainstream climate science synthesized in the report?

Washington Post reports “Climate Researchers Feeling Heat From White House”

Posted on Sunday, April 09, 2006

On April 6 the Washington Post ran a 1400-word article on political interference with federal climate scientists, focusing primarily on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The article draws on interviews with several scientists who report instances in which they contend that administration political pressure has impeded the flow of scientific communication about climate change and its implications. Two of the cases discussed in the article involve James R. Mahoney, until very recently the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Director of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program.

Temperature Trends Report Resolves Discrepancy Between Surface and Tropospheric Warming

Posted on Sunday, April 09, 2006

According to a new synthesis report on “Temperature Trends in the Lower Atmosphere,” previously reported discrepancies between the amount of warming near the surface and higher in the atmosphere that have been used to challenge the validity of climate models and the reality of human-induced global warming have been resolved. The report, commissioned by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and drafted by the leading scientists in this research area, concludes that recent evidence has increased confidence in the understanding of observed climatic changes and their causes.

Senators call for National Academy auditing of government reports on climate change

Posted on Wednesday, March 29, 2006

An announcement posted March 29 on Senator Frank Lautenberg’s Web site begins: “In an effort to prevent future government reports dealing with the issue of climate change from being altered by White House political aides, several members of the United States Senate called for all future reports to be audited by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).” Senators Lautenberg, Inouye, and Kerry in a letter sent March 29, urged Dr. James Mahoney, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Director of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, to put in place procedures that would give the NAS oversight for future government climate science reports, including the annual Our Changing Planet report.

White House CEQ Chief of Staff resignation continues federal climate program leadership exodus

Posted on Wednesday, March 29, 2006

E&ENews PM reported ("CLIMATE: Key White House aide resigns") on March 22 that White House Council on Environmental Quality chief of staff Bryan Hannegan has resigned, “ending speculation he would be President Bush’s choice to replace outgoing NOAA Deputy Administrator James Mahoney.” Hannegan became chief of staff following the resignation in June 2005 of Philip Cooney, who left CEQ for a job at ExxonMobil. His departure continues what appears to be an exodus, or shake-up, of high-level leadership in the federal climate change science and technology programs.

Boulder Daily Camera reports on Sen. Inhofe’s NCAR/UCAR inquisition

Posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2006

The Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, Colorado, home of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, reported in a March 18 article on our story about how “U.S. Senator James Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, has asked for detailed information regarding the employees, research projects and funding sources of Boulder’s National Center for Atmospheric Research and its parent organization, the University Center for Atmospheric Research.” But should the Senator really be called a global warming “skeptic”?

Greenwire report: Sen. Inhofe inquiry into research group funding sparks scientists’ concerns

Posted on Thursday, March 16, 2006

Greenwire (subscription), a daily newsletter on energy and environmental policy, reported in its #1 article on March 16: “An inquiry by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman James Inhofe [R-OK] into the governance and financing of a leading climate research institution has generated waves of concern and speculation among scientists who see it potentially opening a new front in the battle over the flow of climate information to decisionmakers and the public.” The article draws on the March 11 entry on this Weblog and includes comments by CSW director Rick Piltz.

Senator Inhofe Launches Inquisition Probing Climate Research Organization

Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006

In a letter dated 24 February 2006, Republican Senator James Inhofe has asked the National Science Foundation for detailed information about the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, including details about employees and contractors… We provide the full text of the letter (also available as PDF file).

Toward a Second U.S. National Climate Change Assessment

Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Article by Rick Piltz of Climate Science Watch. “A second U.S. National Climate Change Assessment should be undertaken, based on advances since the 1990s in understanding the climate system and potential ecological and societal impacts of climate change in the United States. The new National Assessment should be developed as part of a process that institutionalizes a national climate change impacts assessment capability, i.e., an ongoing dialogue between scientists, policy-makers, and other stakeholders, with periodically updated, scientifically-based assessments.”

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