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

Congressional Oversight

“Send in the Subpoenas”

Posted on Sunday, November 19, 2006

In the Sunday Outlook section of the November 19 Washington Post, Ron Suskind, author of The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America’s Pursuit of its Enemies Since 9/11, contends that oversight investigation hearings in the next Congress should include a focus on government corruption, starting with the relationship between administration officials and energy companies such as ExxonMobil, as well as holding the administration accountable for its “repeated practice of strong-arming experts who stray off message,” including global warming science and the deceptive cost estimates on the Medicare prescription drug program. Suskind: “Suggested witnesses: Tom Scully, [HHS accountant Richard] Foster’s boss; James Hansen of NASA; Rick Piltz, formerly of the U.S. Global Change Research Program; and former Environmental Protection Agency director Christine Todd Whitman.”

“Bush administration censorship key issue in next Congress”

Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2006

Nearly a year after NASA climatologist James Hansen accused federal officials of censoring his views on global warming, scientific freedom is shaping up as a key issue for the next Congress, Environment & Energy Daily reported in its #1 story on November 17. We said to E&E Daily: “Mr. Waxman and Mr. Gordon [incoming chairs of the House Government Reform and Science committees] have both been on the case, even as ranking members in the current Congress. I don’t think they’re going to be stonewalled without some kind of response.” We also expect legislation that would offer federal scientists improved whistleblower protections.

Sen. Kerry statement in support of lawsuit on National Assessment of Climate Change Impacts

Posted on Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Senator Kerry issued a statement on November 14 supporting a lawsuit filed by conservation advocates—the Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace, and Friends of the Earth—calling for the administration to issue an overdue National Assessment on the impacts of climate change on the United States. Climate Science Watch encourages Congressional interest and oversight on this issue, to undo almost six years of allowing the administration to suppress the National Assessment process, and almost six years of allowing the first National Assessment to be slandered by the global warming denial machine without a principled defense by the leadership of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program.

NASA and Commerce Dept. Inspectors General investigating climate science censorship

Posted on Thursday, November 02, 2006

Responding to a request by 14 senators, agency Inspectors General at NASA and the Commerce Department have begun investigations into whether political appointees have suppressed research findings and blocked public communication by federal climate researchers. See our numerous posts on censorship of government scientists.

Senators Snowe and Rockefeller to ExxonMobil: Stop funding denialists

Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2006

In a welcome bipartisan action, on October 30 Senators John (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) called on the world’s largest oil company to end its funding of the climate change denial campaign. “We are persuaded that the climate change denial strategy carried out by and for ExxonMobil has helped foster the perception that the United States is insensitive to a matter of great urgency for all of mankind, and has thus damaged the stature of our nation internationally,” the senators said in a strongly-worded letter to ExxonMobil’s Chairman and CEO. The senators singled out the Competitive Enterprise Institute and the Tech Central Station Web site among the dozens of interlocking front groups that have been beneficiaries of Exxon’s $19 million in funding of the global warming denialist agenda.

House Science Committee ranking member seeks answers on Commerce Dept. cover-up of hurricane report

Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006

House Science Committee ranking member Bart Gordon (D-TN) has initiated an inquiry relating to a “FAQ” fact sheet on “Atlantic Hurricanes and Climate” that was developed by NOAA scientists. The science journal Nature reported on September 26 that the document “has been blocked by officials at the US Department of Commerce.” NOAA administrator Lautenbacher told Nature that it was simply an internal exercise designed to get researchers to respect each other’s points of view. However, Rep. Gordon released an internal NOAA e-mail that directly contradicts that statement and has sent investigative correspondence to Lautenbacher that asks for a response this week.

The White House is stonewalling the House Government Reform Committee on climate documents

Posted on Thursday, September 28, 2006

The White House Council on Environmental Quality has been stonewalling a July 20 request from the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Government Reform Committee for documents relating to interactions between CEQ and other government agencies and outside parties about the Administration’s communications on climate science and related matters. What is CEQ concealing? From our experience we were able to supply a piece of the answer. The Government Reform Committee wants to know more about the activities of CEQ Chairman James Connaughton, former Chief of Staff Phil Cooney, and other key CEQ personnel.

Sen. Kerry calls for new National Climate Change Assessment

Posted on Monday, August 28, 2006

[The Climate Science Watch blog returns to action after an August hiatus.]
In a letter to Bush administration officials Sen. John Kerry has called for the production of the now-overdue second National Climate Change Assessment. The administration politically suppressed official use of the first National Assessment of Climate Change Impacts, a seminal major work, and has killed the process that could have produced an updated assessment.

House Government Reform Committee calls for White House CEQ climate change documents

Posted on Monday, July 24, 2006

In a July 20 letter to the Chairman of the the President’s Council on Environmental Quality, House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-VA) and Ranking Member Henry Waxman (D-CA) requested CEQ provide the Committee with various types of “documents that would shed light on interactions between CEQ and other government agencies and outside parties relating to the Administration’s position and public communications on climate science.” The letter refers to former CEQ Chief of Staff Philip Cooney and asks for documentation of his activities related to climate change.

Lieberman calls on White House and NOAA to address climate science censorship allegations

Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Raising the possibility of a concerted effort by the Administration to restrict openness on climate change research, Sen. Joe Lieberman today called on Dr. John Marburger III, White House Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, to investigate and address allegations that federal agencies have sought to cover-up or edit scientific information related to climate change. Lieberman also wrote to Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, the Administrator of NOAA, calling on him to take action on recent reports that NOAA officials have been discouraging agency scientists from sharing their findings on climate change.

NASA acknowledges case of censoring Jim Hansen communication

Posted on Wednesday, June 14, 2006

In a June 6 letter to Senators Collins (R-ME) and Lieberman (D-CT), NASA acknowledged that the agency had inappropriately restricted public communication by Dr. James Hansen by preventing him from responding to a media interview request. Sen. Lieberman’s response noted that new charges of suppressing climate science also have arisen at three other agencies.

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.

Rep. David Wu requests GAO investigation of science manipulation and censorship

Posted on Tuesday, May 09, 2006

The Climate Science Watch blog returns to action:

On May 2, Congressman David Wu (D-OR), ranking member of the Science Subcommittee on
Environment, Technology and Standards, requested a congressional Government Accountability Office investigation into allegations of scientific manipulation and censorship by the administration. The request raises questions about NASA, the Bureau of Land Management, EPA, NOAA, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

House Science Committee Chair Calls for Reform of NOAA Public Affairs Policy

Posted on Wednesday, April 12, 2006

House Science Committee Chair Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) sent a letter on April 7 to Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in response to an April 6 story in The Washington Post on concerns expressed by NOAA scientists. In the letter Mr. Boehlert says: “The issue of climate change is too important to countenance any scientists feeling intimidated or constrained about discussing the matter...” and calls on Lautenbacher to “swiftly” take five specific steps to remedy the problem.

Thomas Jefferson Center gives 2006 “Muzzle” award to Rep. Joe Barton

Posted on Wednesday, April 12, 2006

On April 11, the 2006 Annual Jefferson Muzzle Awards were announced by the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression in Charlottesville, Virginia. For 15 years, the Jefferson Muzzle Awards have “honored” those individuals and institutions that committed the more egregious or ridiculous acts of censorship in the past year. Among the “winners” of the 2006 Jefferson Muzzles is U.S. Representative Joe Barton—“For taking action that appears to blur the line between scientific research and politics.”

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