US Senate's Top Climate Sceptic Accused of Waging 'McCarthyite Witch-Hunt'

[babylonsister]

US Senate's Top Climate Sceptic Accused of Waging 'McCarthyite Witch-Hunt'
James Inhofe calls for criminal investigation of climate scientists as senators prepare proposal that would ditch cap and trade

by Suzanne Goldenberg


The US Congress's most ardent global warming sceptic is being accused of turning the row over climate science into a McCarthyite witch-hunt by calling for a criminal investigation of scientists.

Climate scientists say Senator James Inhofe's call for a criminal investigation into American as well as British scientists who worked on the UN climate body's report or had communications with East Anglia's climate research unit represents an attempt to silence debate on the eve of new proposals for a climate change law.

Inhofe's document ends by naming 17 "key players" in the controversy about CRU's stolen emails, including the Britons Phil Jones and Keith Briffa.

"I think this is like a drag net, just to try and catch everyone whose name happens to be on this list. It's guilt by association and I thought those days were over 50 years ago," said Michael Oppenheimer, of Princeton University, who is on the list of 17 scientists. "It looks like a McCarthyite tactic: pull in anyone who had anything to do with anyone because they happened to converse with some by email, and threaten them with criminal activity."

Inhofe is also accused of further fuelling a spike in hate mail and politically motivated freedom of information requests in the three months since the emails of climate scientists were stolen from the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit.

Rick Piltz, a former official in the US government climate science programme who now runs the Climate Science Watch website, said Inhofe and others were getting in the way of scientific work. "Scientists who are working in federal labs are being subjected to inquisitions coming from Congress," he said. "There is no question that this is an orchestrated campaign to intimidate scientists."

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/03/01-8

[ananda]

1. Here's the real agenda.

There is a witchhunt on science and scientists for
the purpose of replacing them with pseudo-scientists
and the production of doctored science.

This will allow people and corporations to continue
emissions, pollution, and unfriendly practices unabated,
unregulated, and guilt free... supposedly.

Except that nature will have an equal and opposite reaction.

[babylonsister]

2. Sounds about right, but I will never understand why they're not

concerned about the future, if not theirs, then their kids and grandkids.