Chairman: Bush officials misled public on global warming

[Kadie]

Chairman: Bush officials misled public on global warming
POSTED: 12:49 p.m. EST, January 30, 2007

Story Highlights
• Chairman said officials tried to "injecting doubt" into global warming science
• House panel looking for evidence of political pressure on government scientists
• Advocacy groups says half of scientists told to delete material from reports
• Sens. McCain, Obama to express views on global warming at hearing

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Democratic chairman of a House panel examining the government's response to climate change said Tuesday there is evidence that senior Bush administration officials sought repeatedly "to mislead the public by injecting doubt into the science of global warming."

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-California, said he and the top Republican on his oversight committee, Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, have sought documents from the administration on climate policy, but repeatedly been rebuffed.

"The committee isn't trying to obtain state secrets or documents that could affect our immediate national security," said Waxman, opening the hearing. "We are simply seeking answers to whether the White House's political staff is inappropriately censoring impartial government scientists."

"We know that the White House possesses documents that contain evidence of an attempt by senior administration officials to mislead the public by injecting doubt into the science of global warming and minimize the potential danger," Waxman said.

snip...
Waxman said his committee had not received documents it requested from the White House and other agencies, and that a handful of papers received on the eve of the hearing "add nothing to our inquiry."

more...
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/30/congress.climate.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest

[fooj]

1. Go get 'em, Waxman.

:patriot:

[Shoelace]

3. Waxman Rocks!

had to laugh this am while watching the hearings. The timer light wasn't working so one Republican popped in to say that they'd been trying to fix it for 12 years. Waxman replied "it should only take us 1 minute to fix that light"!:kick:

[tofurkey]

30. It will be something like this that will bring Dubya down

Like they had to go after Capone for tax evasion, it will be something like falsifying scientific data that will bring him down. I don't care what it is, he needs bringing down NOW!

[IWantAChange]

2. Newsflash: 'an attempt by senior administration officials to mislead the public'

Can you imagine the gall of those people??

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[sellitman]

4. The "Desider" desided there is no global warming....

Move along people....there is nothing more to see here.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Botany]

5. Impeachment reason 3,556

Lying about Global Warming so as to make money for his
rich friends.

[lovuian]

6. They want their Coal Plants thats what this is about

as well as gas & oil consumption to go higher and higher

and they didn't expect the Poles to melt so quickly so they suppressed the information

[OnyxCollie]

41. "No one could have anticipated the Poles melting." nt

[Imagevision]

7. Bush: interfereing with global warming issues would hurt our economy

[aquart]

8. Because global warming is a real threat and terrorism...isn't.

And when will someone have the guts to admit and take the heat for supposedly spitting on the sacred dead of 9/11?

[krispos42]

9. In related news: Gravity Pulls Downward

This is a great big 'Duh'. It's grossly unethical. Is unethical impeachable? They pulled Clinton's law licence because of his dodging on the stand over the term "sexual relations". It was considered inappropriate for a lawyer, and, apparently, a high crime and misdemeanor. Can Bush be impeached for it?

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nam78_two]

13. Welcome to DU -What is a "Geologist major"?

:yoiks:....

You should take up all these issues with other "geologist majors":
http://www.buffalo.edu/news/fast-execute.cgi/article-page.html?article=83650009

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Reterr]

15. Oh I am sure its "one of the few things" you agree with Bush on.

:eyes:

[Shoelace]

17. Exxonmobil wants YOU!

how times have changed. Geology was my minor in college in the early '80s but courses weren't designed to allign themselves with the needs of the petroleum industry waaay back then. Now, those majoring in geosciences, find the most lucrative jobs with said corporations.
Since these very corporations are the ones funding the climate skeptics to the tune of millions of dollars and given that they also feed millions into most University geo-science depts, students probably aren't taught REAL facts about climate change.

That said, Exxonmobil needs and hires many geology grads who feel the same way you do. Here's an example of what I'm talking about and there's more at the link.

"One advantage of working in these industries is the relatively high salaries and good benefits. Some companies provide enjoyable work environments and interesting work. The main disadvantage is that the oil industry has historically gone through boom (hiring) and bust (firing) periods. There have been some recent corporate mergers that mimic a bust period in that people have gotten laid off. However, almost everyone I know has weathered the latest sets of mergers and in general the oil industry is pursuing a strategy of slow, sustained growth in an effort to avoid the painful contractions of the past."

Bon Chance mon ami

:banghead:

[nam78_two]

19. A genuine welcome to DU and you are right

In the fields affiliated with climate science, more geologists seem among those compromised by ties with the oil industry, than any others :-/....

[Shoelace]

27. thanks! glad to be here

after being on a message board where I was the only poster who tried mightily to get the message out and was flamed by freepers who used all sorts of disinfo to muddy the waters (literally!), I feel like I've died and gone to heaven to be here with people who actually know what is happening to our earth now.

I see that on the Environmental board, they discuss ways to deal with the problem which is about 2 dozen light years up from arguing the actual science behind climate change. To me, the arguments are over, the skeptics are few and now it's time to get busy and see what we can come up with to educate, inform, get more Democrats elected, scare off the freepers - in one swell foop! :bounce: :party: :kick:

[Botany]

20. Welcome to DU .... we know how to get our party on

[MaineYooper]

18. to quote our vp: hogwash.

I am a professional scientist. My advanced degrees are in physics, but I now work in computational biology. You have a fundamental misunderstanding of what drives most scientists- yes, we have to get grants, as that is the lifeblood of our work, but the great majority of research scientists are equally driven by the desire to learn and understand something new and previously unexplained. We also can be pretty competitive, in that we want to be the first to discover and explain something.

The climate/geology research world has spoken pretty clearly on this issue, and their conclusion is that there is a high probability that humans are responsible for at least part of the current warming. Peer review is not a perfect system (I certainly have had my own run-ins with it), but it's the best we have. There is no world wide conspiracy, as hacks like Michael Crichton or James Inhofe would have you believe. Rather there are a lot of very concerned, and for the most part, ethical and honest scientists trying to better understand and predict a very complex phenomenon. You need to also educate yourself on funding issues in climate research. The great majority of those who dissent from the community consensus of human effects are funded either directly or indirectly by the petroleum industry, mostly Exxon-Mobil. Do you really think that Exxon-Mobil is doing this out of their sense of community service and wanting to see better research occur, or just maybe is there an eye towards their own bottom line.

And before you ask, yes, I do believe that scientists are motivated differently, as I've tried to explain above. Corporations are under a legal obligation to do everything in their power to maximize the return to their investors. There is largely no immediate financial benefit to the corporation to be a good citizen or to promote honest research if it goes against their own profits. Absent a community initiative (meaning government regulation, typically), there will be no financial incentive for corporations to change this approach.

Now, go back and read some of today's other threads about the executive order signed by W last week inserting political operatives into all regulatory agencies to review implementation of policies. If it doesn't scare the hell out of you, then you don't understand it.

[Shoelace]

28. right on!!! Can Congress stop that executive odor ...er order

Absolutely right on! Also, if you heard the testimony of scientists this morning in the Govt Reform Committee hearings on C Span, you heard how the Bush Regime have plenty of "gatekeepers" already that have twisted, manipulated and otherwise skewed the great work of dedicated climate scientists before their findings ever got out to the press. All of this done by the White House Chief of Staff for the "Council on Environmental Quality" headed by one Philip Cooney, a former lobbyist for the American Petroleum Industry. About says it all.

That executive order does scare the holy hell out of me and I do wonder if Congress can stop it?

[WinkyDink]

48. The nutshell version of "How Capitalism is killing us, literally":

"Corporations are under a legal obligation to do everything in their power to maximize the return to their investors. There is largely no immediate financial benefit to the corporation to be a good citizen or to promote honest research if it goes against their own profits."

[Rude Horner]

21. If you have an open mind,

I would suggest watching "An Inconvenient Truth". then decide whether or not this current warm up is a trend. Ice core samples show clearly the warming trends in the past and this current warming trend is nothing like the other warm-up periods.

[TheMadMonk]

22. Geology major? Possibly. Passing classes? Not a chance.

Definitely a Freeper, and proof of the old adage that a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. Also proof of the corollary that so is a whole lot of ignorance.

Sulfur dioxide is a Global warming mitigator. It increases cloud cover which reflects a certain amount of heat back into space. When the sulfur content of fuels was reduced in the west, the rate of global warming increased significantly. When China and India clean their fuels up, we're in big trouble.

[And the Oscar goes]

38. Edited to remove

[Greyskye]

25. You're a 40 year old "Geologist" major?

You've stated in a couple previous threads your age. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but at your age, and apparent lack of paying attention in class, you don't have much of a chance of any job offers!

[hatrack]

26. Pay no attention to that IPCC behind the curtain!

:eyes:

[nam78_two]

11. K&R.nt

[enid602]

12. Paraguay

Look at it this way. If Bush had told the truth about global warming, the resulting panic would have pushed up the price of land in Paraguay, one of the few places which is not expected to be heavily impacted by global warming. Bush was just looking out for himself.

[Reterr]

16. Unsurprised/Recommended..nt

[Tekla West]

23. Science should be, well, ah, scientific

The question is not about global warming (a real crappy term by the way, and back in the day they were warned about using it, but somehow "ANTHROPOGENIC GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE" just didn't have that 'sexy' ring to it) but about the government forcing reports to match the contributions to the party. As to it happening, sure it is, and as the geologist states, it has been going on, the real question is if our patterns of consumption are shifting the change, and in what direction we are shifting it. If policy is open for money to change than Cobert might be right, Reality is for sale to the highest bidder. We all lose in that process.

[thunder35]

24. so what's new

he's a liar

[DemFreepsShoIsWhite]

29. Some like it cold

and I'm one of them. Long time reader, first-time poster. So, to start with, I'd like to say how much I love this site. It gets me through a lot of crappy days.

Anyway, I'm compelled to post, finally. I'm one of those 'lib-rul' professors who also happens to be a climate change scientist, and have been present at many national-level meetings with the very people at the table that don't want the term "climate change" used in any official reports. It certainly has happened, and has happened many times in the several years I've been an invited participant in such meetings. Odd that the "geologist major" claims people like myself are trying to spread alarm over this subject just to create a favorable funding environment. I can't tell you how frustrating it's been trying to secure funding for my research through the National Science Foundation since chimpy took office. If the problem doesn't exist, then it doesn't warrant funding. Simple as that.

As I'm sure most of you are aware, this is the single most important problem facing all of us, regardless of national origin, sexual orientation, religious affiliation (or lack thereof) or political preference. From a purely ecological perspective, it doesn't really matter whether we get it or not. From a moral perspective, nothing could matter more. And the asshat in the WH couldn't care less.

[GenDem]

31. A great big welcome!

Thank you for deciding to sign on. You have a lot to say, and I personally appreciate that you are saying it.


:hi:

[nam78_two]

35. Welcome to DU!!!

We need more climate scientists posting here! :toast: :bounce:

I am in the sciences too (biophysics) and these Bush years have seen some serious funding cuts, even in areas less controversial than climate change or stem cell research (a few of my colleagues are moving to Europe over that one-thanks Bush!)
JASON disbanded as soon as moran-in-chief came into office and I expect the coming years will be even leaner for the NIH,NSF etc.

I agree that this is the single biggest issue out there.

Again, welcome and please post often :toast:.

[WindRavenX]

47. ya another scientist!

:bounce:

[spanone]

32. K & R

[The Majority]

33. The Religion of Global Warming

The climate definitely is warming. The only thing is we little human beings aren’t causing it.

Scientists have found plenty of proof that the Earth has repeatedly warmed and cooled. Did the dinosaur factories cause it before?

I think we humans have a pretty high opinion of ourselves if we think we can have such a vast and powerful effect on such an enormous body. I was amazed when I heard a NOAA scientist state that all of the gas and emissions that mankind has created in the last 100 years only amounts to .1% of the Earth's atmosphere.

But the main reason I distrust this belief is because it is being treated like a religion. Scientists that believe immediately condemn and insult those that question. They won't tolerate debate and they are now even saying that scientists that disagree should immediately have there credentials pulled.

I thought the strength of science was study and a free debate of opposing views to find the correct answer. If your findings are indeed valid you welcome study and review because you know you will be proven right.

[nam78_two]

34. Oh look another one!

:eyes:
You should write a paper about it with the "geologist major" upthread as the coauthor...

[Reterr]

37. Jeepers creepers-I see Freepers ...

:eyes:

[And the Oscar goes]

39. For the love of Matthew, Marx, Luke and Jung

Not a Freeper - a shill. These guys are paid by specialist subcontracted PR companies working for an industry lobby group funded by Exxon - I know the tone - I was in the business. The crappy use of a statistic, pseudo-qualification and "oh my" tone is the typical formula. Anyway, the guy was a rookie, still new in the business, and probably just excited to get an on-topic thread s/he could "infiltrate". So, geomajor/majority -I may even have worked in the same co. as you - remember the guy who resigned a way back - you know what you're doing is wrong. So quit it. You're not dumb. There's probably a decent NGO out there who'd give you a job. It's not worth selling your soul to "get experience" in the PR industry. And if you were a real man/woman, after quitting your job, you'd apologize for trying to pull a big lie on people. Honestly, .1% - like lining up 1 million people and shooting .1% of them wouldn't make a difference? That's a lot of bodies to clean up. Or hey - the ocean at its average point is like 1km deep, right? So a .1% increase in the depth of the ocean wouldn't make a difference, right - oh, look, we lost Florida. You're not dumb - you know that's crap - so get out of corporate PR and get with an NGO. You'll have to start lower down, but your soul will be clean. You'll sleep easier at night, too. It'll be OK.

[Reterr]

40. Same difference

:) imo

[And the Oscar goes]

42. Call me optimistic

but honest Joes will do a lot for money and still know what's right and wrong, whereas Freepers think their version of reality is right. I'm hoping this guy or gal hasn't yet completely turned to the dark side - the simplicity of the message and the simple 1-2 tag team postings sounded like a rookie operative posting thinking this was a Citizen Joe kind of board - a serious outfit would have used a plant and long-term infiltration on a board like this.

So come on, geology major/majority - we're rooting for ya - come clean and quit working for that lobbying consultancy! And when you do, post here and let us know! It's better to live with a soul than feeling guilty about lying all day - you know, you've probably come to that organization for the experience - but it's corrupting you. You can feel it. It might be exciting at times but it just doesn't sit right - and there are probably posters here who'd do their darndest to find work for you if you just gave it all up. It's not a question of us forgiving you - you did it for the money, that's OK - but get rid of the guilty feeling and you won't go to work feeling uneasy any more. Also, you won't have to feel bad when you tell your friends what you do - or even lie to them about what you do. You can do it, geology major/majority. You know you can. You're being used. And you know quitting is the right thing to do.

[deutsey]

43. If your findings here are indeed valid, I'd like to see what it is you're basing them on

Pulling accusations from between one's butt cheeks don't count.

[WindRavenX]

49. LOL

The earth has experienced changes in climate before because our sun is a variable star--sometimes it's hotter, sometimes it's not.

Humans ARE the #1 cause for the runaway warming effect we are experiencing.

[porphyrian]

36. I'll kick that. - n/t

[lakeguy]

44. how about using the word LIED???

is it THAT hard to do?

[Reterr]

45. I could support that!

:)...

[schmuls]

46. May * and his henchmen's asses be grass!! Pun intended!!