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September 29, 2006

Masters Of Denial

Environment

According to a report in Nature, NOAA officials scuttled the release of a scientific report linking global warming and increased hurricane activity. AP

A government agency blocked release of a report that suggests global warming is contributing to the frequency and strength of hurricanes, the journal Nature reported Tuesday. [...]

In its own reporting for the journal, Nature said weather experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — part of the Commerce Department — in February set up a seven-member panel to prepare a consensus report on the views of agency scientists about global warming and hurricanes.

According to Nature, a draft of the statement said that warming may be having an effect.

In May, when the report was expected to be released, panel chair Ants Leetmaa received an e-mail from a Commerce official saying the report needed to be made less technical and was not to be released, Nature reported. [...]

NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher is currently out of the country, but Nature quoted him as saying the report was merely an internal document and could not be released because the agency could not take an official position on the issue.

However, the journal said in its online report that the study was merely a discussion of the current state of hurricane science and did not contain any policy or position statements.

The report drew a prompt response from Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J., who charged that "the administration has effectively declared war on science and truth to advance its anti-environment agenda ... the Bush administration continues to censor scientists who have documented the current impacts of global warming." [...]

Just two weeks ago, researchers said that most of the increase in ocean temperature that feeds more intense hurricanes is a result of human-induced global warming, a study one researcher said "closes the loop" between climate change and powerful storms like Katrina. [...]

In February, a NASA political appointee who worked in the space agency’s public relations department resigned after reportedly trying to restrict access to Jim Hansen, a NASA climate scientist who has been active in global warming research. [Emphasis added]

We look at the ostrich, head buried in the sand, and laugh. But the laugh's on us. Unlike the ostrich, we humans are supposed to know better.

Posted by Jonathan at September 29, 2006 12:10 PM  

Comments

Government is supposed to know better. It's the one with its head in the sand and should be ashamed of itself for censoring information vital to everyone.

I'll bet California is trying to get its hands on this report.

Posted by: Jeff at September 29, 2006 09:30 PM