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Study finds White House manipulation on climate science

14 12 07 - 02:52


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Study finds White House manipulation on climate science




By Mark Clayton





At least since 2003, and especially after hurricane Katrina hit, the White House has broadly attempted to control which climate scientists could speak with reporters, as well as editing scientists' congressional testimony on climate science and key legal opinions, according to a new report by a House committee.


Study finds White House manipulation on climate science




By Mark Clayton





At least since 2003, and especially after hurricane Katrina hit, the White House has broadly attempted to control which climate scientists could speak with reporters, as well as editing scientists' congressional testimony on climate science and key legal opinions, according to a new report by a House committee.

"The Bush Administration has engaged in a systematic effort to manipulate climate change science and mislead policy makers and the public about the dangers of global warming," said the report, which is the result of a 16-month probe by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. "The White House exerted unusual control over the public statements of federal scientists on climate change issues."

To some observers, the House investigation, which drew on 27,000 documents gathered from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the US Department of Commerce, is notable as the most comprehensive assessment so far of alleged manipulation of climate science by this White House. It includes previously unknown elements - such as a 2003 incident in which it says top presidential environment adviser James Connaughton personally helped edit the Environmental Protection Agency's draft legal opinion that denied the agency had authority to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions. (That EPA position was reversed by the US Supreme Court in a ruling this spring.)

Yet much of the material in the House committee report, which was released Monday, corroborates press accounts and congressional testimony that has dribbled out over the past few years. The White House and House Republicans strongly dispute the report, which is expected to be adopted as the House report. A White House spokesman describes it as "rehashed and recycled rhetoric."

But not Rick Piltz, director of the climate-science watch program at the Government Accountability Project, a watchdog organization. He and others say that while many presidents have shaped policy, the White House's efforts this time were about more than organizing a coherent policy message.

"What this report does is really show the extent to which communications - press releases and contacts with the media - all had to be routed through the CEQ," he says.

The report also concluded that the White House:

•Was "particularly active in stifling [scientists'] discussions of the link between increased hurricane intensity and global warming."

•Sought "to minimize the significance and certainty of climate change by extensively editing government climate change reports."

•Edited "EPA legal opinions as well as newspaper opinion articles on climate change."

What began in 2006 as a bipartisan investigation turned into a largely Democratic report. A "minority views" statement issued by Rep. Tom Davis (R) of Virginia, who was committee chairman in July 2006 when the probe began, called it a "political diatribe."

A call to the CEQ for comment on the report and for Dr. Connaughton's response was diverted to the main White House press office since he is at climate talks in Bali.

"We think this report is a thinly veiled attempt to distract attention from the administration's efforts to advance its commitment to the pursuit of sound environment, energy, and economic policy at the Bali summit," says Emily Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman.

Concerning Connaughton's reported involvement in crafting an EPA legal opinion, she said that was not surprising.

"The finding that he was involved in the drafting of an EPA opinion is hardly news," Ms. Lawrimore says. "He's the adviser to the president on environmental policy, and it would be odd if he didn't offer his thoughts and input on environmental law and policy."

Mr. Piltz sees it differently. He served under the Bush administration until spring 2005, when he resigned and exposed White House editing of the national climate assessment. As a senior staffer with the US Climate Change Science Program, he also served under President Clinton and saw marked contrasts between the two. "It's true that every administration has its own policy, and there's always a tendency to shade your communications," Piltz says. "But the difference here is that the White House science office under previous administrations was not at war with the mainstream science community."

The report adds other details. For example, while changes to the testimony of Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, were widely reported, it was less known that other comments to Congress by Thomas Karl, director of the National Climatic Data Center, were also heavily edited, the report says.

Dr. Karl, it says, "was not allowed to comment in his written testimony that 'modern climate change is dominated by human influences,' that 'we are venturing into the unknown territory with changes in climate,' or that 'it is very likely (95 percent probability) that humans are largely responsible for many of the observed changes in climate.' "

Instead of saying that global warming "is playing" a role in increased hurricane intensity, his comment became "may play" a role Used tags: , , ,


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Air Force to fly on synthetic fuel?

Monday 31 December 2007 at 2:41 pm


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Air Force to fly on synthetic fuel?




By Gordon Lubold








The US Air Force is experimenting with a synthetic fuel that could become a cheaper fuel-alternative for the entire US military and even commercial aviation, officials say.

As the cost of a barrel of oil approaches $100 and US reliance on foreign oil sources grows, the Air Force, the single biggest user of energy in the US government, wants to find a cheaper alternative. Air Force officials think they may have found it in a fuel that blends the normal JP-8 fuel, currently used for the military's jet engines, with a synthetic fuel made from natural gas and liquid coal. more

The city of blinding lights is starting to see green

Monday 31 December 2007 at 2:20 pm


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The city of blinding lights is starting to see 'green'




By Ben Arnoldy


Las Vegas - It draws busloads of Sin City tourists, it's got more mirrors than the Trump Towers, and sometimes the lights are practically blinding.

But this latest marvel in the Nevada desert isn't a hotel casino. It's a solar thermal plant that provides peak power to nearby Las Vegas, one of the most unlikely places on the planet to be showing signs of environmental fervor. more

Bioplastic may become third option to paper or plastic

Tuesday 25 December 2007 at 08:30 am


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Bioplastic may become third option to paper or plastic





By Tony Azios




Paper, plastic ... or biodegradable? Yes, get ready to add a third option at the grocery store checkout line as biodegradable plastics enter the mainstream consumer market. more

As Bush signs energy bill, new issues come to the fore

Friday 21 December 2007 at 06:29 am


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As Bush signs energy bill, new issues come to the fore




By Mark Clayton






America is getting a green-energy law just in time for Christmas. It's not the great big one with a bow that environmentalists wanted, but, analysts say, it still represents nothing less than a new beginning on national energy policy.

After dodging White House veto threats and Senate filibusters, the slim-but-still-substantial energy bill was signed by President Bush Wednesday. more

300 Miles Per Gallon!

Wednesday 19 December 2007 at 02:56 am


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300 Miles Per Gallon! Aptera Motors Unveils Ultra Efficient All-
Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles






Today, Aptera officially unveiled two vehicles that could change the
future of automotive design. Aptera's Typ-1 is a radically different
vehicle designed to marry advanced aerodynamics with light-weight
composite technology creating an incredibly powerful, yet extremely
safe vehicle that is a joy to drive -- even for the most performance-
minded individuals. The Aptera Typ-1 will be available in all-
electric and hybrid models for less than $30,000, the electric
version slated for delivery in 2008 with the hybrid model to follow.
The all-electric model has a range of 120 miles. The plug-in series
hybrid has achieved more than 300 miles per gallon with a range of
more than 600 miles. Both versions are loaded with safety features. more

Senate energy bill: first skirmish over US greenhouse-gas regulation

Saturday 15 December 2007 at 05:07 am


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Senate energy bill: first skirmish over US greenhouse-gas regulation





By Mark Clayton






As Congress struggled to shape new energy legislation this week, an equally important fight was shaping up: whether the United States will begin to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions.

The prospects for such regulation began to emerge this past April when, in a setback for the Bush administration, the US Supreme Court affirmed that the Environmental Protection Agency had the legal authority to regulate emissions. The wrangling this week over the Senate energy bill represents the first skirmish over what could quickly become a full-blown battle over measures to slow climate change. more

World looks to UN's Ban for breakthrough in Bali climate conference

Friday 14 December 2007 at 03:34 am


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World looks to UN's Ban for breakthrough in Bali climate conference




AEN News






New York - Determined to see the world's nations come together under some form of agreement in combating climate change, United Nations leader Ban Ki-moon told delegates he was "counting on a breakthrough" amongst leaders attending the Bali Climate Change Conference.

The world is counting on a breakthrough, Ban has told delegates at the summit, calling the fight against global warming "the moral challenge of our generation." more

Study finds White House manipulation on climate science

Friday 14 December 2007 at 02:52 am


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Study finds White House manipulation on climate science




By Mark Clayton





At least since 2003, and especially after hurricane Katrina hit, the White House has broadly attempted to control which climate scientists could speak with reporters, as well as editing scientists' congressional testimony on climate science and key legal opinions, according to a new report by a House committee. more