Philosophy
Just another example of a corrupt administration. I suppose political ethics have evaporated.
Vice President Dick Cheney's office was involved in removing statements on health risks posed by global warming from a draft of a health official’s Senate testimony last year, a former senior government environmental official said on Tuesday.
The former official, Jason K. Burnett, made the assertion and described similar incidents in a three-page letter to Senator Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat who is the chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. He then stood with her at a news conference at which she excoriated the Bush administration.
"History will judge this Bush administration harshly for recklessly covering up a real threat to the people they are supposed to protect," Mrs. Boxer said.
Mr. Burnett, a lifelong Democrat, resigned in May from his post as an associate deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and chief adviser on climate to Stephen L. Johnson, the E.P.A. administrator. Mr. Burnett has previously criticized the administration's climate policies and endorsed and contributed to Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
In the letter, while declining to name individuals, Mr. Burnett said the offices of Mr. Cheney and the White House Council on Environmental Quality "were seeking deletions" of sections of draft testimony describing health risks from warming. The testimony was prepared by Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for a hearing last October before Mrs. Boxer's committee.
Mr. Burnett's letter said the council "requested that I work with C.D.C. to remove from the testimony any discussion of the human health consequences of climate change."
The changes were made before the testimony was delivered. At the time, the E.P.A., complying with a Supreme Court ruling, was finishing a document assessing whether carbon dioxide, the main emission linked to global warming, endangered public health or welfare as defined under the Clean Air Act.
At the news conference, Mrs. Boxer strongly chided Dana M. Perino, the White House press secretary, for asserting last year that the changes in testimony were justified because the statements did not comport with the influential review of climate risks by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. "This was a lie," Mrs. Boxer said.
She demanded that Mr. Johnson turn over all documents related to the assessment of carbon dioxide's risks, or else resign.
White House officials bluntly rebutted Mr. Burnett and Mrs. Boxer.
"We stand 100 percent behind what Dana said," said Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman.
"Senator Boxer should not throw around charges like lying in cases where there might be a difference of opinion," he said.
Marc Morano, a spokesman for James M. Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican and the ranking minority member on the Senate environment committee, also said the criticism was unjustified.
"All administrations edit testimony before it is submitted to Congress," he said, describing incidents during the Clinton administration involving Roy W. Spencer, a NASA scientist at the time who questioned the dangers of human-caused warming. Mr. Spencer said his superiors told him not to express his views about the dangers of global warming in testimony.
Mrs. Boxer insisted that the efforts last year by the White House constituted a "cover-up" and "censorship," and she announced plans for more hearings.
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Philosophy
A corrupt administration and environmental health issues
Just another example of a corrupt administration. I suppose political ethics have evaporated.
"Cheney's Office Said to Edit Draft Testimony"
by
Andrew C. Revkin
July 9th, 2008
The New York Times
by
Andrew C. Revkin
July 9th, 2008
The New York Times
Vice President Dick Cheney's office was involved in removing statements on health risks posed by global warming from a draft of a health official’s Senate testimony last year, a former senior government environmental official said on Tuesday.
The former official, Jason K. Burnett, made the assertion and described similar incidents in a three-page letter to Senator Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat who is the chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. He then stood with her at a news conference at which she excoriated the Bush administration.
"History will judge this Bush administration harshly for recklessly covering up a real threat to the people they are supposed to protect," Mrs. Boxer said.
Mr. Burnett, a lifelong Democrat, resigned in May from his post as an associate deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and chief adviser on climate to Stephen L. Johnson, the E.P.A. administrator. Mr. Burnett has previously criticized the administration's climate policies and endorsed and contributed to Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
In the letter, while declining to name individuals, Mr. Burnett said the offices of Mr. Cheney and the White House Council on Environmental Quality "were seeking deletions" of sections of draft testimony describing health risks from warming. The testimony was prepared by Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for a hearing last October before Mrs. Boxer's committee.
Mr. Burnett's letter said the council "requested that I work with C.D.C. to remove from the testimony any discussion of the human health consequences of climate change."
The changes were made before the testimony was delivered. At the time, the E.P.A., complying with a Supreme Court ruling, was finishing a document assessing whether carbon dioxide, the main emission linked to global warming, endangered public health or welfare as defined under the Clean Air Act.
At the news conference, Mrs. Boxer strongly chided Dana M. Perino, the White House press secretary, for asserting last year that the changes in testimony were justified because the statements did not comport with the influential review of climate risks by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. "This was a lie," Mrs. Boxer said.
She demanded that Mr. Johnson turn over all documents related to the assessment of carbon dioxide's risks, or else resign.
White House officials bluntly rebutted Mr. Burnett and Mrs. Boxer.
"We stand 100 percent behind what Dana said," said Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman.
"Senator Boxer should not throw around charges like lying in cases where there might be a difference of opinion," he said.
Marc Morano, a spokesman for James M. Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican and the ranking minority member on the Senate environment committee, also said the criticism was unjustified.
"All administrations edit testimony before it is submitted to Congress," he said, describing incidents during the Clinton administration involving Roy W. Spencer, a NASA scientist at the time who questioned the dangers of human-caused warming. Mr. Spencer said his superiors told him not to express his views about the dangers of global warming in testimony.
Mrs. Boxer insisted that the efforts last year by the White House constituted a "cover-up" and "censorship," and she announced plans for more hearings.
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What's the problem with languages not using the words for what they really stand for? Throughout my youth I was discouraged from uttering certain words but it was "okay" to use substitutions that were kinder, gentler, and highly euphemistic. But...
- Top Climate Panel Faces An Independent Review Board
Will this right the wrongs and re-establish good science? Maybe. There is already a backlash towards Al Gore and followers. "Independent Board to Review Work of Top Climate Panel" February 27th, 2010 REUTERS An independent board of scientists will...
- "chicken Little" Stands To Make Big Bucks
One wonders if this wasn't a well-planned scheme to make a lot of money...advocate global warming, invest in "green" enterprises, wait for government stimulus, rake in the "greenbacks". "Gore’s Dual Role in Spotlight: Advocate and Investor" by...
- Obama Administration And The New Science Advisor
Some thoughts by Robert Koenig about John P. Holdren and the Obama administration. "The Holdren Factor" Barack Obama's incoming science adviser plans to make science a factor in White House decisions. by Robert Koenig January 20th, 2009 seedmagazine.com...
- Looking Ahead...obama And The Chemical Industry
Too early to predict anything for President Barack Obama will be challenged with greater issues of economics and war. "Obama And Science" New Administration will bring major changes for science policy and the chemical sector by David Hanson, Glenn Hess,...