Feb 27 2006
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More news about NASA (and the White House science suppression)
More news is coming out about scientific suppression by the White House.
This San Jose Mercury News article reports that the EPA rejected advice from a scientific panel about pollution standards. This article continues to list the problems in other agencies.
NASA Administrator Mike Griffin was on NASA TV just today talking about various subjects, and was asked point-blank about all this, including the George Deutsch nonsense. He said (paraphrased only slightly as I was writing it down as quickly as I could):
Clearly, there was a situation… where at least one misguided individual was trying to insert his religious belief [into a scientific process].
He made a plea (literally) for people to report it when they think something like this is happening. However, he made what sounded to me like a thinly veiled allusion to climatologist Jim Hansen (who was being suppressed by Deutsch), saying “Not every piece of science is newsworthy,” meaning that maybe what Hansen was trying to say wasn’t really news. If this is what Dr. Griffin mean, I disagree with him: Hansen’s reports were in fact news; his editorial in the UK Independent made that clear.
Griffin also made various statements saying that Deutsch was a lone gunman, and that NASA has no policy of suppression. He admitted that NASA policy on public affairs and the dissemination of science news needs revision, and that a committee is even now discussing what should be done.
That’s welcome news. I hope it pans out.
Me too. Although, it sounds like Griffin is quietly and politely sweeping the issue under the rug. He is, at least, talking the talk about people doing the right thing in this context.
Not hearing the interview, I have no idea what Griffin meant by that comment.
Sounds to me like Griffin is trying to address people’s concerns while minimizing the impact to NASA’s reputation. I wouldn’t characterize that as “brushing it under the rug” - he has already implemented efforts to clarify the public affairs policies to preclude future occurrences, and he’s asked employees to voice their concerns to help bring them to light. I think it fair that he point out this was not a NASA policy to stifle any scientific conclusions, nor the scientists’ opinions. I think it fair that he lay blame on the individual acting beyond his bounds. Of course, there is a larger issue of Administration policy and political appointees in general overstepping their bounds. I don’t think that’s Griffin’s job to address, except to address the policies. I would hope if Griffin were aware of an administration policy to affect scientific presentations he would speak up about it. It doesn’t sound like he has any direct knowledge of it. It also seems he is shaping NASA policies to prevent future occurrences.
Phil,
As we have a Republican president you would expect that his appointees
would probably be Republican to.
I think Dr. Griffin is showing his true Republican Colors here.
I don’t believe the majority of Republicans are young-Earth fundamentalists.
However, we need to publicize the Deutsch affair (most people I know, including academics, are still completely unaware of it), and make Republicans face up to what their beloved leader has tried to do here, so that we can honestly say, “If you vote Republican next time, you are voting for government-imposed young-Earth fundamentalism, which is as near treason to the United States Constitution as makes no nevermind.”
And I’m keeping my passport up-to-date, just in case.
Griffin did not know that Deutsch was inserting his religious beliefs into [a scientific process].
So why can Griffin say Deutsch was a “lone gunman”?
So why can Griffin say Deutsch was a “lone gunman�
Griffin is saying that there was no NASA policy or direction from NASA to Deutsch to do what he did thus he was acting “alone” in that sense. i don’t think he is implying there is nobody else doing this, else why would he ask people to report it?
When I worked as a nurse I had several experiences seeing other nurses promoted to managerial positions. It always amazed me to hear their philosophical statements soon change from pro-union to pro-management. I hear the party line in your description of Griffin’s statements even if he is fighting to maintain his own scientific ideals. “Not every piece of science is newsworthy,†sounds an awful lot like, “do your science but the bottom line is we can’t be completely honest with results that make the higher ups look bad.”
Unfortunately, those higher ups, as most in similar positions, don’t want to hear the bad news as if it would go away if they merely ignore it. Will we never learn?