NASA is feeling the heat from US lawmakers over allegations that it has been preventing scientists from presenting evidence for global warming. The issue was raised by the House Committee on Science in a debate on NASA鈥檚 latest budget on 16 February.
Three weeks ago, climatologist James Hansen accused NASA鈥檚 public affairs officer, George Deutsch, of muzzling climate scientists who did not conform to the Bush administration鈥檚 view. A week later Deutsch, a political appointee, resigned when it was revealed he had fudged his r茅sum茅. NASA鈥檚 chief Michael Griffin has pledged to correct such mistakes.
Things may be worse at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the agency most directly involved in climate research. The top officials at NOAA are 鈥渦napologetic about egregious censorship鈥�, says Jerry Mahlmann, a former NOAA scientist and director of one of its labs.
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According to Mahlmann, NOAA suppressed reports about record high temperatures last year, as well as objections from its scientists to the agency鈥檚 claim that there was no link between global warming and last year鈥檚 unprecedented hurricane season. Scientists who still work for the agency won鈥檛 speak out publicly. 鈥淭here鈥檚 concern about retaliation,鈥� says Rick Piltz, who resigned in protest last year from NOAA鈥檚 Climate Change office.
