Gold9472
02-13-2006, 10:05 PM
Australian scientists say they were silenced on climate change
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060213/sc_afp/australiawarmingpolitics_060213084058
Mon Feb 13, 3:52 AM ET
SYDNEY (AFP) - Three scientists who worked at the Australian science agency say they were pressured to keep their views on climate change to themselves to avoid clashing with government policy.
The government has denied muzzling the scientists, whose claims follow those of a top NASA scientist who last month accused the administration of US President George W. Bush of trying to silence him.
The three, who worked for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), said their views were censored because they could reflect badly on government policy.
Former CSIRO climate director Graeme Pearman told ABC television in a programme to be aired Monday that he was censored "at least half a dozen times" during his final year at the agency -- but never directly by the government.
"I was told I couldn't say anything that indicated that I disagreed with government policy and I presume that meant federal government policy," he said. He said the agency was "enormously frightened" of interpretations of his work as being critical of government policy.
CSIRO executive Steve Morton said that he had ordered Pearman not to participate in one discussion "which clearly had policy prescriptions in it."
"I asked him not to talk about the targets and the timeframe in which greenhouse gas reductions should be made," Morton said.
Barney Foran, who recently retired from CSIRO, said he had been asked by Prime Minister John Howard's department to not discuss ethanol as part of his work on biofuels.
While Barrie Pittock said he was asked to remove sensitive information about the impact of climate change from a government publication.
"I was asked to talk about the science of climate change, the impacts and the possible adaptions but I was expressly told not to talk about ... how you might reduce greenhouse gases," he said.
Environment Minister Ian Campbell said the government had not instigated censorship at CSIRO, which is an independent body.
"It is certainly not a situation which is condoned by the Australian government," he said.
But opposition politicians have called for an inquiry.
"We want to make sure that our scientists can speak freely," Labor Party MP Jenny Macklin said. "We cannot afford to have these scientists gagged."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060213/sc_afp/australiawarmingpolitics_060213084058
Mon Feb 13, 3:52 AM ET
SYDNEY (AFP) - Three scientists who worked at the Australian science agency say they were pressured to keep their views on climate change to themselves to avoid clashing with government policy.
The government has denied muzzling the scientists, whose claims follow those of a top NASA scientist who last month accused the administration of US President George W. Bush of trying to silence him.
The three, who worked for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), said their views were censored because they could reflect badly on government policy.
Former CSIRO climate director Graeme Pearman told ABC television in a programme to be aired Monday that he was censored "at least half a dozen times" during his final year at the agency -- but never directly by the government.
"I was told I couldn't say anything that indicated that I disagreed with government policy and I presume that meant federal government policy," he said. He said the agency was "enormously frightened" of interpretations of his work as being critical of government policy.
CSIRO executive Steve Morton said that he had ordered Pearman not to participate in one discussion "which clearly had policy prescriptions in it."
"I asked him not to talk about the targets and the timeframe in which greenhouse gas reductions should be made," Morton said.
Barney Foran, who recently retired from CSIRO, said he had been asked by Prime Minister John Howard's department to not discuss ethanol as part of his work on biofuels.
While Barrie Pittock said he was asked to remove sensitive information about the impact of climate change from a government publication.
"I was asked to talk about the science of climate change, the impacts and the possible adaptions but I was expressly told not to talk about ... how you might reduce greenhouse gases," he said.
Environment Minister Ian Campbell said the government had not instigated censorship at CSIRO, which is an independent body.
"It is certainly not a situation which is condoned by the Australian government," he said.
But opposition politicians have called for an inquiry.
"We want to make sure that our scientists can speak freely," Labor Party MP Jenny Macklin said. "We cannot afford to have these scientists gagged."