Censoring Science: Inside the Political Attack on Dr. James Hansen and the Truth of Global Warming

by Mark Bowen

Book Overview

The dramatic story of global warming, politics, and the scientist Al Gore calls "the most powerful and consistent voice calling for intelligent action to preserve our planet's environment." Censoring Science is the gripping story of the world's preeminent climatologist, Dr. James Hansen, the "pivotal character in the greatest and most politically charged science story of our time" ( New Scientist ). NASA's leading climate expert, Dr. Hansen first...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452289629
• ISBN13: 9780452289628
• Release Date: December 2008
• Publisher: Plume Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

excellent after the first 100 pages

I would caution the reader not to be discouraged by the first 100 pages which are a detailed account of the back and forth exchange of memos and directives handed down from NASA public relations as they attempted to reign in the scientists from making scientific statements that were interpreted as critical the coal and petroleum industry. Clearly we can solve a lot of our problems by burning NASA PR hacks instead of coal. If however you are employed by a government agency where your work could be surpressed or politicised, then this book is essential reading. The book focuses heavily on Hansen and the singular importance of his work. My only criticism is that I was often confused about the timeline of what was happening. I was often lost as to when and in what order statements and discoveries were actually made. What is remarkable about this book is that it names names. It names a LOT of names. A lifetime of scores are being settled here. The second half of the book does bring the reader up to late 2007 in the global warming debate. Things are changing fast, however, none of it in the right direction. This book may soon be out of date as a current summary of developing global warming issues, but it is priceless as an historical record which may prove to be as important as the Manhatten project .

A Brilliant Examination of Bush Administration Scientific Censorship At NASA

The most important scientific issue confronting our fellow Americans, and indeed, all of humanity, is global warming. On a warm, humid afternoon in June 1988, NASA climatologist James Hansen alerted us to its ever present danger, testifying before a U. S. Senate committee, and then, afterwards, to a group of reporters. One mere sentence uttered by Hansen to these reporters, emphasized this danger, "It's time to stop waffling.... and say that the greenhouse effect is here and is affecting our climate now." It is an ever present danger that has garnered the keen interest of diplomats and other politicians worldwide, including those here in the United States. But it is also an ever present danger whose very significance has been ignored by the current administration of President George W. Bush, which has instead, been engaged in scientific censorship of the most virulent kind. Physicist and writer Mark Bowen's "Censoring Science" takes a cold, hard look at the Bush administration's undeniable scientific censorship of NASA climatologist James Hansen in a fast-paced literary style that's more reminiscent of a well-plotted Ian Fleming espionage thriller, than a serious, rather credible, work of investigative scientific journalism. "Censoring Science" offers compelling evidence as to how that censorship worked, trying to cast "doubt" on superb climate science in extensively-edited scientific reports that "demonstrated" the "uncertainties" of this science, not the undeniable facts pointing to the reality of global warming. Bowen offers an inspirational portrait of Hansen, his research, and his colleagues at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies - the research center headed by Hansen - that's located at the southern end of Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus; ones which are among the most important reasons to acquire this splendid book. Bowen demonstrates how Bush administration political appointees fostered this censorship, especially through "editing" of press releases of newly published scientific research, and in determining how scientists like Hansen could speak to professional journalists. One of these political appointees was a new appointee, college dropout George Deutsch, who soon announced his keen interest in and support of Intelligent Design by noting in an e-mail to NASA science writer Flint Wild, "... it is not NASA's place, nor should it be, to make a declaration such as this about the existence of the universe that discounts intelligent design by a creator.... We, as NASA, must be diligent here, because this is more than a science issue, it is a religious issue. And I would hate to think that young people would only be getting one half of this debate from NASA." Regrettably, an e-mail such as this one merely reflected the political mindset of those Bush administration appointees like Deutsch, who regarded global warming as "just a theory" unsubstantiated by actual scientific evidence; actual scientific evidence which w

A valuable contribution to global warming literature

Censoring Science, written by Mark Bowen (author of the highly regarded, Thin Ice, also about climate change), is a powerful indictment of the petroleum and other types of industries' control over the political decision-making process. It succinctly and captivatingly describes the science of global warming for lay persons. In addition, through moving personal narrative, we encounter the deep integrity of some of the persons involved in the issue. This is especially true of Jim Hansen, the lead climate scientist at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Dr. Hansen, a modest, soft-spoken person, has come out publicly, beginning in 1988, both with dire warnings related to global warming as well as with disclosures that industry and fossil fuel-oriented elements of the government have been carrying on an intense campaign to prevent this information from being reported to the public. In my opinion, this is a must read for anyone interested in the well-being of the planet and in understanding how powerful corporate and political forces have succeeded in keeping us ignorant about our planet's increasingly dire situation.

Think for yourself - Always

This book carries a very powerful message, showing us that global warming is yet one more thing big business pays politicians to lie to the public about, in the interest of keeping money flowing their way. Like the tobacco companies have been doing for decades, oil companies and major factory polluters will mislead the masses as long as is humanly possible, and politicians will be paid well for helping. Things will only change if enough of the public learns from books like this one, and refuses to continue to allow corporations to get away with it.

frightening account of politicians manipulating science

Very interesting reading . . . . The book outlines the battle between science and politicians in a very specific incident. When I read about something like this, I wonder why nothing much is in the news. Both politicians and media seem to underestimate the intelligence of the general population. Trying to "spin" science to meet political agendas will eventually fail. This book makes interesting reading!