Global Warming Witch Hunt
Topic: Science and Culture
On July 6th President Bush declared:

I recognize the surface of the earth is warmer and that an increase in greenhouse gases caused by humans is contributing to the problem ...

So why is a certain member of congress on a witch hunt after climatologists?

From the Houston Chronicle:

Late last month, Barton requested mounds of documents from three scientists known for studying global warming. As chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Barton demanded detailed documentation of almost every aspect of hundreds of studies the scientists had penned.

He made a similar request to the head of the National Science Foundation, writing, "The term 'records' is to be construed in the broadest sense ... whether printed or recorded electronically or magnetically or stored in any type of data bank, including, but not limited to ... summaries of personal conversations or interviews ... diaries ... checks and canceled checks ... bank statements."

Barton gave the scientists 18 days to comply with the request, which he has the power to convert into a subpoena.

And why would this Texas Republican try to discredit scientific research that points to a drastic increase in the global temperature? I wonder.

Even the house Science Committee chair, Republican Sherwood Boehlert is calling for an end to this idiotic crusade, stating to Barton:

My primary concern about your investigation is that its purpose seems to be to intimidate scientists rather than to learn from them.

The way science is evaluated is not through politics, but through peer review. I guess we live in a time when people believe only convenient facts, while anything that does not justify our prejudices (or our wishes) is simply thrown out the window.