According to a recently leaked memorandum, the Bush Administration is once again up to their dirty tricks; they are trying to gag government scientists by demanding they not to talk about polar bears, sea ice and climate change during official overseas trips.
Despite all this clumsy politicking, the Department of the Interior is currently considering whether to list polar bears as endangered and a decision is expected by January 2008.
A leaked e-mail from regional director Richard Hannon, from the Fish and Wildlife Service to his staff warned that any future overseas trips involving or potentially involving climate change, sea ice or polar bears will require an official statement on who in the delegation will be the official spokesman.
Any requests concerning foreign trips to Arctic countries such as Canada, Norway or Russia should also include "a statement of assurance that these individuals understand the Administration's position on these issues", particularly the topic of polar bears.
Hugh Vickery, a spokesman for the US Department of the Interior, said that the memorandum was "badly worded" and there was no intention of limiting informal discussions. The memo was intended to cover official bilateral talks where there is an agreed agenda and was an attempt to ensure that scientists stick to the areas within their remit, Vickery said.
It must suck to be a government scientist.
Cited story.
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tags: global warming, climate change, politics
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I think if I was a guvmint scientist, I might cross that line. I mean, how many people get to write in their CV, "fired for mentioning the polar bears"? I'm thinking that could be a unique selling point, and could be leveraged into appearances on The Colbert Report or some such.