Things not discussed part 22
Adding to the list of things not discussed at the meeting between Helen Clark and George W Bush is the role of the Bush administration in pressuring climate scientists to doctor their reports to make the evidence of climate change look more uncertain.
Documents turned over to a US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing suggest that the Bush asministration may have politically interfered in the climate science even more than previously thought.
This from Environmental News Service:
Much of the hearing focused on edits to federal reports by Philip Cooney, an oil industry lobbyist who served as chief of staff for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, CEQ, from 2001-2005.
Documents released by the committee show Cooney and other administration officials made at least 181 edits to the administration’s strategic plan for the climate change science program to exaggerate or emphasize scientific uncertainties, as well as 113 edits to downplay the importance of humanity’s role in global warming.
In addition, White House documents show similar editing by Cooney and other administration officials to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report on the health of the environment and an annual state of the planet report submitted to Congress.
I know there was a lot on the agenda but is it too much to ask the US President to stop trying to manipulate the scientific data to suit political purposes, just like his administration manipulated intelligence data to justify the invasion in Iraq. Many in the US are asking this question too.
March 22nd, 2007 at 2:12 pm
A far better plan IMHO would have been to use the meeting with Pelosi (which I understand did indeed happen) to have a little discussion of the responsibility of the congress of the united states to impeach presidents who lie to congress about little things like going to war.
It would be a far more useful thing for NZ, the USA, Greens and the planet in general, to see the perps tossed out of office and delivered to the Hague.
respectfully
BJ
March 22nd, 2007 at 2:38 pm
“stop trying to manipulate data for political purposes”
Ahem, I think both “sides” are guilty of that.
March 22nd, 2007 at 3:05 pm
bj
Do you think that Klark might have asked plastic Nancy how she felt about Clinton telling lies and what was here stance when the Republicans were trying to impeach slick Willy?
March 22nd, 2007 at 3:11 pm
I agree with Blue especially those global warming scare-mongers who fiddled with our thermometers since the industrial revolution.
Before that we were heading into another iceage now because of their thermometer tampering and using giant hairdryers on the polar regions it looks like we are suffering Global Warming.
March 22nd, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Nope BB, that topic would not have come up. For one thing, the cost to the nation of Clinton’s lie was at best the price of a dry-cleaning (were it not for the Republican blue-nosed sticky-beaks). Bush is past the half-trillion dollar mark, not counting the lives of US Service People and Iraqi’s.
For another, Clinton was the President LAST Century and is not causing trouble for anyone now. Pelosi couldn’t impeach him even if she were inclined to do so. Bringing this up at all illustrates a shocking naivette on your part.
You should know better, and probably do, and are simply winding me up.
BJ
March 22nd, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Hehehe BJ, this reminds me of one of the funniest protest placards I’ve seen in the last few years, “Would someone please give Bush a blowjob so we can impeach him”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/benchilada/131895054/
I’m sure we could get this for you on a T-shirt eh Bro
March 22nd, 2007 at 7:43 pm
I don’t think Klarke needs to bring up Iraq, there are plenty of people doing that, and I suspect GB is trying to reach out a bit (make friends). It’s better she Gets some good trade deals. IMHO.
jh
March 22nd, 2007 at 7:50 pm
1. bjchip Says:
A far better plan IMHO would have been to use the meeting with Pelosi (which I understand did indeed happen) to have a little discussion of the responsibility of the congress of the united states to impeach presidents who lie to congress about little things like going to war.
you mean as opposed to Presidents who lie to Congress about big things like the presidential sex life?
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Once Bitten,
You’re onto it. Its those hairdryers in outer space which are causing it. This whole thing is a plot by Kambrook who, with the chinese have been launching hair dryer satellites in secret over the past 10 years. The US needs Waihopai to keep an eye on them.
Nah, I was more thinking of Robin Williams telling everyone that GW will cause the sea to rise 100 meters….Hyperbole like that doesnt help, even if he is very funny.
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Blue
Robin might have some information that we earthlings don’t know. After all he is MORK - from a planet I can’t remember - the show was too long ago.
March 23rd, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Ork
March 23rd, 2007 at 1:50 pm
BJ
I would never try and wind you up, I simply have a dislike of double standards.
Once corrupt President fought tooth and nail to avoid being impeached over the Lewinsky affair (let alone what they could have done to him over white water) yet the same people who were defending him then are now screaming for Presidents Bush’s head.
March 24th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
12. big bruv Says:
> I would never try and wind you up, I simply have a dislike of double standards.
Once corrupt President fought tooth and nail to avoid being impeached over the Lewinsky affair (let alone what they could have done to him over white water) yet the same people who were defending him then are now screaming for Presidents Bush’s head.
And many of the people who are defending Bush for telling lies that led to the disastrous war in Iraq and 650 000 people being killed are the same people who pushed to impeach Bill Clinton for lying about his sex life. And the president’s sex life isn’t even a congressional responsibility, whereas declarations of war certainly are.
March 24th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Big Bruv - They went through Whitewater with a damned nanofilter and couldn’t find a thing to stick him with. The Lewinsky affair was a private one. Fascinating to me that you cannot comprehend the difference between a private affair between consenting adults and a half-trillion dollar illegal war. You are perceptive in some ways but have a peculiar disability with respect to your left eye, don’t you.
respectfully
BJ