And while we’re on the subject of petroleum-based reality… Congressman Joe Barton, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a fully-owned subsidiary of the oil lobby has requested the congressional equivalent of a police raid from Michael Mann of the University of Virginia, who created the influential "hockey stick" model of global warming six years ago. Here is part of Rep. Barton’s request, which gives you an idea of what kind of witch hunt this is:
To assist us as we begin this review, and pursuant to Rules X and XI of the U.S. House of Representatives, please provide the following information requested below on or before July 11, 2005:
1. Your curriculum vitae, including, but not limited to, a list of all studies relating to climate change research for which you were an author or co-author and the source of funding for those studies.
2. List all financial support you have received related to your research, including, but not limited to, all private, state, and federal assistance, grants, contracts (including subgrants or subcontracts), or other financial awards or honoraria.
3. Regarding all such work involving federal grants or funding support under which you were a recipient of funding or principal investigator, provide all agreements relating to those underlying grants or funding, including, but not limited to, any provisions, adjustments, or exceptions made in the agreements relating to the dissemination and sharing of research results.
Scientists are naturally outraged. Congress does indeed fund reports, but they don’t get to dictate the results, any more than they can legislate the value of Pi or outlaw gravity. But when all else fails, blame the messenger!
Who knows, maybe there should be hearings. I’d love to see the scientists go up against Barton face-to-face. Good times…
That’s so scary…looks like they are taking their war on science to a whole new level. You know, the level they took things when the Justice Dept demanded the private records of women who had recieved late-term abortions.