Scientists at the University of Nebraska are stepping out to let the government know, they won’t tolerate political hindrance in matters of science. This comes shortly after the state legislature passed a bill that commissions a climate change impacts study for the state. However, the key to this debate is that the legislature states that the study must preclude the scientist’s writing it, from addressing the role of human activity in causing global warming.
Don Wilhite, former director of the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska, speaking about the issue states:
To be of any use a climate impact report has to look at the whole picture. The issue is one of science, not politics. In Nebraska, just as everywhere, we need the best information we can get about the changes we face.
The culprit to this wording in the bill was State Senator Beau McCoy, a Republican, and candidate for Nebraska governor. In his explanation of what should be the basis for the study, McCoy stated:
I don’t subscribe to global warming.
Ok so I guess since some conservative politician who doesn’t ?believe? in global warming now has the right to tell us what science is real and what isn’t. Last time I checked, McCoy was a politician not a scientist.
In an obvious ploy to keep the public from realizing that man-made global warming is a possible threat to the earth, a tactic conservatives have been using a lot lately, scientists turned to the Governor of Nebraska, Don Heineman, who through his spokesperson replied with:
This decision was made by the legislature.
Well thank you governor that was helpful.
Al Dutcher, Nebraska’s state climatologist and professor at the University of Nebraska is appalled at the political intrusion on science and is holding back from a study that he says would basically be; ?a study of the seasons.?? Dutcher, and other top scientists, are standing strong against this legislature and are being highly supported from their community of researchers and professionals. When it comes down to it, if science is run by politics, the last bit of truth out there will disappear.
