CDC Head's testimony censored by White House

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Dusanyu
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CDC Head's testimony censored by White House

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BOSTON GLOBE EDITORIAL
Now with 50 percent less truth

October 29, 2007

WHEN THE top public health official of the United States addressed the Senate last Tuesday on the health impact of global warming in this country, the senators - and the public - had a right to expect Julie Gerberding's full, unvarnished thoughts on this important issue. That's not what they got. In another case of the White House censoring what the public learns about climate change, the administration cut her testimony in half.
As a result, Gerberding, who heads the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, did not tell senators, as she had planned to, that "the public health effects of climate change remain largely unaddressed." Nor did the senators learn that areas in the northern part of the country "will likely bear the brunt of increases in ground-level ozone and associated airborne pollutants. Populations in Midwestern and Northeastern cities are expected to experience more heat-related illnesses as heat waves increase in frequency, severity, and duration."

All of that information was included in the six pages stricken from Gerberding's original draft of 12 pages. The White House says it made the deletions because the information "didn't align" with a report this year from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In response, Senator Barbara Boxer of California released a comparison of the UN report and phrases stricken from the Gerberding draft. Both raise the threat of heat stress on vulnerable populations, increased respiratory diseases, and more waterborne infectious diseases.
This is not the first time the White House has muzzled government researchers who have raised concerns about global warming or pointed the way to addressing it. After NASA scientist James E. Hansen said in 2005 that greenhouse gas emissions were creating "a different planet," his superiors tried to control his appearances and limit his interviews.

In 2002, the White House made the Environmental Protection Agency drop a chapter on the risks of climate change from an annual EPA report that for six years had included such information. In 2003, the EPA did its best to bury an analysis by staff members showing that a proposal to cap carbon dioxide emissions by Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman would not seriously damage the economy.

Recently, the Bush administration has been more willing to acknowledge the role of manmade emissions in the warming of the planet, while still shrinking from mandatory actions to deal with the problem. By watering down the views of a top official like Gerberding, the White House hopes to reduce pressure in the public and Congress for a carbon cap or tax that would force limits on emissions. But this is a case of what we don't know can hurt us. The Senate should bring Gerberding back to give her full testimony.
While this may only be a charge, the implication of the charge that the CDC is being censored. Censoring information that has impact on the Health of the people irresponsible, immoral and a sign of governmental corruption in the highest order.

While I am not shocked by this; I do fond the idea of my Friends living in a state who's government would consider such a action unseemly and quite disturbing.
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FatPianoBoy
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Re: CDC Head's testimony censored by White House

Post by FatPianoBoy »

I just keep telling myself: it's not as bad as China.
Hopefully, by the time that flimsy self-assurance runs out, I can afford to move to Canada.

I'm beginning to wonder if the Administration is familiar with the latter days of the old Roman Empire...
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Midnight Star
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Re: CDC Head's testimony censored by White House

Post by Midnight Star »

Some how this doesn't surprise me at all.
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