Congress Committee Releases In-Depth Report on White House Climate Science Manipulation

The evidence before the Committee leads to one inescapable conclusion: the Bush Administration has engaged in a systematic effort to manipulate climate change science and mislead policymakers and the public about the dangers of global warming."

The report, Political Interference With Climate Change Science Under the Bush Administration, details a 16-month investigation into allegations of political interference with government climate change science under the Bush Administration.

During the course of this investigation, the Committee obtained over 27,000 pages of documents from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Commerce Department, held two investigative hearings, and deposed or interviewed key officials. Much of the information made available to the Committee has never been publicly disclosed.

Here are some of the key findings in the report:

• The White House exerted unusual control over the public statements of federal scientists on climate change issues.

   

• Regarding Climate Science

   

• The Administration’s Censorship of Climate Scientists was
  Widespread - 150 federal climate scientists from eight federal agencies personally experienced at least one incident of political interference during the past five years.

   

• The White House systematically minimized the significance of climate change by editing government climate change reports.

   

• The White House Edited EPA’s [Environmental Protection Agency] Report on the Environment.

   

• The White House Eliminated the Climate Change Section of
  EPA’s Air Trends Report.

   

• The White House was Involved in Editing EPA’s Legal Opinions.