(NaturalNews) Inspectors general from both the Commerce Department and NASA are investigating allegations that the Bush administration tried to prevent scientists from speaking freely about global warming, announced Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ, on Wednesday.
"These investigations are critical because the Republicans in Congress have ignored this serious problem," Lautenberg said, adding that the investigations "will uncover internal documents and agency correspondence that may expose widespread misconduct."
"Taxpayers do not fund scientific research so the Bush White House can alter it."
White House Council for Environmental Quality spokesperson Kristen Hellmer denied the charges, countering that the administration has held up the use of scientific processes when studying climate change.
"We have in place the most transparent system of science reporting, and claims that the administration interfered with scientists are false," she said. "Our focus is on taking action and making real progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The nearly $2 billion worth of climate science we publish annually leads the world and speaks for itself."
However, former NASA press officer George Deutsch had allegedly been trying to limit journalists' contact with prominent NASA climatologist James Hansen and pressing the NASA web designer to include the word "theory" with all mentions of the Big Bang. Deutsch was also accused of filtering climate and Big Bang information when House Science Chairman Sherwood Boehlert, R-NY asked for scientific openness to be guaranteed by NASA. The Bush-appointed Deutsch eventually resigned amid the accusations.
The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also came under fire for allegedly interfering with information. The agency was accused in the journal Nature of blocking a report that linked global warming to the strength and frequency of hurricanes, and Hansen in February said it had tried to stop scientists from freely speaking about any work they were doing on global climate change. The NOAA denied the charges, saying political motivations had no bearing on its work.
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