From Publishers Weekly
This portrait of NASA climate scientist James Hansen and his decades-long struggle to alert the public about global warming's perils and potential solutions ranges from deeply disturbing and frightening to inspiring. Disturbing, as Bowen (
Thin Ice) gives convincing evidence that the Bush administration did its best to control NASA scientists' communication with the public in order to undermine belief in global warming and belittle its consequences. According to Bowen, the administration set up ideological political loyalists in positions formerly held by career professionals, gutted NASA's earth science budget, then denied these actions. Frightening, as Hansen concludes that climate is significantly more sensitive than two years ago and that our choice may be not between no change and a significant change, but between a significant change and disaster. Inspiring, in Bowen's portrayal of Hansen, who obeys the Feynman admonition in both science and policy—describe the evidence very carefully without regard to the way you feel it should be. Bowen's in-depth treatments of politics and science, although hard going at times, give his arguments substance. Hansen's conviction that tools exist right now to mitigate the worst effect—if only we will use them—is surprisingly hopeful.
(Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Product Description
From acclaimed writer and physicist Mark Bowen, Censoring Science tells the true story of the Bush administrations censorship of the worlds preeminent climatologist, and the science behind global warming that they do not want you to know. The facts dont lie:
2005 was the warmest year since the invention of the thermometer.
2006 is on track to become the hottest year ever recorded in the United States.
The six hottest years on record have occurred in the last eight years, and the twenty-two hottest years on record have occurred in the last twenty-six years.
Preeminent climatologist and leading NASA scientist Dr. James Hansen has been studying climate for over three decades. It was his testimony to a Senate committee in 1988 that first brought the threat of global warming to the worlds attention. In January 2006, news broke that the Bush administration had been attempting to censor Dr. Hansenobscuring his message and suppressing the vast body of his scientific work, which unequivocally demonstrates the reality and immense danger of global warming.
Now, for the first time and with unfiltered access, writer and physicist Mark Bowen finally tells the exclusive story of Hansens decades-long battle to bring the truth about global warming to light. Censoring Science illuminates the real science behind global warming and maintains that we can still prevent environmental disaster, while both strengthening our economy and our national security. In the tradition of Ron Suskinds blockbuster bestseller, The Price of Loyalty, Censoring Science exposes the truth behind the administrations spin doctors, and shares the inside story of one of the most important and influential scientists of our time.
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