Excluding science

April 20, 2009
Your Newsletter section contained an ironic statement by Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.):

Your Newsletter section contained an ironic statement by Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.): “Instead of allowing political interference in scientific…decisions…the Obama administration is letting the sun shine in on the dangerous realities of global warming (OGJ, Apr. 6, 2009, Newsletter).”

The truth of course is exactly the opposite. Science is now excluded from the decision process. First, note that Markey is a lawyer and presumably a little weak on the meaning of science. The earth may have warmed a bit over the last 100 years, but government action is only rational if such warming could be tied to human activity.

I have heard that there is strong disagreement about whether such causality exists. So where is the science? Sounds like another spotted owl hoax.

Doug Wood
Houston