Defend Climate Scientists from Bullying
Climate scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are being bullied by the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. A peer-reviewed paper NOAA scientists published in Science refutes claims of a global warming slowdown, so Representative Lamar Smith (TX-21), chairman of the committee, is using subpoenas and depositions to go after the scientists who wrote it.
This isn't about accessing more data or better understanding the research. NOAA's data and methodology have been publicly available for months, and NOAA scientists met multiple times with committee staff to answer questions about the research. This subpoena for emails and other confidential information is about Chairman Smith abusing his congressional power to cast doubt on the science and smear the scientists for publishing results that don't align with his climate denial.
The harassment by the House Science Committee isn't just a problem for NOAA scientists – it's a problem for all scientists and the public. Scientists and researchers need to be able to spend their time doing the scientific work we heavily rely on, whether that's making sure our air is safe to breathe, predicting the path of hurricanes, or researching new drugs to fight disease. But when scientists are afraid of political interference or being unfairly targeted for their work, they can't do their jobs – and we all lose out.
Stand up for science and call on Chairman Smith to stop bullying climate scientists.
I am very concerned about your latest actions regarding National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists. Your subpoena of NOAA scientist communications is the latest attempt to bully scientists and constrain independent science.
I understand that Congress has an important oversight role, but this goes far beyond what is appropriate. As you know, NOAA’s data and methodology has been publicly available for months, and NOAA scientists met multiple times with committee staff to answer questions about the research.
As the chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, it is your responsibility to stand up for science and the scientific process, as well as protect the ability of federal scientists to do research free from political interference and harassment. These tactics take the opposite approach and will, in fact, deter scientists from freely carrying out their research on important national challenges and create a chilling effect.
[Your comment will go here]
I am counting on you to speak up for science and end this abuse of power. Please reconsider your decision to subpoena internal communications of NOAA scientists and stop this burdensome and unwarranted investigation.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
