I checked first, thinking this was some April Fools joke, it appears legit. (h/t to Tom Nelson and Skiphil)
Climate Alarmist Jim Hansen leaving NASA on Wed. to devote himself to legal and political activism:
Hansen retiring from NASA to press legal and activist efforts
At the same time, retirement will allow Dr. Hansen to press his cause in court. He plans to take a more active role in lawsuits challenging the federal and state governments over their failure to limit emissions, for instance, as well as in fighting the development in Canada of a particularly dirty form of oil extracted from tar sands.
“As a government employee, you can’t testify against the government,” he said in an interview.
…
In the interview and in subsequent e-mails, Dr. Hansen made it clear that his new independence would allow him to take steps he could not have taken as a government employee. He plans to lobby European leaders — who are among the most concerned about climate change — to impose a tax on oil derived from tar sands. Its extraction results in greater greenhouse emissions than conventional oil.
…
Dr. Hansen says he senses the beginnings of a mass movement on climate change, led by young people. Once he finishes his final papers as a NASA employee, he intends to give it his full support.
“At my age,” he said, “I am not worried about having an arrest record.”
Full story at The NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/science/james-e-hansen-retiring-from-nasa-to-fight-global-warming.html?pagewanted=all
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MinB said (April 1, 2013 at 4:42 pm)
Will be interesting to discover his successor. Anyone know? Someone indoctrinated by Hansen and in his mold or someone with perhaps a more scientifically pure mindset? Let’s hope it’s out with the bad and in with the good…”
So far, all they’ve announced has been the temp:
“…Peter Hildebrand, director of the Earth Sciences Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., will serve as interim director until a new director is selected through a competitive process…”
To me, the most obvious choices would be someone who’s worked with Hansen (and managed to keep a lower profile): either Dr. Reto Ruedy, Dr. Makiko Sato or Dr. Ken Lo. They’re the ones who know where the skeletons are buried, and what “adjustments” had to be made. Anyone new would have to be trained, and might question the status quo.
“James Hansen to leave NASA to be full time activist”
But he already was a full time activist.
A better announcement would be that he was going to pay back his wages for all the taxpayer time he spent on his activist hobby.
He shouldn’t have been allowed to retire. He should have been fired. He doesn’t deserve his Federal pension, which he will use to try to mess up things even more politically than he has up until now. He will soon, though, be confined to the dustbin of history.
He will ride off into a burning sunset. If he can find one.
I’m hoping (wishing) that someone in the know has told NASA privately, politely and truthfully that there is an e-mail in Climategate3 that is massively incriminating for the “giant” (in the Trofim Lysenko sense of the word) and, hopefully, it’s regarding the manipulation of the temperature record.
Actually, someone telling NASA untruthfully would have probably worked too. I mean, it’s not like the climate frauds would be untruthful about anything, naaah ?
Wishbone (just a small one from a Cornish hen) pulled and acted upon. If this thought gets any traction here, I’ll buy a turkey for the weekend.
So many children have been taught through public school that his views are the mainstream, and that social justice is needed, that he is making the right move for him. Expect to see large protests similar to “Occupy” against those that don’t carry environmentalists water. He will leverage Organizing for America and their fundraising.
Alvin, it must be a real burden carrying such a broad brush, since it could only fit in a wheelbarrow lol!
If Hansen got it wrong about Venus, then why the heck should anyone listen to this nut about Venus Earth. Damned fool.
– – – – – – – –
henrythethird,
Thanks for reference about who is acting as Hansen’s temporary replacement.
It looks like a good possibility that responsible NASA leadership may be bringing in new outside blood to replace the nutty acting Hansen. I think NASA has a mind to sweep the Augean Stables at GISS has been created by the Hansen / Schmidt activities.
It may be no wonder Schmidt looked unhappy and disheveled on the Stossell show last week. He could have already heard that he will get a new boss from outside that will be auditing what he has done under Hansen’s nuttiness.
John
@ur momisugly Jimbo says:
April 4, 2013 at 7:10 am
This shows what needs to be done. Like everything else in “Climate Science”, including temperature measurement, the foundational basis for claims has been unexamined.
As I have mentioned before, Hansen abruptly abandoned Venus for AGW right at the point in time – literally – when measurements of Venus’s atmosphere could be obtained.
It is OBVIOUS that he did so because these discredited his “work”.
His first priority subsequently was to “gain control” over temperature records, which he then decided required modification utilizing precepts of his own devising.
His published record of speculations regarding Venus need to be examined by someone, or preferably a number of people, and then evaluated against data received. This will without doubt show complete failure. Probably spectacular failure.
This man is a complete [snip]. Doing the above will illustrate his antipathy to data, that is, reality.
jc says:
April 4, 2013 at 11:40 am
@ur momisugly Jimbo says:
April 4, 2013 at 7:10 am
This shows what needs to be done. Like everything else in “Climate Science”, including temperature measurement, the foundational basis for claims has been unexamined.
***************************************************
This shows that Hansen not only is now but always has been a shameless liar. Not that that excludes his also being a raving loon & blithering idiot. The last thing in which he has ever been interested is trying to discover reality.
But his quest for irreality has made him rich & famous, at public expense.
Out of curiously I looked to see wither, Hansen, as a former NASA employee, could testify in federal court against the United States… as is his stated intention. It looks like he’s in for a bit of a surprise.
Looking at 14 C.F.R. PART 1263—DEMAND FOR INFORMATION OR TESTIMONY SERVED ON AGENCY EMPLOYEES; PROCEDURES Title 14 – Aeronautics and Space
The section states former employees of NASA are held to the same standard as current employees. See:
Ҥ 1263.100 Purpose and scope.
(a) This part sets forth procedures to be followed with respect to the production or disclosure of official information or records and/or the testimony of present or former employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration relating to any official information acquired by any employee of NASA as part of the performance of that employee’s official duties or by virtue of that employee’s official status, where a demand for such production, disclosure, or testimony is issued in a federal, state, or other legal proceeding.”
See http://law.justia.com/cfr/title14/14-5.0.1.1.34.html
In order for Hansen to testify against the United States as an “expert witness” he would have to the United States permission. Good luck with that!!!
As usual Hansen’s grasp for federal ethics law is more than a bit flawed.
Regards, Kforestcat
In the absence of Dr. James “Thumbs On The Temperature Scale” Hansen, who will be left in charge of ‘homogenizing’ the temperature data to ensure a neverending, year after year, this is the hotest year ever, claim of climate change?
Charles S. Opalek, PE says:
April 4, 2013 at 2:16 pm
In the absence of Dr. James “Thumbs On The Temperature Scale” Hansen, who will be left in charge of ‘homogenizing’ the temperature data to ensure a neverending, year after year, this is the hotest year ever, claim of climate change?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A real auditing firm might be able to reinstate the temperature record – if the raw data has not been deleted by the A-hole and his acolytes. If they could do this, then maybe they could continue the process and, if the record does not pass the independent audit at year end, then bye bye next curator.
This is standard procedure out in the real world.