Michael Mann Accuses the Trump Administration of Burying Climate Studies

Guest essay by Eric Worrall

Mann has accused the Trump administration of trying to bury climate reports, because some reports don’t get their own press release.

Agriculture Department buries studies showing dangers of climate change

The Trump administration has stopped promoting government-funded research into how higher temperatures can damage crops and pose health risks.

By HELENA BOTTEMILLER EVICH
06/23/2019 05:04 PM EDT
Updated 06/23/2019 10:37 PM EDT

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The administration, researchers said, appears to be trying to limit the circulation of evidence of climate change and avoid press coverage that may raise questions about the administration’s stance on the issue.

“The intent is to try to suppress a message — in this case, the increasing danger of human-caused climate change,” said Michael Mann, a leading climate scientist at Pennsylvania State University. “Who loses out? The people, who are already suffering the impacts of sea level rise and unprecedented super storms, droughts, wildfires and heat waves.”

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, who has expressed skepticism about climate science in the past and allegedly retaliated against in-house economists whose findings contradicted administration policies, declined to comment. A spokesperson for USDA said there have been no directives within the department that discouraged the dissemination of climate-related science.

“Research continues on these subjects and we promote the research once researchers are ready to announce the findings, after going through the appropriate reviews and clearances,” the spokesperson said in an email.
“USDA has several thousand scientists and over 100,000 employees who work on myriad topics and issues; not every single finding or piece of work solicits a government press release,” the spokesperson added.

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Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/23/agriculture-department-climate-change-1376413

Let’s see if I’ve got this right. Nobody is suggesting the Trump administration is suppressing publication of the studies, what Mann is complaining about is that taxpayer’s money is not being spent promoting and sensationalising every product of government employed scientists.

Why should government scientists get a free appeal to authority, just because they work for the government?

If the study is any good, if it is any use to anyone, it will get the circulation it deserves.