Thursday, February 26, 2009

NASA's chief climate scientist is causing trouble – and that's good!

Stuff like this only comes along every few months (and then some), so I'm jumping on it like a dog on food. Dr. James Hansen, Nasa's top climatology scientist, is trying to rally people into organizing what's being called the largest public protest on Global Warming in American history.

In a video on capitolclimateaction.org, Dr. James Hansen is seen urging Americans to "take a stand on global warming" during the March 2 protest at the Capitol Power Plant in Southeast Washington, D.C.

"We need to send a message to Congress and the president that we want them to take the actions that are needed to preserve climate for young people and future generations and all life on the planet," says Hansen, who has likened coal-fired power plants to "factories of death" and claims he was muzzled by the Bush administration when he warned of drastic climate changes.

"What has become clear from the science is that we cannot burn all of the fossil fuels without creating a very different planet. The only practical way to solve the problem is to phase out the biggest source of carbon — and that's coal."

It's not exactly like anyone has the brains or authority to refute this one man – for Pete's sake, he's the leader of the climate division for one of the most high-ranking (and -reaching) governmental organizations on the planet. I don't think any John Doe with his High School Environment & Ecology diploma could make it to that job, if you get my meaning.

Anyway, naturally, all the governmental crybabies in the area are whining about him trying to convey the sense of urgency people should be feeling concerning Global Warming, saying that as a civil servant, he has no right to be inciting public action or protest.

"Oh my goodness," one of Hansen's former supervisors, Dr. John Theon, told FOXNews.com when informed of the video. "I'm not surprised ... The fact that Jim Hansen has gone off the deep end here is sad because he's a good fellow."

Theon, a former senior NASA atmospheric scientist, rebuked Hansen last month in a letter to the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee, saying Hansen had violated NASA's official position on climate forecasting without sufficient evidence and embarrassed the agency by airing his claims before Congress in 1988.

"Why he has not been fired I do not understand," Theon said. "As a civil servant, you can't participate in calling for a public demonstration. You may be able to participate as a private citizen, but when you go on the Internet and call for people to break the law, that's a problem."

It may be against the rules (and even laws) for a man in Dr. Hansen's position to be acting as an activist in this matter, but frankly, I don't care much for rules and laws (even less than usually, I mean) if it's for a cause such as enlightening people to the dangerous times we're steamrolling right into with our unceasing pollution of this fragile planet.

I would so be there, if I weren't separated by them by a few hundred miles ... :( Damn you, geographical constraints! Suck the fun out of life, they do ... *grumbles* Meanwhile, I encourage anyone in the area to give all your possible support to Dr. Hansen and his cause, and pitch in to make this the largest public rally in history, and hopefully for some time to come. Only by rattling some heads can change be truly accomplished in this insane world.


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