Current Events > EPA prevents scientists from talking about climate change

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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/22/climate/epa-scientists.html

The Environmental Protection Agency has canceled the speaking appearance of three agency scientists who were scheduled to discuss climate change at a conference on Monday in Rhode Island, according to the agency and several people involved.

John Konkus, an E.P.A. spokesman and a former Trump campaign operative in Florida, confirmed that agency scientists would not speak at the State of the Narragansett Bay and Watershed program in Providence, R.I. He provided no further explanation.

Scientists involved in the program said that much of the discussion at the event centers on climate change. Many said they were surprised by the E.P.A.s last-minute cancellation, particularly since the agency helps to fund the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, which is hosting the conference. The scientists who have been barred from speaking contributed substantial material to a 400-page report to be issued on Monday.

The move highlights widespread concern that the E.P.A. will silence government scientists from speaking publicly or conducting work on climate change. Scott Pruitt, the agency administrator, has said that he does not believe human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are primarily responsible for the warming of the planet.

Its definitely a blatant example of the scientific censorship we all suspected was going to start being enforced at E.P.A., said John King, a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island who chairs the science advisory committee of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program. They dont believe in climate change, so I think what theyre trying to do is stifle discussions of the impacts of climate change.

Mondays conference is designed to draw attention to the health of Narragansett Bay, the largest estuary in New England and a key to the regions tourism and fishing industries. Rhode Islands entire congressional delegation, all Democrats, will attend a morning news conference. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, an outspoken critic of Mr. Pruitt, will be among the speakers.

Scientists there will unveil the report on the state of the bay, which E.P.A. scientists helped research and write. Among the findings will be that climate change is affecting air and water temperatures, precipitation, sea level and fish in and around the estuary.

Autumn Oczkowski, a research ecologist at the E.P.A.s National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory Atlantic Ecology Division in Rhode Island, was scheduled to give the keynote address. Colleagues familiar with her speech said she intended to address climate change and other factors affecting the health of the estuary.

Rose Martin, a postdoctoral fellow at the same E.P.A. laboratory and Emily Shumchenia, an E.P.A. consultant, were scheduled to speak on an afternoon panel entitled The Present and Future Biological Implications of Climate Change.

The report is about trends. Its kind of hard not to talk about climate change when youre talking about the future of the Narragansett Bay, Mr. King said.

The agenda and speaker lineup was emailed to attendees on October 4. Tom Borden, the program director of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, said he received a call on Friday from Wayne Munns, director of the Atlantic ecology division of the E.P.A.s Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, telling him the three scientists would not be allowed to speak.

I was not really provided with a clear explanation, Mr. Borden said. He advised me that it was the decision of the E.P.A. Office of Public Affairs.

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Trump's America
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whitewimmin posted...

John Konkus

Konkus! Pull the lever!
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This is the part where the left suddenly cares about censorship and the right doesn't, isn't it?

but both parties are the same
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Good thing the 1st amendment is less important than the 2nd
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The EPA is pretty much controlled by Captain Planet villains.
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Wow look how great Trump is, there are clearly good people on all sides
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FIRE!

caps
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WIND
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Cheese!
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EPA officials shouldn't be using their status to go to these "conventions" and spreading their own opinions
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literal_garbage posted...

EPA officials shouldn't be using their status to go to these "conventions" and spreading their own opinions

Should they instead be using their status to push the narrative that radiation isn't dangerous?
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Ugh more triggered SJW snowflakes shutting down free speech because it goes against their fee fees. Sad to see them infiltrating positions of power in the federal government.
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literal_garbage posted...

EPA officials shouldn't be using their status to go to these "conventions" and spreading their own opinions

"Their own opinions" here means "their research as scientists."
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BLAKUboy posted...

literal_garbage posted...

EPA officials shouldn't be using their status to go to these "conventions" and spreading their own opinions

Should they instead be using their status to push the narrative that radiation isn't dangerous?

They should do whatever their betters demand of them

Antifar posted...

literal_garbage posted...

EPA officials shouldn't be using their status to go to these "conventions" and spreading their own opinions

"Their own opinions" here means "their research as scientists."

"Research" "scientists"
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FLUFFYGERM posted...

This is the part where the left suddenly cares about censorship and the right doesn't, isn't it?

Suddenly? Yes, the left has a sect that wants to silence that which disagrees with them, but conservative values have been doing that for a long time with the full backing of the government.
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literal_garbage posted...

BLAKUboy posted...

literal_garbage posted...

EPA officials shouldn't be using their status to go to these "conventions" and spreading their own opinions

Should they instead be using their status to push the narrative that radiation isn't dangerous?

They should do whatever their betters demand of them

Antifar posted...

literal_garbage posted...

EPA officials shouldn't be using their status to go to these "conventions" and spreading their own opinions

"Their own opinions" here means "their research as scientists."

"Research" "scientists"

"Literal garbage"
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The EPA needs a name change. EDA makes more sense under its new management.
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Trump probably wants it to be defunded and removed. But Trump is also a transparent moron so people will simply blame him for stupid shit like this.
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These scientists can talk all they want about climate change, just not on the EPA's dime apparently.