The date today is rather unfortunate because this is a serious topic. To read that the chair of the US House Science Committee disparaged the most prestigious science journal on the planet and instead prefers Breitbart as a more credible source feels very much like a prank, but this is all very real.
The full video of it all is available on-line.
You might, or perhaps might not be aware, but the US House Scientific Committee recently held a hearing that was basically a bit of a farce. It was chaired by anti-science Lamar Smith, who recently announced at a climate denying conference his intent to do this exactly this …
“Next week we’re going to have a hearing on our favorite subject of climate change and also on the scientific method, which has been repeatedly ignored by the so-called self-professed climate scientists,” Smith told the Heartland Institute’s 12th annual conference on climate change in Washington, D.C. The audience cheered loudly as Smith read the names of three witnesses—climate scientist Judith Curry, who recently retired from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta; policy specialist Roger Pielke, Jr. of the University of Colorado in Boulder; and John Christy, a professor of earth system science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville—he expects to support his view that climate change is a politically driven fabrication and that taking steps to mitigate its impact will harm the U.S. economy.
Then boos filled the ballroom of the Grand Hyatt hotel in downtown Washington, D.C., after Smith mentioned the fourth witness—Michael Mann, a climate researcher at Pennsylvania State University in State College and a frequent target of climate change doubters. “That’s why this hearing is going to be so much fun,” Smith said with a huge grin on his normally impassive face.
What happened at that conference was written up in the journal “Science”.
Did it all pan out exactly as he had described, and have a day of “fun”?
Not exactly.
“Science” is not an Objective Magazine
DR. MANN: According to an article that came out a few days ago in the journal Science, chairman Smith was on record at the Heartland Institute — this is a climate change denying, Koch Brothers funded outlet that has a climate change denier conference every year — and Chairman Smith spoke at that conference.
CHAIRMAN SMITH: Dr. Mann, don’t mischaracterize that conference. No, they do not say that they are deniers and you should not say that they are either either.
DR. MANN: We can have that discussion, I’d be happy to …
CHAIRMAN SMITH: Well be accurate in your description.
DR. MANN: I stand by my statement.
[Procedural discussions]
DR. MANN: [Smith] indicated at this conference that he, according to Science, and I am quoting from them, he sees his role in this committee as a tool to advance his political agenda rather than a forum to examine important issues facing the US research community, as a scientists I find this deeply disturbing.
CHAIRMAN SMITH: Who said that?
DR. MANN: This is according to Science Magazine, one of the most respected outlets when it comes to science …
CHAIRMAN SMITH: Who are they quoting?
DR. MANN: This is the author, Jeffrey Mervis.
CHAIRMAN SMITH: That is not known as an objective writer or magazine.
… and that is what is known to some as an “alternative fact”, or to put it more bluntly, an outright lie.
For the record, here is the precise status of Science …
Science, also widely referred to as Science Magazine,[1] is the peer-reviewed academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science[2][3] (AAAS) and one of the world’s top academic journals.[4] It was first published in 1880, is currently circulated weekly and has a print subscriber base of around 130,000. Because institutional subscriptions and online access serve a larger audience, its estimated readership is 570,400 people.[5]
… founded by New York journalist John Michels in 1880 with financial support from Thomas Edison and later from Alexander Graham Bell.
What source does Chairman Smith deem to be credible?
If indeed Science, the peer-reviewed academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is dismissed, then what sources does Chairman Smith in his official capacity as chair of the US House Scientific Committee turn to and officially cite?
This is quite frankly hilarious.
His goto sources for credible scientific data is …. (insert drum roll here) … Brietbart.
I’m really not kidding, here are a few tweets from the official US House Science twitter account citing Brietbart as credible science …
.@UMich Energy Institute released a study saying biofuels are not the answer & are worse than fossil fuels https://t.co/SVHHtnHV94
— Sci, Space, & Tech GOP (@housesciencegop) September 8, 2016
.@BreitbartNews: Global Temperatures Plunge. Icy Silence from Climate Alarmists https://t.co/uLUPW4o93V
— Sci, Space, & Tech GOP (@housesciencegop) December 1, 2016
Judgement
The one thing that this entire farce reveals is that it is not the credibility of Climate Science that is being trashed here, but rather the credibility of the the US House Scientific Committee themselves.
The House twitter account attacks Dr Mann
After being seriously embarrassed by Dr Mann, the response by the official House twitter account has been to launch a personal attack upon him …
Chair @LamarSmithTX21: “Dr. Mann’s hypocrisy was on full public display” @ Wednesday’s hearing. READ: https://t.co/JIXmfJIn4w
— Sci, Space, & Tech GOP (@housesciencegop) March 31, 2017
@EPAScottPruitt using @HouseScience to Discredit Science &Laudable Scientists.I saw hearing & @LamarSmithTX21 was DISGRACE not @MichaelEMann https://t.co/1Z2eqKMaLy
— Vicki Bryan’s Bond Angle (@VickiBryanBondA) April 1, 2017
A federal twitter account, run by @HouseScience, is personally attacking a #climate scientist and using right-wing propaganda to do it. https://t.co/VKgfhMnKTn
— Peter Gleick (@PeterGleick) March 31, 2017
Taxpayer-funded U.S. House of Representatives Republicans use gov twitter account to promote bad-faith attack on me: https://t.co/bpjXuVuOnh
— Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) March 31, 2017
Links
- The full formal Testimony of Dr Michael E Mann to the US House Science Committee – 29th March
- The YouTube recording of the entire session – link to the specific exchange with Dr Mann
Reactions on twitter
@MichaelEMann the only voice of reason in an otherwise depressing hearing (full video @ 45 min reason comes in) https://t.co/phOszxiMhn https://t.co/vrn9qc8qF2
— Liane G. Benning (@LianeGBenning) March 31, 2017
"Republicans held fake inquiry on climate change to attack only credible scientist in room" @ale_potenza @Verge: https://t.co/KQF9kVN6jj
— Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) March 29, 2017
The wonderful @MichaelEMann telling it like it is. Thank you Michael. https://t.co/rgxWZAcZMX
— Rob Hopkins (@robintransition) March 31, 2017
.@MichaelEMann is a hero for standing up to the Anti-Science @GOP. Very few of us could of done what he did in the senate committee hearing
— Stephen Woroniecki (@StephenWoroniec) March 31, 2017
What's more likely: 1) the world's most prestigious scientific journal is not objective; 2) a highly partisan politician is not objective? https://t.co/IWbYvyluZM
— Dagomar Degroot (@DagomarDegroot) March 31, 2017
A @MichaelEMann in the hand is worth 96 more in the bush. https://t.co/Ve4LDhOx80
— Alt USDA_ARS (@AltUSDA_ARS) March 31, 2017
A few Last Tweets – important ones
Not happy with #LamarSmith's "leadership" of House Sci Committee? Consider helping @JosephKopser win that seat: https://t.co/IhfJSUbLHm
— Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) March 31, 2017
.@MichaelEMann that would be me. Check out my latest blog and Crowdpac site below @314action @LamarSmithTX21 https://t.co/A2QCvRbWzD
— Joseph Kopser (@JosephKopser) March 31, 2017