WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2007
Edits To Global Warming Testimony Slammed
Lawmakers Criticize White House For Cutting Health Effects Related To Climate Change
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The White House says the Senate testimony of CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding (seen here in 2006) was not "watered down" and adds that she does not believe she was censored. (AP)
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Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chairman of the Senate committee that deals with climate change, said in a letter to President Bush that she was "deeply concerned that important scientific and health information was removed from the ... testimony at the last minute."
Boxer asked that the White House provide her committee, by Monday, copies of all drafts of Gerberding's testimony and any records of comments made on the draft testimony. "The public has a right to know all of the facts about global warming and the threat it poses to their families and communities," she wrote.
Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee, also demanded an explanation from the White House's chief science adviser, John Marburger, about the handling of Gerberding's testimony.
"We expect our government researchers and scientists to provide both Congress and the public the full results of their taxpayer-supported work without the filter that those of opposing views might like to impose," Gordon wrote Marburger.
The White House denied that testimony earlier this week to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee by Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was "watered down" and noted that she does not believe she was censored.
As CBS News correspondent Bob Fuss reports, when Gerberding testified about the health effects of global warming, her testimony was a bit vague. "Weather is inextricably linked to health," she said.
It turned out six pages of specific warnings about diseases that could spread because of global warming were edited out by the White House, as well as a line that the CDC considered this a serious public health concern that remained "largely unaddressed."
When a draft of Gerberding's testimony went to the White House for review, two sections - "Climate Change is a Public Health Concern" and "Climate Change Vulnerability" - were removed, cutting the 12-page document in half. (See excerpts from deleted passages, below.)
Earlier, a CDC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the review process, told the AP that the original draft "was eviscerated" by "heavy-handed" changes in Washington.
But in a report in The New York Times published today, Gerberding said that news reports and comments about the changes had made “a mountain out of a molehill.”
“I said everything I needed to say,” she told the Times.
Gerberding said she was free to depart from the six pages of prepared testimony given the committee and did so.
White House press secretary Dana Perino said Gerberding's testimony went through an interagency review "and a number of agencies had some concerns."
She said some reviewers did not believe the draft matched the science as presented in a report on global warming and public health effects by a U.N. panel that has assessed climate change for decades.
The CDC testimony "was not watered down in terms of its science (or) ... in terms of the concerns that climate change raises for public health," Perino said.
But the original draft contained much greater detail on the potential disease and other health effects of climate change than was in either Gerberding's prepared remarks or in her other comments during the hearing.
"The public health effects of climate change remain largely unaddressed. CDC considers climate change a serious public health concern," the draft says. The phrase was not in the testimony given the committee or in her other remarks at the hearing.
Gerberding referred briefly to a chart, displayed at the hearing, that listed the potential health effects but provided little elaboration. Examples included excessive heat, respiratory problems, more air pollution and possible spread of animal-transmitted and waterborne diseases.
The original text devoted six pages - all deleted - to these items.
Claims by the White House that some sections were removed because they did not, as Perino said, "comport with the science" in the U.N. panel's report were challenged by Boxer's staff. They said an analysis showed some of the deleted references were similar to concerns raised in the U.N. panel's report.
“It appears the White House has denied a Congressional committee access to scientific information about health and global warming," said Dr. Michael McCally, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility. "This misuse of science and abuse of the legislative process is deplorable.”
The CDC is the premier public health and disease tracking and response agency in the federal government. It is part of the Health and Human Resources Department.
The Bush administration has tried to defend itself for months from accusations it has put political pressure on scientists to emphasize the uncertainties of global warming.
A House committee heard testimony this year from climate scientists who complained that the administration often had sought to manage or influence their statements and public appearances.
The White House has said it has only sought to provide a balanced view of the climate issue.
Excerpts Of Edited Passages:
From "Climate Change is a Public Health Concern":
In the United States, climate change is likely to have a significant impact on health, through links with the following outcomes:
- Heat Stress and Direct Thermal Injury ("The United States is expected to see an increase in the severity, duration, and frequency of extreme heat waves. This, coupled with an aging population, increases the likelihood of higher mortality as the elderly are more vulnerable to dying from exposure to excessive heat. Midwestern and northeastern cities are at greatest risk…"),
- Health effects related to extreme weather events ("The health effects of these extreme weather events range from loss of life and acute trauma, to indirect effects such as loss of home, large-scale population displacement, damage to sanitation infrastructure (drinking water and sewage systems), interruption of food production, damage to the health-care infrastructure, and psychological problems such as post traumatic stress disorder."),
- Air pollution-related health effects ("Ozone … may cause permanent lung damage and aggravate chronic lung diseases."),
- Allergic diseases ("[S]ome plants, such as ragweed and poison ivy, grow faster and produce more allergens under conditions of high carbon dioxide and warm weather."),
- Water- and food-borne infectious diseases ("[O]utbreaks of Vibrio bacteria infections following the consumption of seafood and shellfish have been associated with increases in temperatures."),
- Vector-borne and zoonotic diseases ("[C]limate change could aid in the establishment of exotic vector-borne diseases imported into the United States."),
- Altered agricultural production ("[M]ay lead to scarcity of some foods, increase food prices, and threaten access to food for Americans who experience food insecurity."),
- Mental health problems ("[T]he aftermath of severe [weather] events may include post-traumatic stress and related problems, as was seen after Hurricane Katrina …"), and
- Long-term impacts of chronic diseases and other health effects …
From "Climate Change Vulnerability":
Catastrophic weather events such as heat waves and hurricanes are expected to become more frequent, severe, and costly; the U.S. population is anticipated to continue to age and move to vulnerable locations such as coastal areas, increasing exposures to specific risks; and concurrent challenges such as water scarcity in certain regions could limit our resilience. In addition, climate change is likely to alter the current geographic distribution of some vector-borne and zoonotic diseases; some may become more frequent, widespread, and outbreaks could last longer, while others could be reduced in incidence. …
Some populations of Americans are more vulnerable to the health effects of climate change than others. Children are at greater risk of worsening asthma, allergies, and certain infectious diseases, and the elderly are at higher risk for health effects due to heat waves, extreme weather events, and exacerbations of chronic disease. In addition, people of lower socioeconomic status are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Members of racial and ethnic minority groups suffer particularly from air pollution as well as inadequate health care access, while athletes and those who work outdoors are more at risk from air pollution, heat, and certain infectious diseases.
Given the differential burden of climate change’s health effects on certain populations, public health preparedness for climate change must include vulnerability assessments that identify the most vulnerable populations with the most significant health disparities and anticipate their risks for particular exposures. At the same time, health communication targeting these vulnerable populations must be devised and tested, and early warning systems focused on vulnerable communities should be developed. With adequate notice and a vigorous response, the ill health effects of many exposures from climate change can be dampened.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Posted by apple2pie"
These kinds of things do not surprise me at all. Think how intelligence is manipulated to invade Iraq. For personal gains/corporate anything is okay for this admin. 700,000 Iraqi deaths, 3800 soldiers deaths, 4000+ permanently crippled soldiers, and cost of the war veterans care for next 15 years is going to run into 7.5 trillions and in the same time 4 big oil companies can make 1.5 trillions in net profit.
As someone who is on a fixed income, I could use the help on my winter heating bills.
ROTFLMAO
Seig Heil, Hillary
.
This is just one of dozens of reports from government experts that Bu$hco had edited by political hacks. They don''t want the public to know anything that goes against there moronic policies. They done this with global warming, women''s health, and most glaringly with intelligence on Iraq. All they do is lie to the American people. It''s time they were removed from office.
Katharine Graham assumed the reins of the company, and of the Post, after Philip Graham''s suicide. Graham was de facto publisher of the newspaper from 1963
Graham, in a 1988 speech to senior CIA employees, said: "There are some things the general public does not need to know and shouldn''t. I believe democracy flourishes when the government can take legitimate steps to keep its secrets and when the press can decide whether to print what it knows."
Top 11 reasons Bush redacted 28 pages of the 9-11 report.Saudi Arabia''s new PR guy is a genius! ... Love means never having to say you''re Saudi. And the number one reason Bush redacted 28 pages of the 9-11 report ...
www.toostupidtobepresident.com/top11/redacted.htm - 3k - Cached - Similar pages
EVERY MAJOR SCANDAL OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS HAS RESULTED IN ZERO ACTION
All they do is lie to the American people.
It''''s time they were removed from office.
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"This is the most ridiculous thing I''ve ever heard," Gerberding said of the furor. "I don''t let people put words in my mouth. I spoke the truth to Congress."
The testimony went through many versions, perhaps as many as 40, Gerberding said. "This was not an issue of someone trying to cover up a connection between climate change and health," she said.
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But nooooooo, all you people HAVE to blame Bush for EVERYTHING!!! You people are all morally and intellectually bankrupt. Much more so of what you accuse Bush of doing with no proof whatsover, because the answers are there for you to see for yourself but you refuse to see it.
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/06/eveningnews/main591770.shtml - 79k - Cached - Similar pages
You''re such a dolt, this country has enough Bush apologist.
Bush sets record with longest streak of low ratings in state
Zachary Coile, Chronicle Washington Bureau
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
A Field Poll released Wednesday bears out the trend: Bush is now at 27 percent approval among California voters, meaning he''s hovered in the high-20s or low-30s for nearly two years.
"This is the longest running negative trough that we''ve ever seen for a president," said Mark DiCamillo, director of the Field Poll,
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Posted by MCVet at 12:20 PM : Oct 25, 2007
Bush did nothing to this report, as the person who write the report has said (but has been conveniently ignored).
Seems like evey post is accusing Bush of editing this report, and of course every person now believes he did. This is blatently false, and just another trumped up charge that falls apart when the facts are known.
Upset? You should be a lot more than "UPSET"!! This stupid **** is DESTROYING YOUR COUNTRY! When are you Americans going to stand up and do something about him. He should have been YANKED from office, long ago!
I just don''t get it, you Americans are always saying how great your country is but it can''t be that great or you all would be putting up a fight to get control of your country back.
IS this report from the BUSH ADMIN or did you forget that fact?
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Posted by red164 at 01:33 PM : Oct 25, 2007
Which should tell you that most of the so called "scandals" weren''t scandals at all, but unsubstantiated accusations taken as fact.
Just because someone repeats over and over that 9/11 was an inside job, doesn''t make it true. All of the conspiracy theories don''t hold up under scrutiny.
The Valerie Plame leak was attributed to Richard Armitage, not Scooter Libby or Cheney or anyone else that was accused.
The Iraq war was based on faulty info and intelligence that everyone else that voted for it had full access to, and was still only PART of the reason for the war.
The 2000 elections weren''t handed to Bush by the Supreme Court, and all later recounts (except for one, I think) by independent companies all showed Bush still would have won.
The elections weren''t rigged by Katherinie Harris and the private company that purged the Florida voter rolls, because it wasn''t Harris that hired them, it was the former Democratic person in that position, and the county supervisors were the ones, under Florida law, that were responsible for the purging, and 24 of 25 of them were Democrats.
Katrina was as much the result of an unorganized and unprepared state administration than anything else.
The list goes on, but in almost all cases, there was no scandal, just unfounded accusations.
Posted by erasmus6 at 02:41 PM : Oct 25, 2007
The PTB are too powerful and Democratic party leaders share in the blame for all thats gone wrong.
You''''re such a dolt, this country has enough Bush apologist.
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Posted by red164 at 02:03 PM : Oct 25, 2007
Why am I dolt? Because I gave the facts and didn''t buy into the lies? That makes ME the dolt??? You make no rebuttal to what I said, yet I am supposed to believe your unsubstantiated opinion, and ignore the source''s???
It''s the PTB too powerful to bring to justice you''re just way off in your understanding of how the system works these days.
Facts you can''t dispute and at least 25 more if you care to know
CNN.com - Audit: U.S. lost track of $9 billion in Iraq funds - Jan ...Nearly $9 billion of money spent on Iraqi reconstruction is unaccounted for because of ... which seems to be missing in the current draft report." ...
edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/01/30/iraq.audit/ - 47k - Cached - Similar pages
Libby Found Guilty in CIA Leak Case - washingtonpost.comVIDEO | Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald discusses the verdict that found I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby guilty of perjury, obstruction of justice and making ...
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/06/AR2007030600648.html -
CIA%u2019s final report: No WMD found in Iraq - Conflict in Iraq ...In his final report, the CIA%u2019s top weapons inspector in Iraq said Monday that the hunt for weapons of mass destruction has gone %u201Cas far as feasible%u201D and has ...
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7634313/ - 59k - Cached - Similar pages
White House redacts Saudi Arabia is the "epicenter" of funding for ... recent insistence on redacting 28 pages of a 9/11 report related to the Saudis has made ...
www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110003860 - 46k - Cached - Similar pages
MORE FACTS JUST THE FACTS
Bush and Cheney Block 9-11 InvestigationCheney Moves to Block 9-11 Probe, The New York Times: 5/20/02. Months later, the chairperson of the 9/11 investigation confirmed Cheney had carried out his ...
www.mikehersh.com/Bush_and_Cheney_Block_911_Investigation_.shtml - 59k - Cached - Similar pages
Why did the president resist forming the 9/11 Commission for 441 days?
BBC NEWS | Americas | Video shows Bush Katrina warningPresident Bush was warned of dangers posed by Hurricane Katrina on the eve of the disaster, a video recording shows.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4765058.stm - 43k - Cached - Similar
CNN.com - Bush briefed on hijacking threat before September 11 ...What Bush knew before September 11. According to officials: --Intelligence reports before September 11 warned of possible attacks from al Qaeda. ...
www.cnn.com/2002/US/05/15/bush.sept.11/ - 38k - Cached - Similar pages
It''''s the PTB too powerful to bring to justice you''''re just way off in your understanding of how the system works these days.
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Posted by red164 at 02:54 PM : Oct 25, 2007
That''s a pathetically weak excuse for inaction, and does not have anything to do with reality. Another conspiracy theory that "we''re helpless" against the all-might and powerful Bush.
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/19/60minutes/main607356.shtml - 94k - Cached - Similar pages
RICE
And it did not raise the possibility that terrorists might use airplanes as missiles," she testified.
1997
Plot uncovered to fly planes into WTC
Posted by s1ckd09 at 03:05 PM : Oct 25, 2007
You picked up media talking points 101
Same rhetoric that comes out of the mouths of the national liberal media
Posted by s1ckd09 at 03:05 PM : Oct 25, 2007
DENY THIS FACT TOO
The two families have controlled the American presidency, the most powerful position in the world, since 1988. ...
THE BUSH FAMILY IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL FAMILY IN THE WORLD
Reality obviously isn''t something you know much about.
I just had a thought. Maybe the reason the Americans aren''t putting up much of a fight is because your government has drugged your water supply?:)
NAH!!!! Our water comes from Canada, (unless the Canadians are drugging it).... ;)
Yet there are still people here trying to claim that this never happened, there is no scandal, and nothing has been covered-up or hidden from the people. Or that last refuge of the losers--blame the messenger, it must be the "liberal" media.
So I wonder if they got caught 100 times, how many thousands more were not caught, how many lies and cover-ups and misdirections and crimes are there yet to be discovered?
Hmmmm, now there''s a thought....:)
LOL
Someone had to do it-- I did @
www.conservativemusiconline.com
Someone had to do it-- I did @
www.conservativemusiconline.com
Posted by wonder25
take your "conserv music" and shove it up your conservative gaay ***.
If you wanna advertise something PAY for it like everyone else. Otherwise you are a sleazzy backstreet vendor.
Of course being that you are "conservative" you are an azzwiping sleazzy stall troll anyway.
Got that track on your krappy cd *****?
Posted by wonder25 at 08:33 PM : Oct 25, 2007
NO THANKS! That is really stupid.
HOUSE # 1:
A 20-room mansion with 8 bathrooms heated by natural gas. Add on a pool and a pool house and a separate guest house all heated by gas. In ONE MONTH ALONE this mansion consumes more energy than the average American household in an ENTIRE YEAR. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2,400.00 per month. In natural gas alone (a fossil fuel), this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is in the South.
HOUSE # 2:
This house incorporates every "green" feature current home construction can provide. It''s only 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on arid high prairie in the American southwest. A geothermal heat pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or gas, it consumes 25% of the electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house.
HOUSE # 1 is the abode of Algore.
HOUSE # 2 (model eco-friendly house) is on a ranch near Crawford, Texas. Also known as "the Texas White House," it is the private residence of the President of the United States, George W. Bush.
So if gore gets too fat and barely moves around who do you pick to distract the populace?
There is no frickin'' way that Bush lives in house #2.
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by jimfinster
October 26, 2007 10:43 AM PDT
- hawksprings:
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Reply to this comment
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See all 42 CommentsYou insinuate that Bush is some great conservationist. Yet this is certainly not reflected in any of his policies. Quite the opposite!
Yes, Gore should do better in his personal life, but it does nothing to detract from his tireless work over many many years to bring awareness of climate change to millions of people. The first step in solving a problem is to identify the problem, and Gore has done a tremendous job in that regard.