NYT/AP: Gore Urges Scientists to Be More Active: Scientific findings suppressed

[DeepModem Mom]

Gore Urges Scientists to Be More Active
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 14, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Former Vice President Al Gore said Thursday there was a ''temptation'' to suppress scientific findings that don't agree with policy and urged scientists to take a more active role in communicating research with the public.

Without specifically naming the Bush administration, Gore lamented at a gathering of earth and space scientists that policymakers used to take science into account in their decision-making, but not anymore.

''Earth science has been singled out'' and ignored by government, particularly work dealing with climate change, he said during an hour-long speech during the American Geophysical Union meeting.

''There is a greater temptation to ignore inconvenient truths, to set aside knowledge that might challenge a prevailing policy,'' said Gore, who was greeted with a standing ovation.

Gore cited a recent article by The Associated Press, which reported that new rules at the U.S. Geological Survey required the screening of scientific papers or prepared talks by agency scientists.

Earlier this year, prominent NASA climate scientist James Hansen accused the Bush administration of trying to silence him after a speech he gave on global warming....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Al-Gore-Scientists.html