It’s essential to maintain the independence of the nation’s top research institutions, including the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, home to scientists who have provided key analysis of global climate change.
A decade-old federal policy change means supervision of NCAR will soon go out for bid. Competition is generally a good thing, so we don’t necessarily see a problem with that. But we don’t want to be naive about what’s at risk if politicians end up interfering in NCAR’s operations.
NCAR has been responsibly administered since 1960 by a consortium of universities known as UCAR – the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Even so, there may be benefits in having UCAR compete for the contract, or in seeing if another entity could sharpen NCAR’s operations or its priorities.
But we’re troubled by the attention the bid is getting from Sen. James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican who is a rabid global-warming skeptic. In February, Inhofe made a detailed inquiry into NCAR’s governance and finances. Though his spokesman says Inhofe’s interest is about accountability, we have our doubts. After all, this is the man who called global warming “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” Inhofe receives significant financial support from energy producers, and he has been overtly hostile to climate scientists who disagree with his views.
We worry that Inhofe hopes to influence NCAR scientists by messing with the center’s administrative independence. Examples of political interference with scientific research abound in Washington.
For instance, a top NASA scientist earlier this year said Bush administration officials had tried to stop him from speaking out on the dangers of global warming. And last year, a White House official with ties to the oil industry edited government climate reports in a way to downplay links between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.
A panel from the National Science Foundation will choose the next NCAR administrator (in 2008), and an NSF official assures us that politics will not be a part of the process. Richard Anthes, UCAR president, said NCAR has so far been insulated from any political interference and he expects that will continue.
Top NCAR scientists have spoken publicly about their findings of a cause-and-effect relationship between global warming and hurricanes. They have predicted concrete effects of climate change, including extreme weather in various parts of the world. They have researched the connection between carbon dioxide emissions and altering ocean chemistry that threatens coral reefs.
It’s invaluable research and it’s essential that it be conducted with a free hand.
