Fighting Science Pt. 2

Saw this post on the NYT green blog by FELICITY BARRINGER. It seems certain climate change deniers don't think enough polar bears are drowning to justify the concern the media and scientists give them.

As a result, Ms. Barringer reports that lead scientist Dr. Monnett was:

placed on administrative leave two weeks ago by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement and was informed that his integrity was in question.

My favourite part is this description of Dr. Monnett's conversation with the investigators about his calculations:

One of the more lively moments in this transcript is the back-and-forth between the investigators and an increasingly exasperated Dr. Monnett over how to structure the mathematical calculations representing polar-bear mortality. He indicated, with consistent acidic references to “fifth grade” equations on percentages, that the investigators or their informants needed remedial work on their mathematics.

Don't miss the last paragraph of the blog where Ms. Barringer reports on two other environmental scientists whose work and integrity is being questioned.

I think this is becoming a regular tactic of climate-change deniers. I expect to see more stories like these in the news (but I don't expect to read in the news when these scientists are exonerated).