Global warming request denied

NASA inappropriately denied a media request to interview climate researcher James Hansen, a top space agency official acknowledged.

The revelation came in a letter sent to two U.S. senators by Brian Chase, an assistant administrator for legislative affairs at NASA headquarters. The letter was dated June 6 and released Friday by Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who had complained to the agency about alleged censorship.

The correspondence is the latest development in running dust-up between lawmakers and NASA over instances in which Bush administration appointees appear to have tried to suppress or influence discussion by government scientists of climate research.

Earlier this year, Hansen, a scientist for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center complained the public affairs office was trying to silence him.

NASA administrator Michael Griffin stepped in and called for "scientific openness." The public affairs office updated policies on its role in facilitating discussions between journalists and scientists. It isn't clear from Chase's letter if the interview denial came before or after that policy review.

"An internal inquiry has revealed that one recent interview request to interview Dr. James Hansen . . . was inappropriately declined," Chase wrote. Efforts to improve agency communication practices are underway, Chase wrote. Neither senator seemed happy with NASA's response.

"It is time for the White house to stop suppressing important climate change information that the public has a right to know and needs to know," Lieberman said in a press release. Collins said the incident is "disturbing," but expressed satisfaction that NASA is working on the problem.

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