Re: [asa] Hansen's Former NASA Supervisor Says Climate Fears "Embarrassed NASA"

On Wed, Jan 28, 2009 at 9:29 AM, the sock puppet wrote quoting Marc Marano
of the Environment and Public Works Committee of the Senate (EPW):

 NASA warming scientist James Hansen, one of former Vice President Al Gore?s
> closest allies in the promotion of man-made global warming fears, is being
> publicly rebuked by his former supervisor at NASA.
>
> Retired senior NASA atmospheric scientist Dr. John S. Theon, the former
> supervisor of James Hansen, NASA?s vocal man-made global warming fears
> soothsayer, has now publicly declared himself a skeptic and declared that
> Hansen ?embarrassed NASA? with his alarming climate claims and said Hansen
> was ?was never muzzled.? ..
>
> ?I appreciate the opportunity to add my name to those who disagree that
> global warming is man-made,? Theon wrote to the Minority Office at the
> Environment and Public Works Committee on January 15, 2009. ?I was, in
> effect, Hansen's supervisor because I had to justify his funding, allocate
> his resources, and evaluate his results. I did not have the authority to
> give him his annual performance evaluation,?
>

Ooh. "In effect" Hansen's supervisor but didn't have the authority to give
an annual performance evaluation. Hmm. Let's look at an org chart shall we?

http://earthsciences.gsfc.nasa.gov/rev610neworg.pdf

The smaller the number the higher you are. Code 610 is the head of the Earth
Sciences Division. Jim Hansen is head of code 611. Theon was head of 613.2.
Not only was he not even "in line" with Hansen he's lower in the hierarchy.
Supervisor, not. Theon apparently spent his entire career on TRMM while
Hansen became the premier expert on climate change. A Google Scholar search
finds no recent papers.
http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/overview_dir/background.html

> ?Hansen was never muzzled even though he violated NASA's official agency
> position on climate forecasting (i.e., we did not know enough to forecast
> climate change or mankind's effect on it).
>

Theon retired in the mid 90s while the alleged muzzling occurred during the
Bush Administration. The EPW committee of the Senate asked the Inspector
General of NASA to investigate this and the minority on the committee could
have referred to this rather than an opinion of someone who could not
possibly know. Here's the report to the committee.

http://oig.nasa.gov/investigations/OI_STI_Summary.pdf

After carefully reviewing the relevant facts and circumstances in this
> matter, we conclude that officials in the NASA Headquarters Office of Public
> Affairs did, in fact, manage the release of information concerning climate
> change in a manner that reduced, marginalized, and mischaracterized the
> scientific information within the particular media over which that office
> had control. Further, on at least one occasion, the Headquarters Office of
> Public Affairs denied media access to a NASA scientist, Dr. Hansen, due,
> in part, to that office's concern that Dr. Hansen would not limit his
> statements to science but would, instead, entertain a policy discussion on
> the issue of climate change.

The sock puppet continues:

Hansen thus embarrassed NASA by coming out with his claims of global warming
> in 1988 in his testimony before Congress,? Theon wrote.
>

But what did Theon say in 1991 about global warming?
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19910016130_1991016130.pdf

Undoubtedly, humankind is affecting the environment. Inadvertent climate
> system changes brought about by mass loadings of carbon dioxide (CO2),
> chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methane, etc., have thrust global change into
> the limelight. Radiative budget effects (i.e., greenhouse gases and global
> warming) and ozone depletion in the stratosphere certainly have
> heightened public awareness; however, climate change goes far beyond these
> fashionable concerns. The scientific community has to confront the myriad
> pieces that make up the climate puzzle. Scientists must discern the
> difference between natural and human-induced change, and decisionmakers must
> place the pieces in a manner that balances scientific recommendation against
> the demands of a higher population and an improved standard of living, which
> are heavily taxing the Earth's resources. This somewhat skewed picture
> drives environmental policy, though the aforementioned flagrant effects
> overshadow other parameters that need to be quantified and incorporated
> into climate models.

What has Theon been doing since retiring? Why going on the denialist rubber
chicken tour! For example, he's been speaking at the Greater McLean
Republican Women's Club and the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance.

http://72.14.235.132/search?q=cache:wVWiPr0TJsMJ:cliftongop.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/gmrw-luncheon-meeting-global-warming.doc+Dr+John+Theon+"Dr+John+Theon"+-Elton&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=au<http://72.14.235.132/search?q=cache:wVWiPr0TJsMJ:cliftongop.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/gmrw-luncheon-meeting-global-warming.doc+Dr+John+Theon+>

>
>
> > GMRW LUNCHEON MEETING
> > Thursday, February 21, 2008
> >
> > GLOBAL WARMING, IS IT MAN MADE?

> >
> > *Dr. John Theon*, noted scientist an climatologist, will speak to the
GMRW on the controversial subject of Global Warming. *John* Theon's
acclaimed credentials will certainly give credence to the many schools of
thought swirling around this timely subject.
> >
> > Place: Marco Polo Restaurant
> > 24 Maple Ave W, Vienna, Va 22180
> > 1-703-281-3922
> >
> > Time: 11:30AM - Social
> > 12 Noon - Luncheon and Speaker
> >
> > Cost: $23, cash bar available
> > Choice of 3 entrees
> (wrap, manicotti, or beef stroganoff)
> >
> > RSVP: By Sunday, February 17 to Bev Christopher at
> > beverlychris@verizon.net or 1-703-893-3895
> >
> > For more information and details concerning the menu
> > go to our website. http://gmrwc.org
> >
> > Hope you will be able to join us on February 17th to
> > hear more about this current and timely topic
>
> GMRWC policy requires payment for all reservations
> made unless canceled by the announced reservation
> deadline.

Rich Blinne

Member ASA

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Received on Wed Jan 28 19:02:54 2009