How 'Bout Never?

60 Minutes investigates a pattern of political interference with climate science and White House attempts to muzzle NASA's top climatologist, Dr. James Hansen. None of the reporting is new here, but the show does offer a concise summation of the story.

To his credit, Hansen continues to speak on the record despite White House pressure. The Bush Administration, by contrast, isn't talking -- at least not to the popular CBS news program. The report ends:

For months, 60 Minutes had been trying to talk with the president’s science advisor. 60 Minutes was finally told he would never be available. Phil Cooney, the editor at the Council on Environmental Quality didn’t return 60 Minutes' calls. In June, he left the White House and went to work for Exxon Mobil.

For more on Cooney's editorial shenanigans, see our Decoder feature in the Jan/Feb issue of Sierra.