Bush's Legacy: Changing Science

For the worse.

We will be seeing a lot of these enforced 'retirements' as we slowly go through each governmental office and thin out the loyal Bushies:

Miami, IN (AHN) - The National Hurricane Center has a new director in veteran forecaster Bill Read. Read took over responsibilities on Friday from his predecessor, who lasted for only 6 months.

Read, 58, has been acting as the deputy director since August and said he would focus on teamwork and boosting morale.

The veteran meteorologist has said that he plans to follow Max Mayfield, the director who retired in 2007, in dealing with his responsibilities.

Mayfield told the Miami Herald, "Bill Read brings a wealth of experience to the NHC as both a meteorologist and manager. I can assure you that Bill understands the importance of communicating the forecast and the uncertainty in the forecast."

Meanwhile, Read said of his appointment on Friday, "Awesome opportunity. I am quite excited about the opportunity to take the reins," reports the St. Petersburg Times.

His predecessor, Bill Proenza was ousted after six months in office in the face of staff mutiny. His comments about outdated equipment at the center hampering efficiency had raised the hackles of the staff and he was removed from office in July.

Read, however, disagrees that equipment is outdated and has said that the center is a top notch institution.

Remember the deliberate gutting of the FDA, Bush's indifference to global warming, and the silencing of environmental scientists over drilling for oil in the Arctic...

Update 1/28: Think Progress:

In 2006, the government’s top global warming researcher, James Hansen, revealed the government’s efforts to muzzle him from speaking out about climate change. NASA political appointees reviewed all his lectures, papers, and requests for interviews from journalists. In a new e-mail, Hansen reveals that the censoring is not only happening to him, but to all government scientists.