Lawrence Krauss: Congress Is Trying To Defund Scientists At Energy Department

Lasrick writes Physicist Lawrence Krauss blasts Congress for their passage of the 2015 Energy and Water Appropriations bill that cut funding for renewable energy, sustainable transportation, and energy efficiency, and even worse, had amendments that targeted scientists at the Department of Energy: He writes that this action from the US Congress is worse even than the Australian government's move to cancel their carbon tax, because the action of Congress is far more insidious: "Each (amendment) would, in its own way, specifically prohibit scientists at the Energy Department from doing precisely what Congress should mandate them to do—namely perform the best possible scientific research to illuminate, for policymakers, the likelihood and possible consequences of climate change." Although the bill isn't likely to become law, Krauss is fed up with Congress burying its head in the sand: The fact that those amendments "...could pass a house of Congress, should concern everyone interested in the appropriate support of scientific research as a basis for sound public policy."

Congress has its (collective) head buried...

[Anonymous Coward]

But it's not in the sand.

Re:Congress has its (collective) head buried...

[Cryacin]

Logically if pro is the opposite of con, what is the opposite of progress?

Que surprise?

[Chas]

Our politicians are a bunch of pork-minded, short-sighted luddite political hacks more concerned with their privileges than with doing what's best for the American public?

Color me shocked!

SHOCKED I SAY!

Oh wait, I'm wearing my wrist strap and a neoprene suit.

So I guess I'm not shocked at all!

I propose August 10th as International Politician Assassination Day (IPAD).

Sure, riddling your local political climber may not immediately make the world a better place, but in the long run it will. And in the mean time, it'll be VERY cathartic!

Re:Price of using scientists as political pawns

[Karmashock]

I don't think any serious person thinks that Galileo woke up one morning and said lets do politics. No, he was at church, the story goes, say the chandeliers swinging, and ended up being persecuted by the politicians of the time.

Actually that's exactly what he did. If you know anything about the story with him, you'll know that the man attacked his rivals in science for decades. Humiliated them with insults and insinuations.

When Galileo presented his theories, he used as the evidence, many of the scientists he had been undermining for years.

A large part of the reason he had a problem was that he gone out of his way to be an asshole for many years. And when he was in a vulnerable place his enemies descended upon him to take their revenge.

And to further underscore the point since you're clearly totally ignorant on the issue... what happened to him? He was protected by the Pope. A much more powerful station then today.

Consider while you're saying it wasn't about politics, that the man flew in very ratified political circles and he did so on purpose. You think he didn't like politics or power or wealth or fame? Get real. Learn something about the man before you hold him up as evidence of anything.

Re:Price of using scientists as political pawns

[Karmashock]

You're right... hydraulic fracturing on private land is booming in spite of the best efforts of the administration to kill it.

But that's only because they've been unable to stop it. And they've been unable to stop it because WE protected them.

The EPA and similar organizations have been trying to stop and forbid fracking for years. They're saying it causes earth quakes or that areas that have had natural gas in their well water for GENERATIONS only now are able to light their well water on fire.

Something you should look at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

You won't probably. But this is what you're dealing with... its not giant soulless raping companies. Its people. And you're fucking them and you don't care. And for that they're going to reach out to their political allies and ask them to do what they can to stop it.

The DoE was used as a tool to hurt people.

So those allies are now going out to hurt the DoE.

I regret that all these things are happening. Its sad. But this is what happens when you play political games. There is a price. And denial simply reinforces the political battle lines.

If you lie to me now and say this isn't a political fight... it just sends the rhetorical signal that you're so committed to your games that you can't even admit it.

We're not asking for anything special here. Just leave us alone.