It’s obvious why: it contradicts the deeply held religious convictions of certain members of cabinet . . . that the Earth is just over 6,000 years old:
This week, we learned more details of how the federal government systemically muzzles its scientists on controversial issues such as climate change and the oilsands. The revelations reinforced complaints contained in an Environment Canada document leaked last March pointing out how senior scientists had to seek permission from their political bosses before speaking to reporters. “Our scientists are very frustrated with the new process,” said the document. “They feel the intent of the policy is to prevent them from speaking to the media.”
In one recent example, a scientist wasn’t allowed to talk to reporters until after the request had been funnelled through communications managers, policy advisers, political staff and senior advisers. And that was for a non-controversial report dealing with a flood that swept across Canada 13,000 years ago.
Andrew Weaver, an outspoken climate scientist at the University of Victoria, has called the Canadian government cone-of-silence policy “Orwellian.”
See, it couldn’t possibly have happened, because the Earth hadn’t been created yet, dummy!
H/T to Colby Cosh.
Considering the beyond-reproach behavior of climate scientists (*cough*), I think it is more likely that the government — who employees the scientists in question — does not want politically-motivated individuals saying whacked-out shit and using their government employee status as some badge of authority. If the government was silencing non-government research, then I would be more concerned about this. But this sounds more like the government enforcing something like an employment agreement. My own such agreement says that I cannot speak about my job or the company to the media — I don’t see this as being all that different.
Comment by Lickmuffin — September 17, 2010 @ 12:30
It sounds like the government has overreacted to the occasional out-of-line comment to add layers of approval to any information release. The point was that foreign scientists were free to discuss the (joint) work, but that the Canadian scientists involved had to wait for (an implied) long period before getting approval to speak to the media.
Comment by Nicholas — September 17, 2010 @ 13:15
Are the foreign scientists from countries that have already surrendered?
Comment by Lickmuffin — September 18, 2010 @ 14:21