Bush Administration Moves to Strengthen Engergy Companies:
Craig Stevens, a DOE spokesman, announced today that Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman "believes that we have a strong agenda moving forward with the American Competitiveness and Advanced Energy Initiatives put forth by the White House. With these two initiatives, the secretary believes our course is charted for the next couple of years."
The statement was made at the time the DOE announced that Bodman would abolish the Energy Advisory Board that was estableshed during the Carter Administration.
Edwin Lyman, senior staff scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists states that the move is symptomatic "of an Administration that doesn't like to hear any kind of contrary view, that simply likes to talk to itself. The notion that the Energy Department has all the information it needs on scientific and technical issues is ludicrous."
Kent J. Bransford, national president of the Physicians for Social Responsibility states the action is further evidence that the Administration "ignores the cautions and input of … international scientists."
The action, of course, is another step in furthering the stranglehold the energy companies already have on the national government.
Remember when the Administration told us that Iraqi oil would pay for the U.S. incursion into Iraq?
Craig Stevens, a DOE spokesman, announced today that Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman "believes that we have a strong agenda moving forward with the American Competitiveness and Advanced Energy Initiatives put forth by the White House. With these two initiatives, the secretary believes our course is charted for the next couple of years."
The statement was made at the time the DOE announced that Bodman would abolish the Energy Advisory Board that was estableshed during the Carter Administration.
Edwin Lyman, senior staff scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists states that the move is symptomatic "of an Administration that doesn't like to hear any kind of contrary view, that simply likes to talk to itself. The notion that the Energy Department has all the information it needs on scientific and technical issues is ludicrous."
Kent J. Bransford, national president of the Physicians for Social Responsibility states the action is further evidence that the Administration "ignores the cautions and input of … international scientists."
The action, of course, is another step in furthering the stranglehold the energy companies already have on the national government.
Remember when the Administration told us that Iraqi oil would pay for the U.S. incursion into Iraq?
posted by Jim | 10:03 PM
2 Comments:
Complacency in the face of scientific evidence - it's hard to understand. Maybe it's the result of incredible arrogance, religious faith, a "somebody will find a solution" attitude - whatever it is, we'll pay for it later. Maybe they think that if you can silence an opposing viewpoint that means that it has no validity.
I remember when the Bush Administration said oil would pay for the Iraq WAR, and simultaneously told us that none of this was about oil or power.
My understanding is that the abolishment of the advisory board has more to do with educational policy than energy policy, although one is tied to the other.
The current administration has been and continues to be attempting to control the flow of information. If it can direct scientific investigation along the path it wishes such investigation to proceed, then it will have another tool in direct public policy in the future.
The board has been attempting to enact policy within education that might help lead the country in a direction away from our reliance on oil down the road. The current administration, as everyone knows, owes its allegiance to the oil industry, not the American tax payers.
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