NASA Reaches Muzzle: Renowned Climate Scientist Speaks Out

The document details how NASA public affairs officials, under the Bush administration, attempted to filter and restrict the public statements of Dr. James E. Hansen regarding global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. While these events led to a new NASA media policy supporting openness in February and March 2006, the agency simultaneously removed the phrase "to understand and protect our home planet" from its mission statement. Dr. Hansen further noted that similar or more severe controls on scientific information were occurring at NOAA.

• In late 2005, NASA public affairs officials began reviewing and filtering the public statements and press interviews of Dr. James E. Hansen and other government scientists to prevent them from expressing scientific opinions that contradicted the Bush administration's views on global warming.
• The censorship was linked to Dr. Hansen's advocacy for the United States to lead in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, which conflicted with the Bush administration's opposition to mandatory reductions.
• Public allegations of censorship led NASA Administrator Michael Griffin to issue a statement in February 2006 and a new media policy on March 30, 2006, asserting that public affairs officers should not alter or filter scientific material.
• In February 2006, NASA removed the phrase "to understand and protect our home planet" from its mission statement, marking the first time that knowledge of Earth was not explicitly included in the agency's mission.
• Dr. Hansen indicated that the restriction of scientific information on climate change extended beyond NASA, stating that conditions at NOAA were generally much worse.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2006). NASA Reaches Muzzle: Renowned Climate Scientist Speaks Out. https://www.ucs.org/resources/attacks-on-science/nasa-reaches-muzzle-renowned-climate-scientist-speaks-out

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. NASA Reaches Muzzle: Renowned Climate Scientist Speaks Out. 2006. https://www.ucs.org/resources/attacks-on-science/nasa-reaches-muzzle-renowned-climate-scientist-speaks-out.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=NASA Reaches Muzzle: Renowned Climate Scientist Speaks Out |date=12 December 2006 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/attacks-on-science/nasa-reaches-muzzle-renowned-climate-scientist-speaks-out |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2006nasa, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{NASA Reaches Muzzle: Renowned Climate Scientist Speaks Out}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2006}, month = dec, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/attacks-on-science/nasa-reaches-muzzle-renowned-climate-scientist-speaks-out}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }