Environmental Graffiti

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The White House released a heavily edited version of written testimony by Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, on health risks posed by global warming.

The cuts made to the statement removed all the references to health risks from global warming as a problem. One of the edited passages read “Climate change is anticipated to have a broad range of impacts on the health of Americans and the nation’s public health infrastructure.” The passage had a section removed reading “the public health effects of climate change remain largely unaddressed.” The edited testimony focused on how health agencies were well prepared to address problems.

The cuts were made by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), halving her 12-page testimony. The practice of editing testimony is not uncommon. The OMB edits most testimony.

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino defended the edited version of the testimony yesterday. Perino said the testimony “was not watered down in terms of its science. It wasn’t watered down in terms of the concerns that climate change raises for public health.”

Gerberding herself believes that the media has blown the event out of proportion, saying, “I said everything I needed to say.”

Other scientists were upset at the edits, however. Physicians for Social Responsibility director Dr. Michael McCally, who also provided testimony at the hearing, called the edits “a misuse of science and abuse of the legislative process.”

Source: New York Times

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