Letters

Stifling Science

The Space News editorial, “Global Misinforming,” [Feb. 13, page 18] was outstanding. Scientific openness on this and other key issues is critically important and journalistic vigilance has an important role to play. Stifling or discrediting science that disagrees with a political ideology has become all too common in the United States in recent years, and that’s so Soviet Union. We all know what happened to them.

Keep up the great work.

James A. Vedda, Arlington, V a.

Policy or Politics?

Definitely politics.

You failed to mention one important point following the last paragraph in your article [“NASA Accused of Intimidating Climatologist at Goddard Institute,” Feb. 6, page 4]: [James E.] Hansen’s last quote sounds remarkably similar to that of Chicken Little.

Also absent from your article was any mention of how the field of climatology is one of the most juvenile of all the sciences. Any person claiming to be an “expert” in climatology should be afforded the respect of a kindergarten valedictorian. While we cannot ignore evidence suggesting a planetary warming trend, alarmists such as [Steve] Schneider and Hansen should always be prefaced with, “While we’re really not sure …” To ignore the overwhelming historical evidence of the inaccuracies of previous generations of scientists would be irresponsible of us all.

Mark E. Darby, Lenexa, Kan .