WASHINGTON, D.C. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and 21 of her U.S. Senate colleagues recently sent a letter to Dr. James Reilly, director of the U.S. Geological Survey, to express their concern over recent reports that USGS will only utilize climate models that project the effects of climate change through 2040.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and 21 of her U.S. Senate colleagues recently sent a letter to Dr. James Reilly, director of the U.S. Geological Survey, to express their concern over recent reports that USGS will only utilize climate models that project the effects of climate change through 2040.
USGS has historically used models that projected the anticipated impact of climate change through the end of the century.
“We are writing to express deep concern over recent reporting that the United States Geological Survey (USGS) will only be utilizing climate models that project the effects of climate change through 2040, rather than the previously accepted practice of using models that project through the end of the century,” the letter states. “This decision appears to be another in a long line of politically motivated moves within the Department of the Interior, and more broadly across this administration, to suppress climate change science.
The Senators called into question USGS’s decision to limit the scope of climate modeling, as USGS data is used as the basis for many important planning decisions made by local, state, and federal governments.
In their letter, the senators warned of the dangers of putting science through political filters, which would hinder the United States’ ability to understand and address environmental and public health threats.
“Hiding this information from the American public not only paralyzes the ability to execute informed decision-making today to reduce future emissions impacts, but would be further compounded by the administration’s intent to leave the ‘worst case scenario’ out of future assessments and their attempt to discredit this scenario in the NCA4,” the letter said.
Hirono has repeatedly called for investigations into the Trump administration’s attempts to suppress scientific data across several federal agencies.
In June, Senator Hirono sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General Phyllis K. Fong, to request an investigation into potential instances of suppression and alteration of scientific reports, documents, or communications produced by USDA.
In April, Hirono also sent a letter to then-DOI Deputy Inspector General Mary L. Kendall to request she investigate the suppression of a Fish and Wildlife Service biological opinion that was due to be completed and released in December 2017.
The only “change” Hawaii needs to be concerned with is voting to “change” the worst Senator Representative that Hawaii has ever had, and relegate her to a retirement home for the mentally insane. She is a disgrace, not only to Hawaii, but a horrible example to the world of what a Senator should be!
We’ve heard the same thing time after time from you, Gordon. You’ve never backed it up. Do you just have a constant search running for the term “Hirono” in the media?
How about some examples, things to discuss? Otherwise, yeah, we heard you already. Mahalo.
This wave of republican dementia, apparently begun with tea partyers as a visceral-level, recontructionist era response to the “affront” of a black president, becomes downright alarming when they try to wield political power to obstruct science. First it was creationism vs evolution, now it’s science denial vs a climate reality that’s not only consensus science, but an encroaching danger being played out all over the globe, including here in Hawaii. I applaud Ms Hirono’s willingness to stand up to the monstrous republican hypocrisy (see Trump’s own lawyers in Scotland arguing for a seawall at his golf course on the basis of rising sea levels due to global warming!) and escalating dementia. The invertebrates among republicans should take note, grow some spine, and become a real party again.
Mazzie? Our Maxine Watters of the Pacific! Nuff said,such a pathetic idiot!
Like Gordon, you really could benefit us all more (and your own cause, too, in the process) if you would provide something to discuss. Your tiresome, repetitive spewings do little to contribute to Hawaii.