On Wednesday morning, 24 October 2007, we posted the uncensored draft Congressional testimony from the Centers for Disease Control’s Director Julie Gerberding on the relationship between climate change and human health. Our posting came shortly after the Associated Press disclosed that Gerberding’s testimony had been “eviscerated” by the White House. The draft subsequently was picked up by journalists covering the story and as the controversy boiled over, Climate Science Watch has continued to provide useful information and analysis to journalists and their audiences.
In White House Cuts to Climate Testimony Raise Questions, published in the New York Times on October 25 2007, veteran New York Times journalist Andrew Revkin cites our Web site as a source for the draft testimony of Centers for Disease Control (CDC) director Julie Gerberding. The next day, in his new blog, Dot Earth, Revkin refers his readers to our site for "before-and-after" versions of the the CDC’s Congressional testimony (see Bush Adviser Weighs In on Climate and Health, October 26 2007). Meanwhile, on October 25, 2007, ABC News Now‘s program Healthy Life turned to Climate Science Watch director, Rick Piltz, for Censoring Science: The White House edits CDC director’s testimony on climate change. Host Dr Timothy Johnson also included his colleague, ABC News Correspondent Bill Blakemore, in the segment.
Also on October 26, in the Atlanta Constitution, Alison Young reports in Deleted CDC Material Similar to Panel data:
Critics say they fear the White House censored the CDC director to downplay the impact of global warming. “This is part of the disinformation campaign and the denial machine that has been going on for years,” said Rick Pilz, director of Climate Science Watch.