US interior secretary's school friend blocking climate research, scientists say

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Prominent US climate scientists have told the Guardian that the Trump administration is holding up research funding as their projects undergo an unprecedented political review by the high-school football teammate of the US interior secretary.

The US interior department administers over $5.5bn in funding to external organizations, mostly for research, conservation and land acquisition. At the beginning of 2018, interior secretary Ryan Zinke instated a new requirement that scientific funding above $50,000 must undergo an additional review to ensure expenditures “better align with the administration’s priorities”.

Zinke has signaled that climate change is not one of those priorities: this week, he told Breitbart News that “environmental terrorist groups” were responsible for the ongoing wildfires in northern California and, ignoring scientific research on the issue, dismissed the role of climate change.

Steve Howke, one of Zinke’s high-school football teammates, oversees this review. Howke’s highest degree is a bachelor’s in business administration. Until Zinke appointed him as an interior department senior adviser to the acting assistant secretary of policy, management and budget, Howke had spent his entire career working in credit unions.

-more-

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/17/interior-secretarys-school-friend-crippling-climate-research-scientists-say?CMP=fb_gu

[Mickju]

1. This is an atrocity.

[badhair77]

2. I am overusing the word "unbelievable " these days but that's what it is.

It never stops and each instance gets worse. If this administration is finally booted there should be a huge swamp dump. Every last one of them should be filmed being forced from their offices with good citizens stoning them. Having some tar and feathers on hand might be nice also. These people do not bring out the best in me. I’d put those tapes on a never-ending loop and sit back with a glass of wine.

[defacto7]

3. This is sick, just sick!