Guest essay by Eric Worrall

According to the defence chiefs it is dangerous for the President to ask a scientist to review the work of other scientists, when that work is used as the basis of official advice to the President.

Former Defense Leaders Warn White House It’s ‘Dangerous’ To Downplay Climate Change

March 5, 20198:37 PM ET
DALIA MORTADA

In a letter to President Trump, 58 former military and national security officials expressed deep concern about reported plans to create “a committee to dispute and undermine military and intelligence judgments on the threat posed by climate change.”

“It is dangerous to have national security analysis conform to politics. Our officials’ job is to ensure that we are prepared for current threats and future contingencies. We cannot do that if the scientific studies that inform our threat assessments are undermined,” the letter stated.

Signatories include former Secretary of State John Kerry, former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe Adm. James Stavridis, and former NASA Administrator Vice Adm. Richard Truly.

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Read more: https://www.npr.org/2019/03/05/700462955/former-defense-leaders-warn-white-house-its-dangerous-to-downplay-climate-change

The letter is available here.

I can understand the distress of the former Pentagon chiefs; How can anyone be expected to provide high quality advice when that advice is unexpectedly subject to a review process?