environment Politics: Barack Obama James Hansen Sophie Prize
by Warren
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Month 4, Day 10: Saturday POTUS
I figured I’d send the President a letter urging him to take James Hansen more seriously. I mean, now that he’s won the Sophie Prize and all.
Dear President Obama,
I write to urge you to extend public recognition from your Administration to Dr. James Hansen, the eminent climatologist who has just been awarded the Sophie Prize. Especially given that Dr. Hansen was subjected to flagrant censorship by the Bush administration, it would be a significant gesture for you and your environmental experts to acknowledge the value and relevance of his work. It would be even more appropriate for you to offer Dr. Hansen a place in your administration’s climate-science team; his work is of the highest possible quality and the greatest possible significance.
The Bush Administration’s suppression of Dr. Hansen’s results is shocking and shameful (although it was a foregone conclusion that it would do no good, I wrote them letters at the time protesting this terrible behavior). The appalling fact is that our national politics has been infected with a virulent and pernicious form of stupidity; George W. Bush and his anti-science cohort were (and are) symptoms of this disease, and because his conclusions failed to fit their predetermined narrative, Dr. Hansen had to be censored.
While your administration is an enormous improvement on its predecessor, I am still waiting for signs that you can address global climate change with the degree of urgency that is needed. One such sign would be a public acknowledgment that Dr. Hansen was shamefully treated by the previous administration — and that he is a scientist of immense value to the fight against catastrophic climate change.
Such an acknowledgment would be both morally appropriate and scientifically sound. We need James Hansen’s voice, now more than ever.
Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
Warren Senders
environment: James Hansen Sophie Prize
by Warren
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Month 4, Day 8: James Hansen Is Recognized!
Dr. James Hansen has won The Sophie Prize.
The Sophie Prize is one of the world’s most generous environment and sustainable development Prizes. The Sophie Prize is established to inspire people working towards a sustainable future.
The Sophie Prize is an international award (US $ 100,000), for environment and sustainable development, awarded annually. The Sophie Prize is established to inspire people working towards a sustainable future. The Prize was established in 1997 by the Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder and his wife Siri Dannevig.
I was getting tired of writing doomy gloomy letters, so I sent Dr. Hansen a note of congratulations for a change.
Dr. James E. Hansen
Columbia University
Armstrong Hall
2880 Broadway
New York, NY 10025 USAApril 8, 2010
Dear Dr. Hansen,
Congratulations on receiving the Sophie Prize! I am pleased and happy to see that your work is recognized and valued, and I hope this means that you will have more influence with policy-makers here in the United States and in the world. I’m a music teacher by profession, a private citizen with no climatological expertise, but my parents are scientists, in consequence of which I acquired a modicum of scientific literacy. When I first read reports of your work they immediately rang true.
The Bush Administration’s suppression of your results is shocking and shameful (although it was a foregone conclusion that it would do no good, I wrote them letters at the time protesting this profoundly stupid behavior). The appalling fact is that our national politics has been infected with a virulent and pernicious form of stupidity; George W. Bush and his anti-science cohort were (and are) symptoms of this disease, and because your conclusions failed to fit their predetermined narrative, you had to be censored.
While the Obama administration is obviously an improvement on its predecessor, I am still waiting for signs that our current President can address global climate change with the degree of urgency that is needed.
Congratulations again on your receipt of the Sophie Prize. You are a pivotal figure in this struggle, and I thank you not only for your tireless advocacy, but for being an honest and conscientious scientist. Please keep it up!
Yours Sincerely,
Warren Senders