WHITE HOUSE EDITS OF CLIMATE TESTIMONY CAUSE FLAP

White House edits of testimony delivered Oct. 24 to the Senate Environment Committee by Centers for Disease Control director Julie Gerberding have brought consternation from Democrats and environmentalists and a circling of wagons at the White House.

While White House spokesperson Dana Perino initially denied the testimony, which focused on the potential health effects of climate change, had been watered down, it eventually became clear that Gerberding's testimony had been cut by half. Top Bush science advisor John Marburger said the edits were for scientific accuracy and consistency with the authoritative Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But environmentalists and committee Democrats countered that the White House was suppressing science that was at odds with its policy positions.

• "White House Adviser Linked to Cuts in Climate-Change Report," Nature, Oct. 30, 2007, by Jeff Tollefson.
• Timeline and documents, ClimateScienceWatch, Oct. 28, 2007.
• "White House Defends 'Health Benefits' of Climate Change," AFP, Oct. 25, 2007.
• "Dems Press White House on CDC Testimony," Associated Press via Houston Chronicle, Oct. 25, 2007.
• "Democrats Press Bush on Climate Change Testimony," Reuters, Oct. 25, 2007.
• "White House Cuts to Climate Testimony Raise Questions," New York Times, Oct. 25, 2007, by Andrew C. Revkin.