<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="gmail-page-title gmail-fancy_font"><font size="2">Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett</font></h1><span><span><div class="gmail-page-title gmail-fancy_font"><div>***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2000 through life plus 70 years, <span class="gmail-il">Ted</span> <span class="gmail-il">Moffett</span>.  Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the <a href="http://vision2020.moscow.com/" target="_blank">Vision2020.Moscow.com</a> </div><div>forum without the express written permission of the author.*****<span><span></span></span></div></div></span><div class="gmail-page-title gmail-fancy_font"></div></span><div class="gmail-page-title gmail-fancy_font"></div><h1 class="gmail-page-title gmail-fancy_font"><font size="2"><span><span>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></span></font></h1><h1 class="gmail-page-title gmail-fancy_font"><font size="2"><span><span><a href="https://www.franken.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=3799">https://www.franken.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=3799</a></span></span></font><span></span></h1><h1 class="gmail-page-title gmail-fancy_font">Sen. Franken Renews Call on Trump Administration To Maintain Scientific Integrity in National Climate Assessment Update</h1><div class="gmail-lyt-row" id="gmail-r1"><div class="gmail-alpha gmail-lyt-col gmail-grid_11" id="gmail-r1c1"><div class="gmail-lyt-block gmail-block-press_release" id="gmail-block8"><div class="gmail-inner-lyt-dates">                                                                                                                                                                                  Thursday, November 2, 2017 </div><div class="gmail-inner-lyt-dates"><br></div><div class="gmail-clear"><div class="gmail-bd gmail-record-bd"><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">This week, U.S. Senator Al Franken renewed his call for the Trump Administration to reassure Americans that forthcoming reports on climate change are fair, accurate, and use the latest climate science.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino"> </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">In a letter this week to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Sen. Franken and eight of his Senate colleagues pressed for assurances that the scientific integrity of the soon-to-be-released “Fourth National Climate Assessment” is not compromised, and that the Administration will give climate change the attention it deserves.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino"> </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino"><a style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" href="https://www.franken.senate.gov/files/letter/170718NationalClimateAssessment.pdf" target="_blank">In a letter sent earlier this year</a>, Sen. Franken and his colleagues pressed the Commerce Department for more information on the process used to prepare and review both the Climate Science Special Report and the National Climate Assessment, and asked for clarification about what safeguards are in place to ensure that the report and assessment give fair and accurate accounts of the latest climate science without political interference.<br><br>While the senators are still awaiting a reply to this original request, in the meantime the public release of the Climate Science Special Report is expected in the coming days. The most recent draft obtained by NPR provides more confirmation that human activities are contributing to the changing of our climate.  <br><br><strong>“Unless serious action is taken to rapidly reduce emissions, the United States will continue to warm several degrees over this century, with damages to infrastructure, ecosystems, and human health,”</strong> wrote Sen. Franken and his colleagues in a follow-up letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross this week. <strong>“Once it is released, we would like to know how the Trump Administration plans to address the report's findings.”</strong></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino"><br>You can read a copy of this week’s letter <a style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" href="https://www.franken.senate.gov/files/letter/171101NationalClimateAssessmentLetter.pdf" target="_blank">here</a> or below.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino"> </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">The Hon. Wilbur L. Ross, Jr.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">U.S. Department of Commerce</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino"><a style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" href="https://maps.google.com/?q=1401+Constitution+Ave.,+NW%0D+Washington,+D.C.+20230&entry=gmail&source=g" target="_blank">1401 Constitution Ave., NW</a></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino"><a style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" href="https://maps.google.com/?q=1401+Constitution+Ave.,+NW%0D+Washington,+D.C.+20230&entry=gmail&source=g" target="_blank">Washington, D.C. 20230</a></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">Dear Secretary Ross:</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">On <span class="gmail-aBn" style="border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dashed"><span class="gmail-aQJ" style="top: 2px; z-index: -1;">July 18</span></span> , we wrote to you to request an update on the Fourth National Climate Assessment.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">In that letter, we asked for information on the process to be used for preparing and reviewing</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">both the Climate Science Special Report and the final National Climate Assessment. We also</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">asked for details on what safeguards are in place to ensure that the National Climate Assessment</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">and the Climate Science Special Report give fair and accurate summations of the latest climate</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">science without political interference.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">We are still awaiting your reply. In the meantime, the public release of the Climate Science</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">Special Report is expected in the coming days . The most recent draft that was obtained by the</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">New York Times in August incorporated input from independent expert reviewers at the National</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">Academy of Sciences. This draft report provides yet more confirmation that human activities are</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">dramatically changing our climate. Unless serious action is taken to rapidly reduce emissions, the</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">United States will continue to warm several degrees over this century, with damages to</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">infrastructure, ecosystems, and human health.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">We understand that the Climate Science Special Report has cleared the federal interagency</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">review process led by the Subcommittee on Global Change Research of the National Science and</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">Technology Council and is in the final production stages. Once it is released, we would like to</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">know how the Trump Administration plans to address the report's findings. The Global Change</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">Research Act of 1990 requires that this report be presented to the President and Congress every</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">four years. What are agency plans for briefing President Trump and senior administration</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">officials about the findings in this report?</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">In addition. Volume 2 of the National Climate Assessment should be sent out for its first review</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">very shortly. We strongly urge you to avoid any political interference and maintain the scientific</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">integrity of the full National Climate Assessment documents. Thank you for your consideration</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">of this request.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino">Sincerely,</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino"><span><br></span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:12.8px;margin-bottom:0px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:georgia,palatino"><span><br></span></span></span></span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div>