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Censoring Science: Inside the Political Attack on Dr. James Hansen and the Truth of Global Warming
From acclaimed writer and physicist Mark Bowen, Censoring Science tells the true story of the Bush administration’s censorship of the world’s preeminent climatologist, and the science behind global warming that they do not want you to know.
The facts don’t lie:
• 2005 was the warmest year since the invention of the thermometer.
• 2006 is on track to become the hottest year ever recorded in the United States.
• The six hottest years on record have occurred in the last eight years, and the twenty-two hottest years on record have occurred in the last twenty-six years.
Preeminent climatologist and leading NASA scientist Dr. James Hansen has been studying climate for over three decades. It was his testimony to a Senate committee in 1988 that first brought the threat of global warming to the world’s attention. In January 2006, news broke that the Bush administration had been attempting to censor Dr. Hansen—obscuring his message and suppressing the vast body of his scientific work, which unequivocally demonstrates the reality and immense danger of global warming.
Now, for the first time and with unfiltered access, writer and physicist Mark Bowen finally tells the exclusive story of Hansen’s decades-long battle to bring the truth about global warming to light. Censoring Science illuminates the real science behind global warming and maintains that we can still prevent environmental disaster, while both strengthening our economy and our national security. In the tradition of Ron Suskind’s blockbuster bestseller, The Price of Loyalty, Censoring Science exposes the truth behind the administration’s spin doctors, and shares the inside story of one of the most important and influential scientists of our time.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published December 27, 2007
12 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Mark Bowen
145 books25 followersMark Bowen is an American science writer. He received a Ph.D. in physics from M.I.T..
He is a rock-climber, and a mountain-climber who summited on Mount Kilimanjaro.
He is a rock-climber, and a mountain-climber who summited on Mount Kilimanjaro.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 11, 2021
Why climate change, and government censorship, matters
What happens to a government, and society, when those who do understand, and are interested in an emergency; but are prevented from speaking out by powers, who want to keep things the way they are?
Before Michael Lewis investigated a similar question regarding Trump, Mark Bowen asked the same thing of George W. Bush.
While this behavior would seem more likely in former President Trump's White House, Bowen tosses back the curtain on the corrupt, imperial presidency of George W. Bush.
Before Trump's mandate (or anointing), there was Bush.
Before Trump's attacks on journalists and scientists, there was Bush.
Before Trump's unholy alliance between extract and fundamentalism, there was Bush.
Bowen's book is necessary reading, alongside Michael Mann and Bill McKibben, to understand where we are, why we are, and how far the deception actually goes.
What happens to a government, and society, when those who do understand, and are interested in an emergency; but are prevented from speaking out by powers, who want to keep things the way they are?
Before Michael Lewis investigated a similar question regarding Trump, Mark Bowen asked the same thing of George W. Bush.
While this behavior would seem more likely in former President Trump's White House, Bowen tosses back the curtain on the corrupt, imperial presidency of George W. Bush.
Before Trump's mandate (or anointing), there was Bush.
Before Trump's attacks on journalists and scientists, there was Bush.
Before Trump's unholy alliance between extract and fundamentalism, there was Bush.
Bowen's book is necessary reading, alongside Michael Mann and Bill McKibben, to understand where we are, why we are, and how far the deception actually goes.
October 30, 2025
This is an interesting book about the censorship that happened during the 2nd Bush administration about climate change. Jim Hansen and other earth scientists were stopped from announcing that they were publishing papers in scientific journals or from posting data on NASA's webpage with statements about what they were seeing.
It became obvious to me that the links that George W. Bush had with the fossil fuel industry was leading them to block any information that humans, especially oil, gas and coal industries were causing the increase in CO2 which was warming the planet.
Jim eventually came to the conclution by studying the climate in the past, that the production of CO2 was not showing up in higher temperatures as quickly as they thought it would because the oceans were absorbing the extra heat.
They also came to realize how the glaciers and ice caps were beginning to melt.
Some of the science is not well explained, but still a good book.
It became obvious to me that the links that George W. Bush had with the fossil fuel industry was leading them to block any information that humans, especially oil, gas and coal industries were causing the increase in CO2 which was warming the planet.
Jim eventually came to the conclution by studying the climate in the past, that the production of CO2 was not showing up in higher temperatures as quickly as they thought it would because the oceans were absorbing the extra heat.
They also came to realize how the glaciers and ice caps were beginning to melt.
Some of the science is not well explained, but still a good book.
July 29, 2008
If we don’t do something now to stop the ever increasing amounts of CO2 going into (and staying for hundreds of years) the atmosphere, then pretty much nothing else we do now will matter in a hundred years. We will be the generation of people who still had a chance to make a difference but were too busy wrangling about money – yes, it boils down to money – that we just couldn’t rise to what the occasion demanded of us.
This is the message of [I]Censoring Science[/I], the message Jim Hansen wants the American people and the rest of the world to clearly understand. He feels the responsibility to give us the information we need for understanding weighing heavily on him and he [I]is[/I] rising to the occasion. In the last chapter of Censoring Science, he is quoted from an NPR interview, one which the NASA administration tried to prevent, giving his motivation:
“In thinking about whether I was going to speak up or not, what really brought me to this conclusion was, I don’t want, in the future, my grandchildren to say, ‘Opa understood what was going to happen, but he didn’t make it clear.’ And so I’m trying to make it clear.”
Dr. James Hansen is “almost universally regarded as the preeminent climate scientist of our time,” says Mark Bowen in Chapter 1. Bowen tells a painful story of the secrecy and subterfuge used by the Bush administration to censor the information that Dr. Hansen and other scientists at NASA and NOAA attempted to release to the American public about climate change. President Bush’s appointees carried out White House orders to suppress information completely or change the wording to soften the implications of any information relating to climate change. They (the appointees) developed a system of monitoring scientists’ contact with the press and denying interviews to news organizations they felt were too left wing, or just sitting on the requests for interviews long enough that the requests were withdrawn.
There are points in the book where things get a little confusing – lots of names and organizational acronyms being bandied about. But that is a minor flaw. If this book had only told the story of the suppression of scientists, it wouldn’t be as important as it is. But Bowen also includes much of the information that was suppressed by the administration, information that Dr. Hansen wants everyone to know, information that we need to know if we are going to make informed decisions about our future on this planet. After reading this book, I think I understand a bit better what’s going on.
This book will help you think seriously about what you’re doing to help and what our country should be doing. Dr. Hansen makes recommendations for the changes we should make to our CO2 emission levels, our energy usage as a whole and longer term strategies. He bases his recommendations strictly on the information he’s gotten from his scientific studies and global climate models he created. Hopefully the next administration will be listening to those recommendations.
If you’ve ever seen Dr. Hansen on TV and wondered why he looked grim and very worried, this book explains it.
This is the message of [I]Censoring Science[/I], the message Jim Hansen wants the American people and the rest of the world to clearly understand. He feels the responsibility to give us the information we need for understanding weighing heavily on him and he [I]is[/I] rising to the occasion. In the last chapter of Censoring Science, he is quoted from an NPR interview, one which the NASA administration tried to prevent, giving his motivation:
“In thinking about whether I was going to speak up or not, what really brought me to this conclusion was, I don’t want, in the future, my grandchildren to say, ‘Opa understood what was going to happen, but he didn’t make it clear.’ And so I’m trying to make it clear.”
Dr. James Hansen is “almost universally regarded as the preeminent climate scientist of our time,” says Mark Bowen in Chapter 1. Bowen tells a painful story of the secrecy and subterfuge used by the Bush administration to censor the information that Dr. Hansen and other scientists at NASA and NOAA attempted to release to the American public about climate change. President Bush’s appointees carried out White House orders to suppress information completely or change the wording to soften the implications of any information relating to climate change. They (the appointees) developed a system of monitoring scientists’ contact with the press and denying interviews to news organizations they felt were too left wing, or just sitting on the requests for interviews long enough that the requests were withdrawn.
There are points in the book where things get a little confusing – lots of names and organizational acronyms being bandied about. But that is a minor flaw. If this book had only told the story of the suppression of scientists, it wouldn’t be as important as it is. But Bowen also includes much of the information that was suppressed by the administration, information that Dr. Hansen wants everyone to know, information that we need to know if we are going to make informed decisions about our future on this planet. After reading this book, I think I understand a bit better what’s going on.
This book will help you think seriously about what you’re doing to help and what our country should be doing. Dr. Hansen makes recommendations for the changes we should make to our CO2 emission levels, our energy usage as a whole and longer term strategies. He bases his recommendations strictly on the information he’s gotten from his scientific studies and global climate models he created. Hopefully the next administration will be listening to those recommendations.
If you’ve ever seen Dr. Hansen on TV and wondered why he looked grim and very worried, this book explains it.
April 28, 2009
A valid scientific theory is a conclusion supported by data. An answer must be viewed through the prism of skepticism, the data must be questioned, and proof must be spelled out. Most importantly, all possibilities must be considered. In his book, Censoring Science: Inside the Political Attack on Dr. James Hansen and the Truth of Global Warming, Mark Bowen presents quite a conclusion, but never takes the time to cite his sources. As a result, his book is not as compelling as it could be.
Bowen argues that Dr. James Hansen, the head of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, was censored, had his research funding reduced, and his work suppressed. His work as a scientist interpreting data collected by NASA’s satellites that measure the Earth’s atmosphere gave definitive proof of global warming, and eventually, of humans’ role in the process. Because of this, the book postulates that the White House—more specifically Vice President Dick Cheney—suppressed his work to appease the energy special interests.
That is a lofty accusation, and one that Bowen does not support. He uses a lot of anecdotal support, and does not completely prove his conclusion. For the first half of the book, the timeline is hard to follow, and how the players connect to each other is not obvious. He never cites his sources, though it is implicit that he interviewed at least Dr. Hansen and his public affairs office, Leslie McCarthy. What public documents he read and what private notes he had access to is not clear. Nor is who he was able to interview. For much of the first half of the book, I was surprised by how much is quoted conversations that he was not a part of. I was left wondering if there were tapes he was listening to or if he was using poetic license. It was a bit disconcerting for a nonfiction book.
For the second half, Bowen focused on the current work Dr. Hansen is doing and how he proved and is continuing to prove the existence global warming. This part is informative, clearly explaining and summarizing complex science in a way that anyone can understand. This is truly where Bowen shines as an author. The only issue is that the main argument of the book implies that global warming exists. If Dr. Hansen had not proved global warming, there would be no need to censor his research. It almost feels as though this section was intended to be the beginning of the book and the fragmented beginning was originally the second half of the book. That would explain why he reintroduces players we already know, and why certain terms are explained more than once.
That being said, I enjoyed reading Censoring Science. Bowen is a gifted writer, one able to explain important and advanced science understanding to the masses with ease, and make it enjoyable and interesting. I plan to find his other books. He failed to make his argument, but like many failures, it’s interesting. He does not make as clear a case for censorship as he does for global warming, and for that, the book is not the best source for the case against the Bush Administration. It is, however, a compelling read.
Review by Taylor Rhodes
Bowen argues that Dr. James Hansen, the head of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, was censored, had his research funding reduced, and his work suppressed. His work as a scientist interpreting data collected by NASA’s satellites that measure the Earth’s atmosphere gave definitive proof of global warming, and eventually, of humans’ role in the process. Because of this, the book postulates that the White House—more specifically Vice President Dick Cheney—suppressed his work to appease the energy special interests.
That is a lofty accusation, and one that Bowen does not support. He uses a lot of anecdotal support, and does not completely prove his conclusion. For the first half of the book, the timeline is hard to follow, and how the players connect to each other is not obvious. He never cites his sources, though it is implicit that he interviewed at least Dr. Hansen and his public affairs office, Leslie McCarthy. What public documents he read and what private notes he had access to is not clear. Nor is who he was able to interview. For much of the first half of the book, I was surprised by how much is quoted conversations that he was not a part of. I was left wondering if there were tapes he was listening to or if he was using poetic license. It was a bit disconcerting for a nonfiction book.
For the second half, Bowen focused on the current work Dr. Hansen is doing and how he proved and is continuing to prove the existence global warming. This part is informative, clearly explaining and summarizing complex science in a way that anyone can understand. This is truly where Bowen shines as an author. The only issue is that the main argument of the book implies that global warming exists. If Dr. Hansen had not proved global warming, there would be no need to censor his research. It almost feels as though this section was intended to be the beginning of the book and the fragmented beginning was originally the second half of the book. That would explain why he reintroduces players we already know, and why certain terms are explained more than once.
That being said, I enjoyed reading Censoring Science. Bowen is a gifted writer, one able to explain important and advanced science understanding to the masses with ease, and make it enjoyable and interesting. I plan to find his other books. He failed to make his argument, but like many failures, it’s interesting. He does not make as clear a case for censorship as he does for global warming, and for that, the book is not the best source for the case against the Bush Administration. It is, however, a compelling read.
Review by Taylor Rhodes
April 12, 2015
Where there is a wizard, there are demons.
I took a while to stop steaming at the ears after reading this tale of dishonesty, denial and Stalinist-style airbrushing of an inconvenient truth. It is convenient that I did, in fact, because the timing could hardly be more condign. Not to take satisfaction in what might turn into serious suffering, but the spike in food prices now coming down the supply chain may well represent the moment when the global-warming rubber finally hits the road. History will tell whether I'm right, but as the author documents, it has already revealed that Hansen was right in forecasting that people would start to notice weirding of the weather by the start of the century.
Hansen, in fact, is shown to be something of a prophet. From effectively founding planetary atmospheric science with his work on Venus to falling out with Gore because he argued for priority action on non-CO2 emissions, he always comes through as the honest Cassandra who saw things coming and tried to warn us, only for his calls to fall on deaf ears. The "radically innocent" scientist who wields deliberate naivety like a shield, Hansen is a rare and near-phantasmagorical embodiment of the integrity of science. Unfortunately, honesty rarely works in politics, and it certainly hasn't worked in Hansen's favour.
Hansen is not the only giant in this story. He studied at the feet of van Allen, he of the radiation belts, and was a personal friend of the late Carl Sagan. Apparently his coloured dice were passed on to Sagan in the hope that the latter could get the message to the public in his inimitable way, but now we will never know if he could have achieved it.
And where there are wizards, there are demons, as any fan of 1970s rock and physics papers must surely know - in this case, the Bush Administration and its political officers. These include a 24-year-old non-graduate sent to NASA to censor the public statements of senior scientists on science questions - a man who not only found the realities of atmospheric science politically objectionable but actually tried to prevent NASA speaking of the Big Bang and ancient universe as reality. They include political minders sent to prevent potential subversives from telling the press too much science and political appointees at the very top of NASA and NOAA. Bush and his chimps' tea-party are now gone, but the time lost will not be regained.
Now, as global warming hits us in the face, events seem to be overtaking even Hansen's projections and we may be beyond saving. But do not despair. At least there are people to blame. So be angry, because anger may motivate us to act, if we still can. And if you are not angry, read this book.
I took a while to stop steaming at the ears after reading this tale of dishonesty, denial and Stalinist-style airbrushing of an inconvenient truth. It is convenient that I did, in fact, because the timing could hardly be more condign. Not to take satisfaction in what might turn into serious suffering, but the spike in food prices now coming down the supply chain may well represent the moment when the global-warming rubber finally hits the road. History will tell whether I'm right, but as the author documents, it has already revealed that Hansen was right in forecasting that people would start to notice weirding of the weather by the start of the century.
Hansen, in fact, is shown to be something of a prophet. From effectively founding planetary atmospheric science with his work on Venus to falling out with Gore because he argued for priority action on non-CO2 emissions, he always comes through as the honest Cassandra who saw things coming and tried to warn us, only for his calls to fall on deaf ears. The "radically innocent" scientist who wields deliberate naivety like a shield, Hansen is a rare and near-phantasmagorical embodiment of the integrity of science. Unfortunately, honesty rarely works in politics, and it certainly hasn't worked in Hansen's favour.
Hansen is not the only giant in this story. He studied at the feet of van Allen, he of the radiation belts, and was a personal friend of the late Carl Sagan. Apparently his coloured dice were passed on to Sagan in the hope that the latter could get the message to the public in his inimitable way, but now we will never know if he could have achieved it.
And where there are wizards, there are demons, as any fan of 1970s rock and physics papers must surely know - in this case, the Bush Administration and its political officers. These include a 24-year-old non-graduate sent to NASA to censor the public statements of senior scientists on science questions - a man who not only found the realities of atmospheric science politically objectionable but actually tried to prevent NASA speaking of the Big Bang and ancient universe as reality. They include political minders sent to prevent potential subversives from telling the press too much science and political appointees at the very top of NASA and NOAA. Bush and his chimps' tea-party are now gone, but the time lost will not be regained.
Now, as global warming hits us in the face, events seem to be overtaking even Hansen's projections and we may be beyond saving. But do not despair. At least there are people to blame. So be angry, because anger may motivate us to act, if we still can. And if you are not angry, read this book.
November 9, 2011
"Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow." The investigative reporting collected in this book creates a more disturbing picture of government than I would have ever imagined (outside of governments run by dictators). When I finished the book I checked out the author's website where he explains at his blog (http://goo.gl/LVG7f)...
"I started this blog, just as my second book, Censoring Science, was being released, a few years ago. That was a difficult time. The writing of that book was an unpleasant experience, and I am not particularly proud of the result. It’s okay, but I consider it basically a first draft. My editor showed little interest in the quality of the book, and although I pleaded with him for a chance to rewrite it just once, he denied that request, and he and his colleagues at the publishing house then proceeded to write the book off even before it was released–and to bungle that release (which took place two days after Christmas) along with the marketing."
He continues...
"I have also been pushed back on my heels by the public relations war that climate science and climate policy has become. I may try to explain my thinking on that more fully in a post sometime, but, basically, I am very pessimistic about our prospects for doing anything real about what will almost certainly become an unprecedented global crisis in which tens to hundreds of millions of people will probably die, and I don’t see how I can contribute effectively to what has become a childish screaming match."
I could feel some parts of the book where text was not jumping off the page but mannnnn, if he felt this was a first draft can you imagine what a final product would have looked like? It is available as a remainder book on Amazon at present - I only hope there is a 'climate change' that gives this story a wider audience. If you were 'impressed' by the Bush administration's PR job selling the Iraq War and you couldn't imagine one administration having the energy and focus to get their fingers in our nations' laboratories - this book will blow your mind. The political behavior detailed here should be abhorrent to members of any political party. Even if you're not a science head - the heroic journey of Jim Hansen and his work just as painful as it is hopeful.
"I started this blog, just as my second book, Censoring Science, was being released, a few years ago. That was a difficult time. The writing of that book was an unpleasant experience, and I am not particularly proud of the result. It’s okay, but I consider it basically a first draft. My editor showed little interest in the quality of the book, and although I pleaded with him for a chance to rewrite it just once, he denied that request, and he and his colleagues at the publishing house then proceeded to write the book off even before it was released–and to bungle that release (which took place two days after Christmas) along with the marketing."
He continues...
"I have also been pushed back on my heels by the public relations war that climate science and climate policy has become. I may try to explain my thinking on that more fully in a post sometime, but, basically, I am very pessimistic about our prospects for doing anything real about what will almost certainly become an unprecedented global crisis in which tens to hundreds of millions of people will probably die, and I don’t see how I can contribute effectively to what has become a childish screaming match."
I could feel some parts of the book where text was not jumping off the page but mannnnn, if he felt this was a first draft can you imagine what a final product would have looked like? It is available as a remainder book on Amazon at present - I only hope there is a 'climate change' that gives this story a wider audience. If you were 'impressed' by the Bush administration's PR job selling the Iraq War and you couldn't imagine one administration having the energy and focus to get their fingers in our nations' laboratories - this book will blow your mind. The political behavior detailed here should be abhorrent to members of any political party. Even if you're not a science head - the heroic journey of Jim Hansen and his work just as painful as it is hopeful.
December 2, 2008
A thorough discussion of how the Bush administration (through careful placement of hired ideologues into public relations departments of various agencies) censored and interfered with the publication of the government scientists' analysis of global warming. An excellent profile of Jim Hansen, the government scientist most clearly in the forefront of the careful development of the predictive climate forecasting models (and one of the most respected scientists in the world). For me, in addition to the political battles going on between the scientists and the Bush PR hacks as the Bushies sought to debunk and trivialize the scientific knowledge, the author provides clear explanations of the science and math involved the various theories and controversies surrounding the global warming debate.
August 13, 2009
I enjoyed this book as it helped me become aware of the challenges scientists - funded by government - must meet when their discoveries/research run counter to that of a current administrations policy. However, what I felt this book lacked was more of an explanation the science regarding global warming from Hansen's research. This was kept minimal to instead focus on the ongoing cover up, which I felt the book turned into a soap opera. Do I really care what happened to these antagonists and the secondary charachters portrayed in the book - NO. Do I care about Hansen, his research and what it means to our world - YES. Had the book focuses more on the latter it would have been a much better read.
March 6, 2008
This is an excellently researched book, chock full of citations of many instances of censorship of Climate Science by the government. For someone interested in government and global warming, it is worth reading, but it is not an easy read. In the 306 pages, there are a huge number of people and agencies that Bowen implicates. As someone who is not directly involved in these government agencies, it is very hard to follow. Also, though I feel that Bowen is consistently correct with his detailed history of the events, I sometimes feel that he is interjecting too much of his own feelings.
I heard about this book on NPR.
I heard about this book on NPR.
August 18, 2012
a fascinating - and horrifying - look at the way the bush administration played politics with the science of global warming. that a goverment would try, in america, to censor and intimidate scientists for political gain is appalling - that they nearly succeeded is terrifying. bowen also does a great job of explaining the science. it becomes clear to the reader that the warming of the climate has been a known problem for decades - making the fact that we're still doing virtually nothing to stop it all the more depressing.
did-not-finish
June 24, 2008This is a situation where the interview with the author on NPR was quite interesting but the full book didn't hold my attention. I guess I felt I already knew enough about the issue. This book highlights a VERY serious problem with the Bush administration. The title sums it up pretty well. This book covers an issue which needs to be publicised. Since I only read about a quarter of the book, it wasn't fair to rate it.
March 26, 2008
A little difficult to following all the names, and all of a sudden realized I'd jumped time periods - but incredibly interesting and FRUSTRATING about how the current administration has censored science. And right after finishing, I toured NASA and was reminded how much the emphasis was on SPACE rather than necessarily our local environment. Though individuals who met with us certainly talked about it when they could - and road bikes everywhere.
December 9, 2008
This book is a real eye-opener. It's unfortunately not very well organized, at least as far as I could follow, but the interviews, science, and actual writing are all superb. Bowen just doesn't exactly follow the order of events, so I'm left rather confused as to what happened when. Unfortunately it leaves you with very little hope...but I'm glad I read it at the end of this administration. Here's to hoping something gets done, and that it's not too late!
March 2, 2009
This book was "horribly" interesting. The uncomfortable feeling I was left with was due to the ease that in such a short amount of time the long-time culture of disseminating scientific research results from the Goddard Space Center and NASA could be changed through fear and without documented policies and procedures. Dr. Hansen's preeminent stature in his field and his continuance in sharing his own research provided courageous and invaluable leadership.
June 25, 2008
This book was really interesting. It discusses how political appointees were moved into our major climate science organizations and began editing press releases to vague out what's really going on in our climate and planet and how top scientist Jim Hansen responded. I strongly recommend you reading it.
July 15, 2008
Awesome, well-documented, and informative book. Michelle and I both were glad to read it. I can't quite say either of us "enjoyed" it, as I don't think anyone "enjoys" seeing documentation of how people in power have held on to that power at the expense of the public good ... but the book is excellent.
April 5, 2008
A good primer on Dr. James Hansen and the war over climate science during the last few decades. The author leaves a little to be desired, but style is not the point of this book. He is clear, at least, if a little informal and (sometimes) petty. Still, it is definitely recommended.
Want to read
June 23, 2008As mentioned by Dr. James Hansen himself (director of the Goddard Institute of Space Studies of NASA) on "The Diane Rehm Show" on WAMU.
April 28, 2014
This book really is a waste of time. The subject of the book covers Jim Hansen's quest to bring Global warming to light. While it has great intentions, the book fails to meet the mark. You can get a better summary on Wikipedia.
August 29, 2014
The appalling anti-intellectualism of the George W. Bush administration.
Chilling.
Chilling.
Currently reading
January 10, 2010So far an awesome book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews