posted 04-13-2012 10:22 PM               

A public servant may have to give up certain rights as a condition of his employment.

A recent example is the young Marine who is being court-martialed for his anti-Obama postings on his Facebook page. When I served we knew our public political statements were not to be disrespectful to the "Boss". Yes, it was a limitation on our free speech, but such limits are part of the job, and are part of maintaining "good order".

posted 04-14-2012 09:48 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by arjuna:
Surely you know there is a big difference between civilians and the military.

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I know that NASA policy is similar to:

...any other federal agency, corporation or news organization" in requiring any NASA employee to "coordinate (any statements) with the Office of Public Affairs. No exceptions."

posted 04-14-2012 12:32 PM               

NASA, as an Agency, does not take a position on any scientific conclusions. That is the role of the broad scientific community and the nature of the scientific process. NASA scientists may draw conclusions and may, consistent with this policy, communicate those conclusions to the media.

However, NASA employees who present personal views outside their official area of expertise or responsibility must make clear that they are presenting their individual views – not the views of the Agency – and ask that they be sourced as such.

Assuming Hansen did not contact public affairs ahead of releasing his personal views, then he may have been at fault (as one could argue that he should have expected at least the potential for media and public interest or inquiry). But the policy also makes it clear that as a NASA scientist, he was allowed to publicly share his personal views.

posted 04-15-2012 07:00 AM               

This is a civil matter where the burden of proof is only that the offence is likely to have happened. Having recognised this, one has to weigh the facts.

1. Hansen is an astronomer, NOT a meteorologist.
   
2. He is a leading advocate for one side of the climate change arguement.
   
3. He has a history of using his position in NASA to forward his views on climate change.

....records produced by the Department of Justice to resolve litigation against the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for refusing to comply with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request regarding the required financial disclosures Dr. James Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

These records are his applications for outside employment or other activity (form 17-60), approvals and accompanying documents, and public financial disclosure (form SF 278).

As detailed in the American Tradition Institute’s lawsuit which yielded these records, Hansen suddenly became the recipient of many, often lucrative offers of outside employment and awards after he escalated his political activism — using his NASA position as a platform, and springboard.

posted 04-17-2012 09:35 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by arjuna:
And thus it would be pretty hard to argue that the case for Helium-3 isn't diminished.

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posted 04-18-2012 08:49 AM               

We request that NASA refrain from including unproven and unsupported remarks in its future releases and websites on this subject.

I think I'll just stay out of it from here on out. I'll let y'all have the last word.