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["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

<http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/bush-man-quits-nasa-under-a-cloud/2006/02/09/1139465794018.html>
Bush man quits NASA under a cloud

By Mark Coultan, New York
February 10, 2006

A YOUNG Bush appointee at NASA who attempted to muzzle a senior scientist because he was warning of the dangers of 
greenhouse gas emissions has resigned after it was revealed his resume was false.

And in another blow to the Administration, its climate change policy has been challenged by one of President George 
Bush's most loyal constituencies: his fellow Christians.

George Deutsch, 24, was underqualified when he was appointed to NASA's public affairs office in Washington after working 
on the Bush re-election campaign in 2004. He claimed to be a journalism graduate from Texas A&M University but has now 
resigned after a blogger revealed that, although he had attended the university, he had not graduated.

During his time at the space agency, he insisted that the word "theory" be added whenever the "big bang" was mentioned, 
claiming it was "more than a science issue, it is a religious issue". He claimed: "It is not NASA's place, nor should it 
be, to make a declaration such as this about the existence of the universe that discounts intelligent design by a creator."

Mr Deutsch also attempted to restrict the access of NASA's chief climate scientist, James Hansen, to the media after he 
warned about the need to limit greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming.

Dr Hansen said he was threatened with "dire consequences" by White House appointees at NASA's headquarters if he 
continued to call for prompt action. But he said the problem went much further than just one political appointee.

After this episode, NASA administrator Michael Griffin publicly rebuked the agency's public affairs staff, saying it was 
not their job "to alter, filter or adjust engineering or scientific material produced by NASA's technical staff".

The Government, after doubting the science of climate change and denying that greenhouse gases were causing temperatures 
to rise globally, has now admitted it is a problem. But, like Australia, the US has refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol, 
which commits industrialised nations to reducing emissions.

The Administration was this week put under added pressure by the launch of the Evangelical Climate Initiative, in which 
86 evangelical leaders endorsed an environmental action plan that calls for mandatory limits on fossil fuel emissions.

"This is God's world, and any damage that we do to God's world is an offence against God himself," the Christian leaders 
said in a public statement.

The evangelicals are considered Mr Bush's most reliable supporters. Among the initiative's signatories were presidents 
of 39 evangelical colleges, the Salvation Army, and leaders of America's "mega-churches".

"Whether you believe the Earth began 4000 years ago, or 4 billion years ago, you are still concerned with the 
consequences of global warming, especially for the poor," said Leith Anderson, pastor of a mega-church in Minneapolis 
and former president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

The climate lobby has yet to seek talks with the White House.

"As evangelical Christians, we believe that we're called to be stewards of God's creation, and after considerable study, 
reflection and prayer, we are now convinced it's time for our country to help solve the problem of global warming," the 
leaders said in an advertisement.

They said they were also guided by the moral obligation to help the poor and marginalised, who were the worst hit by 
flood, famine and other calamities.

The foray into environmental politics arrives when a growing number of evangelical leaders believe it is time to broaden 
their political agenda from issues of marriage and abortion, which dominated the 2004 presidential election campaign.

The evangelicals' call coincided with a demand by the Pew Centre on Global Climate Change, a US think tank, for a curb 
on greenhouse gas emissions.