Mother polar bear and cub. Image courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Department
A scientist who rang the alarm about climate change in the Arctic has been suspended. Charles Monnet, a wildlife biologist employed by the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement, and who made the polar bear the poster child for climate change was put on ice. Critics of the action charge senior officials who made the decision with corruption by Big Oil:
"You have to wonder: this is the guy in charge of all the science in the Arctic and he is being suspended just now as an arm of the interior department is getting ready to make its decision on offshore drilling in the Arctic seas," said Jeff Ruch, president of the group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. "This is a cautionary tale with a deeply chilling message for any federal scientist who dares to publish groundbreaking research on conditions in the Arctic."
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