I found out last night that my paper on glaciation of SE Ross Sea/Marie Byrd Land is accepted for publication by "Geology". Details of papers are "embargoed" by this and a couple other journals (Nature, Science) until publications. Scientists are encouraged by the National Science Foundation to make some efforts at public outreach...to a limited extent I use that as justification for my time spent on occassional science posts here. So, we (5 co-authors) will provide summaries to Geology and the NSF for press releases or whatever they use them for. On the occasion of the publication date, or independent of this, I though it would be interesting for an excellent science journalist, Melinda Burns, formerly of the Santa Barbara New Press, to report on the disconnect between the official positions of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)on global warming. As I probably mentioned here some months ago, I had first-hand experience with global warming denial by oil industry earth scientists. We've had discussions on this page also, and I just encountered someone else with science training who thinks it is political/not true. Why educated people could have such divergent views is very interesting to science ethics etc (how much influence does who is paying you have on your outlook...or....it may be a natural reaction to feel that your life's work is doing good rather than damage).

I said that Melinda Burns was "formerly" of the Santa Barbara News Press because in looking for her email address found that she was fired for union activity in October 2006. She is a reporter who gets science stories right, and has done some on work we have been involved in. She won a journalism award from AAAS.
If you think being fired for union activity if wrong, there is a petition at:
View this petition and your signature at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/476908817
I signed it.
The National Labor Relations Board announced Dec 28 that there will be a hearing in Santa Barbara in February.

I've complained on this page about incompetent science reporting (for example, by CNN on the Dec 26 2004 tsunami). It's not good when a good science journalist is fired, probably illegally. (Melinda, working for a small paper, reported on many things besides science).
Chris