OK this is getting ridiculous. Now no one can debate this issue?!?!

To be fair, Mr. Taylor is not being fired from anything. Oregon does not have a "State Climatologist". That position was abolished in 1989 when the state's climate and weather records were moved to Oregon State University. Oregon State University gave Mr. Taylor the title state climatologist. It would take an act of the State Legislature to recreate an official state climatologist.

I believe Oregon's Governor Kulongoski is asking that the legislature recreate this position. Governor Kulongoski does have different views from Mr. Taylor on global warming, and he would like the state to have a more consistent message. The legislature could create the position in such a way that the next governor could abolish it if he/she sees fit. But Mr. Taylor will still be able to maintain the title and his credibility as Oregon State University's climatologist, and he is not being fired from anything.

So the governor of Oregon wants to create the official position of State Climatologist so he can appoint a scientist whose views are "more like his own" to represent the state on the global warming issue.

Hmmmm. Sounds a lot like what President Bush has been accused of, except this time it's a Democrat attempting to suppress the anti-GW viewpoint......

Anastasia - Thanks for the clarification!

With apologies to Monty Python...

Nobody expects the Environmental Inquisition!

Ye shall all convert, or else! How long until the global warming cultists start demanding that the political rights and property of 'non-believers' get taken from them? We already have you-know-who from that second rate tv weather network trying to kick out meteorologists from the AMS (and thus strip professional credentials) if they dont convert to their church.

Anastasia,

So, in essence, he's getting fired by the guv, cuz he's not following the company line, eh? The science is settled, we've drawn our line, plotted out data, and there is no room for any data that does not fall on our line. algore said so. He's the greatest scientist of all time, don't ya know? Nobel Peace Prize, Oscar, VP, failed Presidential bid, and last but not least, he did invent the internet.

There will be no more debate!!

Laura,

This may be a question you have answered before, but why the furor over this? Why are tempers so high like you show above over the whole concept of global warming? I mean, I get a little hot when I'm what kind of light bulbs to buy and use, but I object to governmental interference in general. Is this just another iteration of that old argument, or is this something different?

The "Religion of the Doomsday Enviromentlist" is beginning to sound a lot like the "Religion of the Dark Ages" If you question the "conventional wisdom" it is excommunication or worse. I thought we were an enlightened society. I guess that is only true if you go along with the "conventional wisdom". Which almost always turns out to be wrong.

I don't know much about the AASC, but the referenced policy statement was written over 5 years ago. On this, I'm a little bit skeptical.

With all of the uncertainty in their lives, it's a wonder they can get out of bed in the morning!

Excuse me but i am still waiting for the next ice age mr Oppenheimer wrote about, I think about 25 years ago

Considering the dubiousness of the title "state climatologist" in many states, one question I have is how many of them are really climatologists, and how many are published in the peer-reviewed climate literature? Taylor seems like an example: He has a Master's in Meteorology, and it appears from some of his statements that he doesn't have a very good grasp on what the science actually indicates.

And to quote Pat Neuman on Realclimate:

State climatologists have background in meteorology and meteorological archiving, but their knowledge of paleoclimates and the disciplines involved in climate other than the atmosphere is limited. For example... they know little about hydrology, arctic sea ice, vegetation and transpiration processes, etc. Yet, because their title includes climate, the public perceives these "climatologists" and meteorologists as good sources for information climate change/global warming, but they are truly lacking in that, in general. However, they convey the skeptic views on global warming to the media, local governments and other... usually off the record on an informal basis. Tax payer funded meteorologist and mislabled climatologists should not be telling the public that there is no global warming problem... but in fact many of them have been doing that for many years already. When will that stop?

If some of these people are misrepresenting the science or have a skewed understanding of it, they should be challenged.

And Ray, you mean this ice age?

if you really want change get the oil companies and others to give back something- better fuels -hydrogen better batteries for true electric cars. we are being ripped off by theses new world order owned copmpanies who do not care abour people. global warming is only one problem that may or not have been caused by the oil monopoly- shouldnt they shoulder the responsibilities for clean up and imoprovement in the environment after all they are causing it and they have enough money to fix it. they dont want to. THATS A FACT even if meterorology is not exact the oil companies policy of entrapment will never change. make no mistake new tecnologys are available but are being suppressed untill the oil companies make enough to change and they will when thet want to because they only care about money and control

Another "Agree with me or I will destroy you" has entered the arena. I had heard of the governor and his ultimatum. No great wonder now that Oregon joined the ranks of the loony left

He must be the long lost twin brother of Heidi Hitler another of the "Agree with me or I will destroy your career".

Both are in august company because the real Hitler practiced the same logic. He was soon joined by Stalin, Pol Pot, the Kims, Ho Chi Minh and Mao Tse-tung.

They have to start somewhere.

Hmmmmmmm.