NOAA Chief Scientist Fired for Asking New Hires to Mind Scientific Integrity

The acting chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was fired by the agency’s chief of staff after he asked Trump’s newest appointees to NOAA to recognise the scientific integrity policy.  Craig McLean, NOAA’s acting chief scientist, emailed the new staff members in September asking them to acknowledge the agency’s rules on scientific conduct and code of ethics, which among other things requires that employees make decisions based on the science and without political influence.  Dr Erik Noble, NOAA chief of staff and former White House policy advisor, fired back: “Respectfully, by what authority are you sending this to me?”  Noble wrote the next day: “You no longer serve as the acting chief scientist for NOAA. Thank you for your service,” The Times reported.  In his place, Noble has hired Ryan Maue, a meteorologist and former adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, a think-tank co-founded by billionaire Charles Koch, who has made a fortune in the fossil fuel industry. - The Independent


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