Tuesday, April 02, 2013

James Hansen Leaving NASA to Campaign on Climate Change

The U.S. government's most prominent science voice on climate change, James Hansen, is leaving NASA.

In an e-mail Monday, Hansen wrote that he decided to step down “so that I can spend full time on science, drawing attention to the implications for young people, and making clear what science says needs to be done.”

Climate activist Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org, said Han­sen, 72, decided to step down so he could engage in lawsuits and protests full time. Han­sen was arrested in February in Washington in a protest against the Keystone XL pipeline plan. He participated in the demonstration on a day off from his government job.

Hansen has frequently tangled with his superiors in the federal government, especially during the George W. Bush administration. At one point, political appointees barred Han­sen from talking directly to the press.

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