NASA scientist says democratic process not working in fight on climate change

NASA scientist James Hansen says the democratic process is
failing to address the threat of manmade climate change.
(Lizette Kabré, ISCCC) Click here to view our slideshow of some
of the major players in the debate over global warming.

Leading up to a climate change protest in Britain today, the head of NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS), James Hansen, said that the democratic process is failing to bring the action required to fight manmade climate change.  On the eve of the Climate Change Day of Action the scientist turned climate activist advocated for more direct action to spur the world’s governments into action.

Using the usual pointed and stark commentary he is known for, Dr. Hansen indicated that protests and direct action may be the only way to tackle increased carbon dioxide emissions.  He lamented that businesses and corporate lobbying have steered politicians away from action and that is causing a perilous delay in addressing the climate change crisis as he sees it.  Hansen said, “The democratic process doesn't quite seem to be working.”

Hansen has said previously that President Obama ‘has four years to save the world’ and is now urging the masses to take action.  "The first action that people should take is to use the democratic process. What is frustrating people, me included, is that democratic action affects elections but what we get then from political leaders is greenwash."

The democratic process is supposed to be one person one vote, but it turns out that money is talking louder than the vote.
- Dr. James Hansen

"The democratic process is supposed to be one person one vote, but it turns out that money is talking louder than the votes. So, I'm not surprised that people are getting frustrated. I think that peaceful demonstration is not out of order, because we're running out of time," Hansen said.

Like many manmade climate change alarmists, Hansen’s latest target is against coal-fired power plants and he is advocating a global ban on the building of the facilities.  Many have pinned their hopes on the forthcoming December meeting of United Nations’ climate experts in Copenhagen however Hansen does not believe anything meaningful will come out of the effort.  "What's being talked about for Copenhagen is a strengthening of Kyoto [protocol] approach,” Hansen said.  “A cap and trade with offsets and escape hatches will be guaranteed to fail in terms of getting the required rapid reduction in emissions."

As we reported early, Hansen is in Britain to participate in the protest which centers on the proposal to build a new coal-fired plant.  In an editorial in a British newspaper recently, Hansen said, “The trains carrying coal to power plants are death trains. Coal-fired power plants are factories of death.”

His participation in the event however has drawn the attention of many who are concerned by this level of activism by a United States government official, especially one who appears to be inserting himself into foreign policy and another nation’s affairs. 

Some ihave accused him of violating the law and the Hatch Act.