The Australian Four Corners TV program has returned to the airwaves for 2006 with an important documentary titled The Greenhouse Mafia that exposes the deep seated industry / Federal government suppression of scientific advice that runs counter to government policy on global warming.

Although the program deals with the greenhouse gas / climate change issue and suppression of scientists from the Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), a similar story can be told of the dismantling of the CSIRO’s radiophysics division that was investigating non-ionizing radiation bioeffects and the sacking of scientists who dared speak out for public health over corporate profits. The government even went to the extent of having a respected science communication expert sacked from the CSIRO to be replaced by a new communications director who’s only qualifications were stated to be that she was ‘highly respected in both government and corporate circles’. It turned out that her previous job experience was by chance having executive positions with both the Australian Tobacco Institute and Philip Morris as a spin doctor!! Depending on one’s viewpoint these can be good qualifications – If one can work spinning science for Big Tobacco there’s nothing one wouldn’t do to hopple inconvenient science.

You can go to the Four Corners web site and download all the transcripts. Well worth a read.