Quote du Jour: NASA's James Hansen on the media's current conception of "balance" (again, no kin to moderation, IMO)

from today's House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on possible political interference with government climate change scientists:

REP. DARRELL ISSA (R-CA): Among scientists, you appear to believe that the debate about any aspect of science being settled, that you think is settled, has a chilling effect on people's understanding.

You said so in your opening remarks here today. You said that the American people were confused by these contrarian opinions.

I guess we could be talking about Senator Jimmy Inhofe, who says that there isn't global warming. You say that it's settled science. Is that correct?

JAMES HANSEN, DIR., GODDARD INSTITUTE FOR SPACE STUDIES, NASA: I wouldn't state it the way that you just did.

ISSA: Please rephrase...

HANSEN: What I would refer to is the fact that, very often, the media -- sometimes with pressure from special interests -- will present "balance." And "balance" means we have one person describing the science and one person who disputes it, even in cases where the science is 99 percent certain.

And both of them speak in a technical language, which the public often -- sounds like they're, you know, technical scientists -- and they don't understand the language.

And so it looks like a 50/50 thing even when it's not.