[IP] Scientific Integrity in Policy Making
Begin forwarded message:
From: Barry Ritholtz <ritholtz@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: July 10, 2004 4:19:38 PM EDT
To: Dave Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Scientific Integrity in Policy Making
Hi Dave,
You had previously mentioned (with no small amount of distress) the
Political interference with scientific committees back in October 2003,
and again in February of this year when the Union of Concerned
Scientists released a report "Scientific Integrity in Policy Making"
There is a July 2004 update top the UCS further investigating the White
House's abuse of science.
You can find more information below, as well as links to download the
full PDF report.
Regards,
Barry L. Ritholtz
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Scientific Integrity in Policy Making
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/rsi/page.cfm?pageID=1449
On February 18, 2004, 62 preeminent scientists including Nobel
laureates, National Medal of Science recipients, former senior advisers
to administrations of both parties, numerous members of the National
Academy of Sciences, and other well-known researchers released a
statement titled Restoring Scientific Integrity in Policy Making . In
this statement, the scientists charged the Bush administration with
widespread and unprecedented "manipulation of the process through which
science enters into its decisions." The scientists’ statement made
brief reference to specific cases that illustrate this pattern of
behavior. In conjunction with the statement, the Union of Concerned
Scientists (UCS) released detailed documentation backing up the
scientists’ charges in its report, Scientific Integrity in Policy
Making.
Since the release of the UCS report in February, the administration has
continued to undermine the integrity of science in policy making
seemingly unchecked. Many scientists have spoken out about their
frustration with an administration that has undermined the quality of
the science that informs policy making by suppressing, distorting, or
manipulating the work done by scientists at federal agencies and on
scientific advisory panels. For instance, Michael Kelly, a biologist
who had served at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Marine Fisheries Service for nine years, recently resigned his
position and issued an indictment of Bush administration practices. As
Kelly wrote, "I speak for many of my fellow biologists who are
embarrassed and disgusted by the agency’s apparent misuse of science."
1
Scientific Integrity in Policy Making: Further investigation of the
Bush administration's abuse of science investigates several new
incidents that have surfaced since the February 2004 UCS report. These
new incidents have been corroborated through in-depth interviews and
internal government documents, including some documents released
through the Freedom of Information Act. The cases that follow include:
egregious disregard of scientific study, across several agencies,
regarding the environmental impacts of mountaintop removal mining ;
censorship and distortion of scientific analysis, and manipulation of
the scientific process, across several issues and agencies in regard to
the Endangered Species Act;
distortion of scientific knowledge in decisions about emergency
contraception ;
new evidence about the use of political litmus tests for scientific
advisory panel appointees. These new revelations put to rest any
arguments offered by the administration that the cases to date have
been isolated incidents involving a few bad actors.
Concern in the scientific community has continued to grow. In the
months since the original UCS report, more than 4,000 scientists have
signed onto the scientists’ statement. Signers include 48 Nobel
laureates, 62 National Medal of Science recipients, and 127 members of
the National Academy of Sciences. A number of these scientists have
served in multiple administrations, both Democratic and Republican,
underscoring the unprecedented nature of this administration’s
practices and demonstrating that the issues of scientific integrity
transcend partisan politics.
The United States has an impressive history of investing in and reaping
the benefits of scientific research. The actions by the Bush
administration threaten to undermine the morale and compromise the
integrity of scientists working for and advising America’s world-class
governmental research institutions and agencies. Not only does the
public expect and deserve government to provide it with accurate
information, the government has a responsibility to ensure that policy
decisions are not based on intentionally or knowingly flawed science.
To do so carries serious implications for the health, safety, and
environment of all Americans.
Given the lack of serious consideration and response by the
administration to concerns raised by scores of prominent scientists,
UCS is committed to continuing to investigate and publicize
cases—corroborated by witnesses and documentation—in which politics is
allowed to stifle or distort the integrity of the scientific process in
governmental policy making. UCS—working with scientists across many
disciplines, other organizations, and elected officials—will also seek
to develop and implement solutions that will protect government
scientists from retribution when they bring scientific abuse to light,
provide better scientific advice to Congress, strengthen the role of
the Office of Science and Technology Policy, strengthen and ensure
adherence to conflict of interest guidelines for federal advisory
panels, and ensure full access to government scientific analysis that
has not been legitimately classified for national security reasons.
Further investigation of the Bush administration's abuse of science
This page is part of the introduction from the July 2004 update to the
February 2004 UCS report Scientific Integrity in Policymaking.
The Report
Read the new report 351kb PDF
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/rsi/page.cfm?pageID=1449#Top
Scientists' Statement
Thousands of scientists have called for an end to these practices,
including 48 Nobel Laureates and 62 National Medal of Science
recipients.
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/rsi/page.cfm?pageID=1320
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