From: Gabor Lantos <glantos@...>
Subject: [WFDRoundtable] Help defend science from politics
Sent: January 31, 2007 11:05:34 PM

Terrific idea. This situation applies equally to Canada.

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Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:57:07 -0500
Subject: [WFDRoundtable] Help defend science from politics
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Scientists as a group are generally politically inert -- more prone to make
observations than to engage in social action. I'm one of them. But now many
of
the country's most prestigious scientists have decided to speak out in
concert.
And I just signed the same petition they did.

In the last few years, many members of the US scientific community have been
increasingly worried by an unprecedented pattern of remarkably overt
political
interference in a very wide array of scientific/technica l programs,
studies, and
reports on issues ranging from coal mine wastes to drug abuse, from air and
water pollution to agricultural practices and wildlife preservation, from
climate change to family planning, and so on.

At a level never seen before, scientific advisory panels are being stacked
with
idealogues who have weak expertise; research agendas are being distorted;
scientific reports are being edited or deep-sixed by political appointees.
To me
this is not just a short-lived political problem -- it undermines a largely
unspoken American social agreement that public decision-making should rest
on a
rational foundation of "the facts". Instead, it leaves the whole country at
the
mercy of powerful people, however wise, misguided, or idiotic their
preferences
may be.

The behavior of the White House on these issues is part of a pattern that
has
led Russell Train, the EPA administrator under Presidents Nixon and Ford, to
observe, "How radically we have moved away from regulation based on
independent
findings and professional analysis of scientific, health and economic data
by
the responsible agency to regulation controlled by the White House and
driven
primarily by political considerations. "

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has put together an "A to Z Guide to
Political Interference in Science" that describes what has been going on.
http://www.ucsusa. org/scientific_integrity/ interference/a-to-z-guide-
to-political.html [ONE STRING]

The UCS also has developed two statements/petitions, one for scientists
(including physicians) to sign, the other for non- scientists, that call for
efforts to restore and protect the integrity of the scientific process, now
and
in the future. I just signed the one for scientists.

The Union of Concerned Scientists' petition is a scientist statement on
scientific integrity that speaks out against the misuse of science and calls
for
reforms to improve the way in which science informs government
decision-making.
Thus far, more than 8,000 scientists, including almost fifty Nobel
Laureates, 62
recipients of the National Medal of Science, and 150+ members of the
National
Academies have signed the statement. Statement signers also have
the opportunity to choose to keep informed about this issue through periodic
emails from UCS.

You can review the statement and sign it online at
http://www.ucsusa. org/scientific_integrity/ interference/scientists-
signon-statement.html [ONE STRING]

The Scientific Integrity Program works to identify ways in which scientists,
engineers, and health professionals can act to defend science. To that end,
special services are available to scientists who sign the statement to
improve their effectiveness, such as issue briefings, media and advocacy
skills workshops, and opportunities to coordinate activities with other
scientists in their area. The program also provides thorough and accurate
educational materials on scientific integrity issues that scientists can use
with students, reporters, policymakers, and the general public.

For more information about the program, visit
http://www.ucsusa. org/scientific_integrity/

To sign the scientist statement, visit
http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_ integrity/interference/
scientists-signon-statement.html [ONE STRING]

Follow this link to sign up:
http://ucsaction. org/ucsaction3/join.html? rk=Z1e1vUEzpL%2dt

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SOURCE: OCC-ENV-MED-L Digest for Wednesday, January 31, 2007