The Union of Concerned Scientists, an independent organization, also issued a 37-page report, "Scientific Integrity in Policymaking," detailing the accusations. The statement and the report both accuse the Bush administration of distorting and suppressing findings that contradict administration policies, stacking panels with like-minded and underqualified scientists with ties to industry, and eliminating some advisory committees altogether.
The scientists listed various policy issues as being unfairly influenced by the administration, including those concerning climate change, mercury emissions, reproductive health, lead poisoning in children, workplace safety and nuclear weapons. New regulations and laws are necessary to fix the situation, the statement says.
"We found a serious pattern of undermining science by the Bush administration, and it crosses disciplines, whether it's global climate change or reproductive health or mercury in the food chain or forestry -- the list goes on and on," said Kevin Knobloch, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
President Bush's science adviser, John Marburger, said he was disappointed in the report, and called it biased.
He said he was troubled by the fact that some very prestigious scientists signed the statement.
A little more detail. I'm also amazed that the White House response merely charges bias without examining any empirical issue. You'd think this one response, of all responses, would contain argument and evidence rather than mere assertion.
No comments:
Post a Comment