Help Protect Scientists from Political Interference

[kristopher]

Help Protect Scientists from Political Interference

How can you protect science and government scientists from political interference? By filing a public comment today asking the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to strengthen its draft scientific integrity policy.

In the past, NOAA scientists were censored and told to change their research on issues from global warming to endangered species. While the draft policy would address some of these problems, it needs to be further strengthened to better protect those who report the abuse of science, give the public more information about who is meeting with NOAA officials, and allow us to hold agency officials accountable if they transgress.

It is critical that NOAA scientists can continue to provide national weather forecasting, manage coastal and deep ocean resources, and research global climate patterns without interference.

Help NOAA improve its scientific integrity policy by submitting a comment today—the deadline is August 20.
https://secure3.convio.net/ucs/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=2972&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr004=v5ye9cwuu1.app306a


Sincerely,
Michael Halpern
National Field Organizer
UCS Scientific Integrity Program

https://secure3.convio.net/ucs/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=2972&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr004=v5ye9cwuu1.app306a

The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading science-based nonprofit working for a healthy environment and a safer world.

UCS is a 501(c)(3) organization. All gifts are tax deductible. You can be confident your donations to UCS are spent wisely.

Union of Concerned Scientists
2 Brattle Square Cambridge, MA 02138-3780
phone: [phone] | Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
www.ucsusa.org

[enough]

1. Thank you. A vital issue for so many reasons. I will go do that. (nt)

[handmade34]

2. rec

http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2011/03/henry-farrell-epistemic-closure-climate-change-edition.html

"...The Monkey Cage: Epistemic closure - climate change edition: Via via Serendipity and Ethan Zuckerman, an article suggesting that partisanship and level of education have the same kind of interaction effect on beliefs about climate change that Bartels finds for economic inequality. Drawing on surveys of New Hampshire and Michigan Upper Peninsula residents, Lawrence Hamilton finds that:


The probability of perceiving global warming as a threat increases with education among Democrats, but decreases with education among Republicans. Only two respondents out of a thousand described themselves as "strong Democrats" or "strong Republicans" with less than an 8th grade education, so the crossover at far left in Fig. 3 should not be over-interpreted. Setting aside this extreme, threat perceptions are roughly similar among Republicans and Democrats with lower education. They are most divergent among those with higher educations. ... Earlier researchers found education (along with age) to be the most consistent predictor of citizen concern about the environment, and about climate in particular. ... The inconsistency marks a social shift away from patterns seen in older research. It reflects the efficacy of media campaigns that provide scientific-sounding arguments against taking climate change seriously, which disproportionately reach educated but ideologically receptive audiences. Among many educated, conservative citizens, it appears that that such arguments have overshadowed the scientific consensus presented by the IPCC reports and other core science sources.

The relationship is, to put it mildly, stark - the predicted probability that a strong Republican with postgraduate education will think that climate change is a threat is rather less than 10%. The article argues that this is a result of selective media consumption via the Internet..."


*note sig line

[Tesha]

3. Done! (NT)

[Necronomiconomics]

4. Obama to polar bear scientist: Shut up, we're with Big Oil

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/07/30/1000892/-Obama-Administration-to-Polar-Bear-Scientist-Truth-TellerShut-up,-and-you-are-suspended!

[XemaSab]

5. Welcome to DU!

Dig the user name. :D

[Necronomiconomics]

6. Thanks

The new economy will be based on human sacrifice to the Elder Gods

[Kolesar]

7. This is only 2 accusations (3+ / 0-)

by oneshot on Sat Jul 30, 2011 at 07:37:05 PM PDT:

The scientist has been suspended pending the results of an investigation. The suspension is with pay. The scientist is claiming that he is unfairly being investigated. At this point no one even knows completely what the investigation is about. While it is a very real possibility that the Obama administration is doing something ugly here, we don't have enough facts to make that determination. Just because this scientist is working for a good cause is not insurance that he has not done something wrong. Not saying he has, but not enough info to make that claim yet. I am very interested in the resolution of the investigation. I will wait for that to make my judgement.

[Necronomiconomics]

8. Surely you are aware of Obama's record attacking whistleblowers.

Just Google "Obama Whistleblowers Prosecution" and you'll find he bests Bush in attacking those who seek to expose corruption.