Scientific Integrity in Policy Making

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Barry Ritholtz <ritholtz () optonline net>
Date: July 10, 2004 4:19:38 PM EDT
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Big Picture:  A blog of capital markets, geopolitics, with a dash 
of music & film!
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/






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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