You would think we live in Galileo‘s times again. The Union of Concerned Scientists just released a study exposing widespread manipulation of scientific findings and intimidation of EPA scientists by the Bush administration. Among the UCS report’s top findings:
– 889 scientists (60 percent) said they had personally experienced at least one instance of political interference in their work over the last five years.
– 394 scientists (31 percent) personally experienced frequent or occasional “statements by EPA officials that misrepresent scientists’ findings.”
– 285 scientists (22 percent) said they frequently or occasionally personally experienced “selective or incomplete use of data to justify a specific regulatory outcome.”
– 224 scientists (17 percent) said they had been “directed to inappropriately exclude or alter technical information from an EPA scientific document.”
– Of the 969 agency veterans with more than 10 years of EPA experience, 409 scientists (43 percent) said interference has occurred more often in the past five years than in the previous five-year period. Only 43 scientists (4 percent) said interference occurred less often.
– Hundreds of scientists reported being unable to openly express concerns about the EPA’s work without fear of retaliation; 492 (31 percent) felt they could not speak candidly within the agency and 382 (24 percent) felt they could not do so outside the agency.
For more, click here.
Thanks to Mary Hunt, and Daily Green for bringing this to my attention.
That’s crazy.
And when you see that the IPCC reports are changed after that this and that country want them to do so…
We live in sad and scary times. It might turn out well, but nooo, there are some business interests… so we don’t act or act in the wrong direction. 😥
For those looking for some good news, here it is. I just finished reading a book, The Logic of Life, by an economist, Tim Harford. His final sentence was this, “The more of us there are in the world, living our logical lives, the better our chances of seeing out the next million years.”
Gary, I’m “meryn” on librarything and shelfari.
Are you on one of these sites? I’d love to see your bookshelf.
The euphemism for this in DC has been “morale is bad at the EPA.”
I must admit, after reading about this, my morale took a hit too.
Gary, thanks for lifting our spirits up! Seems like another great read.
Edouard, Jeff, I did not post this to demoralize you . . .
I just think it is of extreme importance to keep a record of the state of misinformation and disinformation in America, particularly in regards to environmental matters.
oh, it’s okay, don’t you worry about me. I knew the situation so it is not affecting my morale. But that’s very kind of you to worry about my morale.
We have solutions aplenty, I just summed them up in one of my latest articles. I believe it may interest you and your readers :
http://www.elrst.com/2008/04/24/why-dividing-by-four-our-co2-emissions-can-be-done/
I believe that we will do it if we gather and continue our “fight” – and soon “war” – on climate change.
It is just a matter of time, the question being : “do we still have time enough?”
Anyway, keep up the good work Marguerite, you are doing a great job here.
I’m already quite “desensitized” when it comes to behavior of big institutions, wether these are corporations, big ngo’s or government agencies.
Let’s just say it’s part of the problem.
This remind me of something that Jim Collins said in Good to Great, about business leaders: They faced the brutal facts of reality, no matter how bad, yet they never lost hope.
For me, it doesn’t really matter how bad current institutions are functioning, I’m almost expecting them too. But I am very optimistic about the future, also the future of these institutions. Why? In the end I trust that regular people will set these things straight. Because of the internet, they’re far more empowered now.
Power and secrecy are concepts of the past. Incumbents will need to adapt to this reality eventually, or resign.
Marguerite, thanks for your comment. That said, I didn’t mention being demoralized (that moment) to suggest that your post set me back or hurt my feelings, or that you should stop telling the plain truth. We need to hear truth, of course, even if it’s “inconvenient”!
And, so far at least, I’m pretty quick to re-morale-ize. In some ways, I’m a de-morale-ization denier.
Hiding what is known to be real or hiding from what all can see as true, if given the opportunity, could be among the most venal of acts ever perpetrated by governance agencies upon people in whose service governments are supposed to be acting.
What name is to be given to this particularly pernicious form of ‘service’ to others?
Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population,
established 2001
http://sustainabilitysoutheast.org/index.php
Yes, crime is not too strong of a word for this.
A failure of unimagnable proportions is bound up in the the willful blindness, hysterical deafness and elective mutism of so many opinion leaders, economic powerbrokers, politicians and business tycoons who do not speak out openly, loudly and clearly about the world we inhabit as bounded and limited in space with finite resources. Their idolatry of the endless expansion of the global political economy is not only selfish, arrogant and unrealistic, they are simultaneously choosing to recklessly espouse a “primrose path” to our children, a path to the future that a relatively small planet with the size and make-up of Earth cannot possibly sustain much longer, much less to the year 2050.
At least to me, this failure by my not-so-great generation of leading elders is a “sin of omission” that is tantamount to a passive criminal act against the family of humanity, life as we know it and the Earth God blesses us to inhabit….and not ruin, I suppose.
Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population,
established 2001
http://sustainabilitysoutheast.org/index.php
“sin of omission”. Well put, Steven. Thanks for denouncing, and for your courage.
An example of a splendid scientist who speaks out loudly and clearly. Take a moment to consider the exemplary work of Martha M. Campbell, Ph.D. Her 2005 presentation seems particularly timely in 2008.
Please click on the following link,
Click to access campbellagm.pdf
All the best,
Steve
Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population,
established 2001