A new battle over politics and science could be brewing. And scientists are ready for it
By Chris Mooney at the Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/01/31/a-new-battle-over-politics-and-science-could-be-coming-and-scientists-are-ready-for-it/?utm_term=.a418d5f6a951
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The second reason scientists may be in a better position to resist politicization is a government-wide institution of scientific integrity policies adopted during the Obama years. For instance, politically vetting the communications of EPA scientists would likely violate that agency’s 2012 policy, which “facilitates the free flow of scientific information” and “prohibits all EPA employees, including scientists, managers, and other Agency leadership, from suppressing, altering, or otherwise impeding the timely release of scientific findings or conclusions.”
That policy also says that scientists should “be available to answer inquiries from the news media regarding their scientific work.”
For now, this scientific integrity policy remains operational. And while it certainly may be tested, undoing it entirely is likely to bring new controversy.
“Let’s be clear that if removed that would be an explicit statement that the integrity of the science was not to be respected, that no safeguards will be in place against political manipulation of scientific evidence in this administration,” said Andrew Rosenberg, director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
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