Stephen Colbert points to the helpful assistance that Bush administration policymakers provided to researchers while talking with Contributing Editor Chris Mooney last night: Mooney points out that science and scientists make regular appearances on popular Comedy Central shows, and that’s [...]
WEISS'S NOTEBOOK
The United States boasts a huge corps of public-servant scientists devoted to going where the evidence takes them and who, as of Wednesday, will for the first time in years be respected by the highest officials in the land for what they do.
SCIENCE, CULTURED
It’s entirely possible for research to thrive even as the influence and relevance of science, in policy and to the average citizen, decline. Reflections on a dramatic conversation to elevate science in America.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has played a remarkably important role in America’s post-World War II history, yet few Americans are even aware that there is such a thing. In a recent report called “OSTP 2.0,” the Woodrow Wilson Center has published recommendations for reforms in the management of U.S. science policy.
David Michaels speaks at a Center for American Progress event to discuss his book, Doubt Is Their Product, explaining the “tricks of the trade” used by cigarette makers, drug companies, and climate change deniers to delay regulation that would make Americans safer.
The Environmental Protection Agency continued its fall from grace at a Senate hearing earlier this week that investigated political meddling with the Agency’s toxic chemical policies. But in the midst of a rain of criticism, there were suggestions of future policy that could better allow the EPA to protect citizens from hazardous materials.
COMMUNICATING SCIENCE
Contemporary rhetorical tactics designed to confuse politicians and the public about scientific issues are as old as antiquity. The methods are just as disingenuous 2,500 years after their invention.
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
The case of the mysterious disappearing search term is about so much more than one scientific database; it’s about how we talk about reproductive health.
On Wednesday, the House Committee on Science and Technology’s Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight held the first of what could be more hearings on the CDC’s failure to protect public health when it released a scientifically flawed report on formaldehyde levels in post-Katrina FEMA trailers, understating the health risk of extended exposure to the gas.
The Bush administration appeals court ruling on mercury pollution; the EPA faces congressional subpoena in wrangle over emissions regulations; Greenwire profiles CDC whistleblower; Tech companies call for increased H-1B visa cap; Al Gore launches new climate awareness campaign.
A quick look at some of the policy-related stories making the rounds on the science and technology blogs.
DEFINING SCIENCE
How should we think about the relationship between global warming and an increased risk of wildfires to the United States?
The cuts the White House made to CDC Director Julie Gerberding’s congressional testimony began with the sentence: “Scientific evidence supports the view that the earth’s climate is changing.”
CENSORING SCIENCE
Testimony of Director Gerberding prepared for a hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Tuesday on the impact of climate change on public health. The portions excised by the White House are highlighted in red.
The Bush Administration continues to censor scientists. The AP has the latest on extensive revisions made to the testimony of CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding, who testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Tuesday on the health impacts of climate change.
Science Progress and American Progress's Doing What Works project teamed up to produce a set of policy proposals that the Obama administration and Congress can adopt to reinvest in the building blocks of American science, innovation, and economic competitiveness. Read the overview of the five reports.
Science Progress proceeds from the propositions that scientific inquiry is among the finest expressions of human excellence, that it is a crucial source of human flourishing, a critical engine of economic growth, and must be dedicated to the common good. Scientific inquiry entails global responsibilities. It should lead to a more equitable, safer, and healthier future for all of humankind.