So the big news in science remains the ongoing
misuse and abuse of science and scientists by Shrub's administration (can't call him a
chimp anymore).
More Bush bashing, and even a little bit of snark, in extended copy.
The
Union of Concerned Scientists has released more examples of how the Bush administration puts politics before science, including outright suppression of data, subjecting scientists to political litmus tests, limiting the ability of government scientists to function, and distorting results to fit political goals.
A statement, now signed by over four thousand scientists, including 48 Nobel Laureates and 62 National Medal of Science recipients, charges the administration with widespread and unprecedented "manipulation of the process through which science enters into its decisions." Chris Mooney has an interesting piece about one
recent example of this: The policy that the WHO may no longer ask U.S. government experts for scientific consultation without first proceeding through a political office.
Why do this? Control, of course. We know the Bush administration doesn't like when government "
science moles" tell the truth as they see it, rather than as the administration would like to sculpt it. By letting political types pick which scientists get to sound off abroad, this kind of embarrassment can be avoided. Waxman's letter, rightly, calls the new policy "a raw attempt to exert political control over scientists and scientific evidence in the area of international health."
A piece from the LA Times (reposted on Common Dreams) sums it up nicely:
The administration has frequently been accused of misusing and ignoring science to further its policy aims. The list of signatures collected by the Union of Concerned Scientists suggests that the issue has become worrisome throughout the scientific community.
Personally, I find "worrisome" a mild word for how I feel about all this - lucky for you, I have more self control than our esteemed Vice President.
Thankfully, there are organizations out there trying to counteract the idiocy. Check out this website, Environmental Health News. While we're on the topic, you should visit Prometheus too, where there's a thoughtful discussion of how exactly we should handle presidential appointments of scientists.
And since I'm already cranky, let's go next to this lovely news: growing numbers of doctors and pharmacists across the US are refusing to prescribe or dispense birth control pills. I'm really kind of at a loss as to what to say, and anyway Echidne does such a good job with this that you should just go read her.
Finally, in the "totally clueless' department, we have the usually astute Matt Yglasias:
Go Bush, Go!
Did the president really gut the Endangered Species Act yesterday while no one was paying attention? So I've heard, at any rate. If so, good riddance. You'll all yell at me, I suppose, but really: Who cares? Species die, shit happens, get over it. Clean air, clean water, and lower carbon emissions I'll get behind that stuff impacts, you know, people.
There's just so much wrong with this, I don't know where to start. Where does he think the air he breathes, the water he drinks, the food he eats, the clothes he wears (etc, ad infinitum) comes from?!?!?!? Dude, it's all about the biodiversity.