When the federal government feels the need to issue guidelines designed to ensure ‘scientific integrity’ you can pretty much bet the last thing on their minds is ensuring scientific integrity:
The four-page memorandum “describes the minimum standards expected as departments and agencies craft scientific integrity rules appropriate for their particular missions and cultures, including a clear prohibition on political interference in scientific processes and expanded assurances of transparencies,” wrote John P. Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, in a blog post accompanying the memo’s release.
Just make sure you get approval from your agency’s minister of propaganda before you express your ideas in a public forum:
Jeff Ruch, executive director of the group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, noted that the memo “said scientists are free to speak to the media” but also “directs agencies to develop ‘mechanisms . . . to resolve disputes’ about whether ‘to proceed or not proceed with proposed interviews.’ ”
“In other words, scientists are free to speak except when they are not,” Ruch said.
Seemingly lost in this announcement is the fact that these new guidelines are written by perhaps the most political eco-weenie in the government, John Holdren.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.