SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY: AN OXYMORON AT THE WHITE HOUSE

When partisan politics trumps scientific integrity in policymaking,
democracy suffers. Concerned about the misuse of science and technology,
the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS, www.ucsusa.org) has issued
Scientific Integrity in Policymaking: An Investigation into the Bush
Administrations Misuse of Science.

The conclusions are damning evidence of a presidential administration
that routinely distorts and censors fact, trusting true science only
when it conveniently supports established policy.

Our government authorizes vast amounts of research and scientific
analysisenvironmental assessments, economic data, public health
research and military intelligence. Society relies on the accuracy of
this data, and on the integrity of researchers to report undistorted
information.

The UCS report shows indisputable patterns of suppression and
distortion of science by high-ranking political appointees across
numerous federal agencies. This involves climate change (global
warming), air pollution and mercury emissions, plus misinformation on
reproductive health, abstinence-only sex ed, HIV/AIDS, breast cancer
and airborne bacteria. Misrepresentations of evidence on Iraqs
aluminum tubes and manipulation of science regarding the Endangered
Species Act and forest management are also detailed.

The report documents massive efforts to manipulate the governments
scientific advisory system to prevent the appearance of expert advice.
These efforts include abolishing technical advisory panels in areas of
nuclear weapons and arms control because they do not conform to the
Bush political agenda. The report describes industry-influence in
choosing a prevention panel for childhood lead poisoning; a
non-scientist in a senior science-advisory role to the President, and
other under-qualified candidates in health advisory roles including
the FDAs Reproductive Health Advisory Committee and the Presidential
Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Political Litmus Tests are required for
a workplace safety panel and for a scientific advisor at the National
Institute on Drug Abuse.

The Bush administration often imposes restrictions on what government
scientists can say or write about sensitive topics. In this context
sensitive applies to issues that might provoke opposition to the
administrations policies.

UCS offers suggestions for restoring scientific integrity to federal
policymaking including executive orders to prohibit further censorship
and distortion of scientific information from federal agencies and put
an end to practices that undermine the integrity of scientific
advisory panels.

The UCS urges scientists to encourage others to get involved. We, as
citizens, must tell elected representatives that censorship and
distortion of scientific knowledge are unacceptable.

Censorship and distortion of science in policymaking impacts
Oregonians daily. 1: The Bush administration willfully ignores the
science showing marijuana is medicine so medical marijuana patients
are still threatened and arrested when complying with state and local
laws. 2: The Oregon Board of Medical Examiners has a record of
distorting science and threatening doctors who attempt to mitigate
patients symptoms with controlled drugs. 3: Attorney General Ashcroft
has an ideological vendetta to overturn our Oregon Death with Dignity
Act even though Oregon voters passed it twice and the scientific data
shows no evidence of misuse; indeed, the data shows improved
end-of-life care for Oregonians. 4: The White House sits on the
sidelines while children are poisoned with lead paint dust in
Northeast Portland because industry fears that childhood lead
poisoning may become a new class-action lawsuit, like asbestos. 5:
Because of political pressure from religious extremists, childrens
health is threatened with politically correct abstinence-only dogma
instead of scientifically accurate biology and medicine.

Bush didnt invent suppression of science for political expediency.
History shows many authoritarian regimes threatening excommunication
or worse because scientists discovered the earth went around the sun
or the world was not flat. Our problem is that Bushs administration is
taking it to the most dangerous level.

While the UCS can act like Paul Revere warning us about danger to our
democracy, we the people must actually exercise our power by voting
this fall. Americans dont want clear-cut forests, pollution, global
warming, poisoned children, religious or prohibitionist ideology
interfering with medical care, or children being taught bogus science
that places them at risk. Reinvigorating scientific integrity in
policymaking will be a big step toward reinvigorating political
integrity itself.