Now U.S. Geological Survey Oppressed Too

[Doug]

New Publishing Rules Restrict Scientists
John Heilprin, AP Writer

The Bush administration is clamping down on scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, the latest agency subjected to controls on research that might go against official policy.

New rules require screening of all facts and interpretations by agency scientists who study everything from caribou mating to global warming. The rules apply to all scientific papers and other public documents, even minor reports or prepared talks, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Top officials at the Interior Department's scientific arm say the rules only standardize what scientists must do to ensure the quality of their work and give a heads-up to the agency's public relations staff.

"This is not about stifling or suppressing our science, or politicizing our science in any way," Barbara Wainman, the agency's director of communications, said Wednesday. "I don't have approval authority. What it was designed to do is to improve our product flow."

Some agency scientists, who until now have felt free from any political interference, worry that the objectivity of their work could be compromised.

"I feel as though we've got someone looking over our shoulder at every damn thing we do. And to me that's a very scary thing. I worry that it borders on censorship," said Jim Estes, an internationally recognized marine biologist in the USGS field station at Santa Cruz, Calif.

"The explanation was that this was intended to ensure the highest possible quality research," said Estes, a researcher at the agency for more than 30 years. "But to me it feels like they're doing this to keep us under their thumbs. It seems like they're afraid of science. Our findings could be embarrassing to the administration."

The new requirements state that the USGS's communications office must be "alerted about information products containing high-visibility topics or topics of a policy-sensitive nature."

See here.

[Dardedar]

US Scientists Reject Interference

10,000 US researchers have signed a statement protesting political
interference in the scientific process. The statement, which includes the
backing of 52 Nobel Laureates, demands a restoration of scientific
integrity in government policy. According to the American Union of Concerned Scientists, data is being misrepresented for political reasons. It
claims scientists working for federal agencies have been asked to change
data to fit policy initiatives.

link

[Barbara Fitzpatrick]

You can weasel that administrative knowledge of "high-visibility topics" is to "ensure the highest possible quality research" as nobody wants to deal with "egg on face" syndrome if conclusions based on incomplete research get "leaked" and then have to be immediately refuted. But the minute you have to inform the administration of "topics of a policy-sensitive nature" you've got censorship.

These guys are pathetic (I'm always right and it's illegal to say otherwise, no matter what the facts). Unfortunately, pathetic people in power are dangerous.