Archive for US Government
say their names [a New Yorker cover]
Posted in Books, pictures, Running with tags Ahmaud Arbery, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Alton Sterling, Botham Jean, Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, drawing, Emmett Till, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, George Floyd, Gordon, Laquan McDonald, Malcom X, Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, Michael Brown, murders, New York city, New Yorker, Philando Castile, racism, Rodney King, Rosa Parks, Sandra Bland, slavery, Stephon Clark, Tamir Rice, Tony McDade, Trayvon Martin, US Government, USA, Walter Scott, Yvette Smith on June 21, 2020 by xi'an
science under attack [it only gets worse #1074]
Posted in Kids, pictures, Travel, University life with tags @ScientistTrump, baby Trump, climate change, climate denial, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, global warming, Science, The New York Times, Trump administration, US elections 2016, US Government on January 6, 2020 by xi'an
A chilling overview by the New York Times on the permanent and concerted attacks by the Trump administration on science and the scientific duties of the U.S. Government. [This post was written a week ago, before a much scarier and literal as well as extra-judicial attack took place.]
“Political appointees have shut down government studies, reduced the influence of scientists over regulatory decisions and in some cases pressured researchers not to speak publicly. The administration has particularly challenged scientific findings related to the environment and public health opposed by industries such as oil drilling and coal mining. It has also impeded research around human-caused climate change, which President Trump has dismissed despite a global scientific consensus.”
“The administration’s efforts to cut certain research projects also reflect a longstanding conservative position that some scientific work can be performed cost-effectively by the private sector, and taxpayers shouldn’t be asked to foot the bill.”
“…some of the Trump administration’s moves, like a policy to restrict certain academics from the E.P.A.’s Science Advisory Board or the proposal to limit the types of research that can be considered by environmental regulators, “mark a sharp departure with the past.” Rather than isolated battles between political officials and career experts, these moves are an attempt to legally constrain how federal agencies use science in the first place.”
“In addition to shutting down some programs, there have been notable instances where the administration has challenged established scientific research. Early on, as it started rolling back regulations on industry, administration officials began questioning research findings underpinning those regulations (…) Many top government positions, including at the E.P.A. and the Interior Department, are now occupied by former lobbyists connected to the industries that those agencies oversee.”
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