March 14th, 2013
You have likely heard that science journalism is in decline. No surprises there – one after another we have watched newspapers reduce the number of science beat reporters or announce the closing of their science desks altogether. We have also heard a great deal of debate over what the new on-line sources of information mean for how science is understood. Read More
March 8th, 2013
Four years ago tomorrow, President Obama signed a memorandum for the heads of executive departments and agencies on scientific integrity. He asked the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to confer with them – specifically calling out the Office of Management and Budget – and recommend a plan to achieve the highest level of integrity. Read More
September 27th, 2012
Scientists find themselves under scrutiny now more than ever before, and that scrutiny intensifies when their research is at the center of a public policy debate. Sometimes, this scrutiny helps educate the public and clarify what we know; at other times, this scrutiny is designed to confuse the public and policymakers. Today, UCS is releasing a guide that helps scientists deal with harassment and other unwarranted attacks on their integrity and their work. Read More
July 6th, 2012
In keeping with its commitment to improving its scientific integrity standards, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has updated its public communication and media policy—for the first time in two decades (to put that in perspective, that’s before the vast majority of us used the Internet). The policy is a marked improvement from the agency’s previous policy and succeeds by clarifying the roles and responsibilities of Service employees and public affairs officials in the communication of scientific information. But despite these improvements, the agency is not out of the woods quite yet. Read More
July 2nd, 2012
Misinformation about climate science is a dangerous thing. Scientists have been telling policymakers for years that climate change poses serious threats to our health and economic well-being. But too many polluting corporations have pursued a strategy of delay and denial to protect their near-term bottom lines rather than the public interest. Read More
June 29th, 2012
The news these days has rightly focused on the Supreme Court’s landmark decision on access to health care. But with scant media attention, Congress on June 26 sent a bill to the President that is just as important to the health and well-being of each and every American family, and the future of scientific integrity at the Food and Drug Administration. Read More
June 25th, 2012
With the summer months come many things: the Washington Nationals (currently in first place!), longer days, sangria, and the opportunity to laugh out loud at my desk as I look at entries in our annual editorial cartoon contest. Read More
June 4th, 2012
The attack on the privacy of scientists’ email communication is expanding. It’s not just those who deny climate change who are going after the emails. Two scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution wrote in the Boston Globe over the weekend that British Petroleum has successfully subpoenaed more than 3,000 confidential emails among scientists that discuss the Gulf oil disaster. Read More
May 10th, 2012
At last, a bit of good news and a glimmer of hope from Congress. Last Tuesday evening (May 8), the Senate unanimously approved S. 743, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act. Read More
May 2nd, 2012
It is ironic that 50 years after the drug thalidomide was found to have caused serious harm to tens of thousands of babies in Europe and Great Britain, but not the U.S., both the Administration and Congress are backing efforts that could unravel the safety net and erode the power of American agencies to protect public health and safety. Read More
© 2013
