June 29, 2020 3:49 PM EDT
NOAA Fisheries has instructed its staff not to mention or explicitly refer to the COVID-19 pandemic or coronavirus in any communications. Now fishermen and women, already engaged in one of the most dangerous jobs in the country, will be less aware of coronavirus-related risks. Read more >
June 15, 2020 5:45 PM EDT
I joined former NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco and former NOAA Chief Scientist Richard Spinrad to file a complaint under the NOAA Scientific Integrity policy last September. Three other groups and individuals inside and outside government also complained and requested a formal investigation. Now, ten months later, the report of that investigation has been released. Read more >
March 24, 2020 3:12 PM EDT
Many many people around the world are heeding the advice of scientists by limiting social contact, staying home and doing their part to slow the spread of COVID-19. Of course there are news reports of those who seem oblivious or in denial of the risks, but by and large we know the seriousness of the crisis by paying attention to some great reporting and analysis, and by trusting that public health experts are doing exactly what they trained to do—advise the public about risks and how to reduce them. Read more >
March 16, 2020 5:59 PM EDT
Like many people, I have been reading a lot about the outbreak of COVID-19 around the world and doing my best to take precautions with the best information provided to me. And even more so since I and all my colleagues at UCS are working from home. After all, we follow the science. And the scientific evidence, clearly presented by the World Health Organization (WHO), is that this is a global pandemic. Not China, not Italy, global. Read more >
January 14, 2020 3:25 PM EDT
Earlier this month, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt extended William Pendley’s appointment as the Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for another three months. The BLM has not had a Senate-confirmed permanent director at any point during the Trump administration.
It is pretty clear why Mr. Pendley has not been formally nominated for the Director’s position—his extreme, ultra-conservative views and deep conflicts of interest would not win him confirmation in the Senate. Indeed, many groups are opposed to his appointment because of his record of opposition to the very mission of the agency he is leading. Read more >
