Science and Democracy

The partnership between science and democracy has played a huge role in U.S. history. But misinformation and attacks on science have strained that partnership. UCS science and democracy experts keep you informed on the latest developments, from Capitol Hill to local communities.


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Latest Science and Democracy Posts

The endangered Houston toad. US Fish and Wildlife Service

New Analysis Shows Government Lacks Plans to Save Endangered Species from Climate Change

, Research scientist

November 18, 2019 11:03 AM EDT

Today, a new analysis published in Nature Climate Change shows that the US government doesn’t have many plans to conserve hundreds of endangered species that are at-risk of being affected by climate change. The analysis finds that 99.8% of the 459 US animals listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are at risk of having their populations further decrease under a changing climate. However, the two agencies in charge of managing conservation of these species, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), have plans to manage the effects of climate change for only 18% of them. Read more >

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The Terrible Thing about EPA’s Restricted Science Rule that We Aren’t Talking About

, Research Analyst

November 15, 2019 12:51 PM EDT

Alarmingly, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is attempting to choke off the science that can be considered in the policymaking process in a way that will almost certainly hamper the efforts to monitor and protect people from environmental health hazards throughout the US, but especially in underserved communities. The EPA is about to release a new supplement to its restricted science rule, which will pose incredible harm to the science used throughout the agency and could result in endless analyses at the EPA that stop science-based decisionmaking in its tracks. Read more >

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The back-end of several cars in traffic polluting the air with tailpipe emissions.
©iStockphoto.com/ssuaphoto

Ultrafine Particles are an Emerging Environmental Health Risk

Doug Brugge, PhD, MS, Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences, , UCS

November 15, 2019 9:29 AM EDT

Ambient particulate matter air pollution (PM) is one of the top ten causes of illness and death in the world.  While PM pollution is worse in many developing countries, it remains a problem in the United States as well.  Many people in the US may not be aware of the magnitude of the problem because the levels of pollution that present a health risk include concentrations that are usually not readily visible. Read more >

©iStockphoto.com/ssuaphoto
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Photo: nat693/Adobe Stock

Dubious Advice: Bears Ears, National Park Campgrounds, and the Rise of Captured Committees

, Climate scientist

November 14, 2019 5:09 PM EDT

The advisory committee for Bears Ears National Monument has been criticized for being skewed toward energy interests. The “Made in America” Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee recommends privatizing America’s national parks campgrounds. They both represent a new type of advisory committee designed to give the appearance of impartiality and independent review when they are actually disproportionately stocked with enablers of the administration’s political agenda. Read more >

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Notable Moments from the Hearing on EPA’s Proposal to Sideline Science

, Deputy director, Center for Science & Democracy

November 14, 2019 3:38 PM EDT

The House Science Committee yesterday held a hearing on EPA’s horrendous proposal to sideline public health research when it makes decisions. I livetweeted the hearing, as did UCS’s Allison Cain and NRDC’s John Walke. There were several revealing moments that tell us more about EPA’s strategy, highlight the forces behind the proposal, and emphasize the continued and sustained opposition from scientists.

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