disinformation playbook

Senators Must Stop Nancy Beck’s Playbook for Undermining Science

, Lead science and policy analyst

March 3, 2020 3:51 PM EDT

President Trump has nominated Dr. Nancy Beck for the role of chair and commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an agency charged with “protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death” related to the use of consumer products on the market. The American Chemistry Council representative turned EPA chemicals-focused political appointee, Beck has made headlines for egregious changes to EPA process and policy that have resulted in measures that fail to adequately protect all of us, particularly children. Read more >

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Book Review: The Triumph of Doubt Exposes the Disinformation Playbook in Action

, executive director

February 14, 2020 11:44 AM EDT

“The Triumph of Doubt: Dark Money and the Science of Deception” is a no-holds barred page-turner. In story after story, author David Michaels chronicles how major industries use and misuse science and co-opt scientists to manufacture doubt about scientific evidence and put public health at risk. Read more >

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Mary Cybulski/Focus Features

DuPont’s Worst Nightmare: “Dark Waters” Speaks the Truth About PFAS Science

, Lead science and policy analyst

November 19, 2019 9:16 AM EDT

The image accompanying the 2016 New York Times piece, “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare” has stuck with me since I first read it. The contrast of a man in a dark suit with darkened eyes and a grave face standing on a West Virginia farm on a wintry day is chilling. Rob Bilott’s expression in that photo captures so much of the PFAS story. It’s the face of a man tired of knowing the truth and not seeing the proportional response to that knowledge from those with the power and responsibility to protect people.

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Mary Cybulski/Focus Features
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Another Believer/CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia)

Science Workshop on PFAS Highlights the Need for Government Action

, Lead science and policy analyst

September 30, 2019 3:06 PM EDT

I spent Thursday and Friday of last week at the National Academies of Science Environmental Health Matters Initiatives (EHMI) workshop, “Identifying Opportunities to Understand, Control, and Prevent Exposure to PFAS” which brought together scientists, community members, NGOs, regulators, and industry representatives to think about some of the challenges and potential solutions related to the PFAS contamination issue plaguing our country. Read more >

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Raul de Nuez/UCS

Here’s What Congress Should Ask When Industry Tries to Spread PFAS Disinformation Today

, Lead science and policy analyst

September 10, 2019 1:05 PM EDT

At a hearing tomorrow in the House Oversight and Reform Committee, the primary makers and users of PFOA and PFOS, 3M, DuPont, and Chemours, will be testifying about their roles in the PFAS contamination fiasco. This follows a July hearing featuring the voices of community members and state agencies who have been impacted by the failure of these companies to control releases of these substances for decades. Read more >

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