Recognizing that political interference in science has become a serious problem, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released a long-awaited Scientific Integrity Directive to reverse the hostile environment toward science under the Bush administration.
For years, interference from politicians and government officials has prevented government scientists from doing their jobs, and has led to flawed policy decisions on numerous issues, from prescription drug safety to childhood lead poisoning to climate change and endangered species. A recent survey conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that hundreds of government food safety scientists and inspectors reported political and industry pressure to soften their scientific findings.
If fully implemented, the directive will help protect government scientists from pressure by special interests.
It lays out a set of instructions to federal agencies and departments so that policy decisions can be fully informed by the best available science, scientists can communicate effectively with their peers and the media, and the public can better understand how and why a particular policy decision is made. Federal agencies have 120 days to develop specific plans to carry out the instructions.
Scientists who work for and advise the federal government have seen their work manipulated, suppressed and distorted, while agencies have systematically limited public and policy maker access to critical scientific information.
While science is rarely the only factor in public policy decisions, this input should be objective and impartial.
More than 15,000 scientists, including 52 Nobel Laureates, have spoken out against political interference over the past seven years.
Take a look at the list of cases where science has been manipulated, you won’t believe it:
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