Tag Archives: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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UCS – September 25: Center for Science and Democracy symposium


Lewis M. Branscomb Science and Democracy Forum Symposium: Improving Citizen Access to Governmental Scientific Information

The Union of Concerned Scientists invites you to a free symposium focusing on identifying and removing barriers to citizen access to governmental scientific information on Tuesday, September 25. You can attend via webcast or in person at the Newseum in Washington, DC. As space is limited, people who register by September 12 will receive first priority.

We have a great line-up of speakers, including: The Honorable John Porter, Research!America Chair and former representative (R-IL) Representative Ed Markey (D-MA) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Adminstrator Jane Lubchenco USA Today Reporter Dan Vergano Consumer Product Safety Commission Chair Inez Tenenbaum Curtis Brainard of the Columbia Journalism Review

The symposium will run from 8:30 a.m. – noon EDT, with breakfast available to in-person attendees at 8:00 a.m.

The event is co-sponsored by the UCS Center for Science and Democracy and the First Amendment Center.

The symposium will be preceded by two events: A webinar on Wednesday, September 19, at 2:00 p.m. EDT (note date change). To kick off the series, UCS will host a webinar to highlight the consequences of inadequate access to government scientific information and recent attempts to restrict access. The webinar will feature reporter Joe Davis from the Society of Environmental Journalists and Daniel Schuman from the Sunlight Foundation. A conference call on Monday, September 24, at 7:00 p.m. EDT. UCS will introduce Dr. Andrew Rosenberg, the new director of the UCS Center for Science and Democracy, and provide insight as to how the new center plans to address the challenge of access to government data.

Click here for the agenda and more information on the forum. We look forward to you joining us and contributing to the conversation!

For more information, please contact Pallavi Phartiyal at pphartiyal@ucsusa.org.

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Help Protect Scientists from Political Interference …Union of Concerned Scientists


How can you protect science and government scientists from political interference? By filing a public comment by asking the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to strengthen its draft scientific integrity policy.   

   www.ucsusa.org

In the past, NOAA scientists were censored and told to change their research on issues from global warming to endangered species. While the draft policy would address some of these problems, it needs to be further strengthened to better protect those who report the abuse of science, give the public more information about who is meeting with NOAA officials, and allow us to hold agency officials accountable if they transgress.

It is critical that NOAA scientists can continue to provide national weather forecasting, manage coastal and deep ocean resources, and research global climate patterns without interference.

Help NOAA improve its scientific integrity policy by submitting a comment today —the deadline is August 20.      www.ucsusa.org

Sincerely,
MichaelHalpern_jpg
Michael Halpern
National Field Organizer

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Become a member today – UCS …The Union of Concerned Scientists


For years, corporations and politicians have put the public’s health and safety at risk by manipulating government science and censoring scientists in an effort to look after their own best interests.

“The specific suggestions [UCS] has offered have been critical to the overall goal of strengthening science and protecting its integrity, including the use of science by federal agencies”

—Dr. Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Please help UCS lock in much-needed government reforms that will ensure independent science informs key decisions about our health, safety, air, and water.

 The Union of Concerned Scientists blew the whistle on these widespread attacks on science during the Bush administration. Now, we’re pressing the Obama administration to ensure they follow through on their stated commitment to restore scientific integrity to government decision making.

As I write this, government agencies responsible for everything from protecting our food and drugs to our air and water are developing groundbreaking new policies to protect their scientists from political pressure by special interests. But will those policies be strong—or full of loopholes?

We need your help to ensure these agencies adopt policies that truly protect science and scientists. Please become a member of UCS today.

UCS is the only organization watchdogging the entire administration to ensure it follows through on their scientific integrity commitments. And we’re providing agencies with resources to help government scientists do their best work and avoid the abuses of science we’ve documented in the past.

But we can’t do it without you. Please become a member of UCS by making a donation today.

If we have your help we can work with agencies to ensure that independent science informs key decisions about the safety of our food and medicines, the levels of toxic chemicals in our children’s toys, the quality of our air and water, and much more.

Please help UCS lock in much-needed reforms that will keep politics in its rightful and proper place and allow government scientists to do their jobs. Become a member today.

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch

President

P.S. When you join UCS, you join more than 79,000 UCS members who also believe that decisions about our health, safety, air, and water should fully consider the best available science. Please join us today and help us keep politics out of science.

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RepoWEr America … House slashes climate funding


We need your help. The House of Representatives passed a federal funding proposal over the weekend that would make drastic cuts to programs that help solve the climate crisis.

Read our latest blog post to find out more — then share it on Facebook.

http://www2.repoweramerica.org/page/m/396e8df6/6fdeebac/57d8fef/19ba7704/3702897640/VEsE/

The funding bill the House of Representatives voted in favor of is an attack on climate change solutions and climate change science. The House cuts would:

Prohibit the EPA from setting limits on greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, factories and refineries, among the most significant sources of greenhouse gas pollution in the United States.

http://www2.repoweramerica.org/page/m/396e8df6/6fdeebac/57d8fef/19ba7704/3702897640/VEsC/

Prohibit the EPA from collecting information about the sources where greenhouse gas pollution is coming from.

Eliminate funding for a Climate Service at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This program would efficiently supply scientific data and information about climate change and its impacts.

Slash the EPA’s total budget by about 29%.

Fortunately, both the Senate and the President still need to weigh in on the funding proposal. They must act before March 4. We need your help if we are going to make sure they take the climate crisis more seriously than the House of Representatives did. Read our summary here — and then spread the word among your friends and family.

http://cpaf.repoweramerica.org/budget-blow

Thanks for all you do,

Maggie L. Fox

Chief Executive Officer

Climate Protection Action Fund