One Hundred Days to Scientific Integrity‏

On March 9, President Obama issued an executive memorandum directing that within 120 days he will put forward recommendations for the use of science in agency decision-making, including -

• "Appropriate whistleblower protections… to ensure integrity of scientific and technological information…";

• "Procedures to identify and address instances in which the scientific process or the integrity of scientific… information may be compromised"; and

• Rules to ensure the quality and transparency of scientific information relied upon by agencies.

This directive was overshadowed in media coverage by the stem cell research Executive Order issued at the same time. This government-wide science effort may carry greater significance than the stem cell action.

Suppression of environmental science has not stopped. It is continuing throughout federal agencies, from Guam to the Grand Canyon. An especially clear-cut example (pun intended) is unfolding right now in our national forests.

PEER is working to stop political abuse of science and will actively participate in this novel attempt to develop affirmative means of protecting scientific integrity. If you have thoughts about how to implement this directive, please let us know.

Sincerely,

Jeff Ruch
Executive Director

P.S. Our last message about states engaged in an environmental race to the bottom has a disturbing new example, Michigan's plan to repeal its 30-year old model wetlands laws.

P.P.S. If you support this work, consider becoming a member of PEER - and if you are a member, thank you.

P.P.P.S. Did you know that the largest logging effort EVER is about to take place in the Black Hills National Forest? Go to our blog to help stop this action...