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A ray of hope for ethics, especially in Climate Change science

a prohibition against government public affairs officers asking or directing federal scientists to alter scientific findings….. and that “data and research used to support policy decisions undergo independent peer review by qualified experts.”……”This is a rough but promising blueprint for honesty and accountability in the use of science in government decisions,”

Obama administration issues guidelines designed to ensure ‘scientific integrity’ The Washington Post,  By Rob Stein and Juliet Eilperin December 17, 2010 The Obama administration Friday issued long-awaited guidelines designed to protect federal scientists from political interference – the first time the federal government has had an explicit government-wide policy of this kind.

The four-page memorandum “describes the minimum standards expected as departments and agencies craft scientific integrity rules appropriate for their particular missions and cultures, including a clear prohibition on political interference in scientific processes and expanded assurances of transparencies,” wrote John P. Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, in a blog post accompanying the memo’s release.

Among the new guidelines is a prohibition against government public affairs officers asking or directing federal scientists to alter scientific findings. The guidelines also require that appointments are made based primarily on the applicants’ “scientific and technological knowledge, credentials, experience and integrity” and that “data and research used to support policy decisions undergo independent peer review by qualified experts.”……
The directive reflects the administration’s efforts to distinguish itself from the George W. Bush administration, which was frequently charged with censoring federal scientists on climate change and other hot-button issues.
In one instance, Council on Environmental Quality Chief of Staff Phil Cooney and his aides made nearly 300 changes to the Bush administration’s Strategic Plan of the Climate Change Science Program that either played down the link between human activity and climate change, or highlighted scientific uncertainties associated with it. Political appointees edited federal scientists’ congressional testimony concerning climate change and its effects, and screened interviews with reporters on the subject……
A survey of more than 1,700 scientists and inspectors at the Food and Drug Administration and Agriculture Department released in September by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that many said they faced frequent political and corporate interference with their work.

The guidelines received mixed reviews from independent government watchdogs.

“This is a rough but promising blueprint for honesty and accountability in the use of science in government decisions,” said Francesca Grifo of the Union of Concerned Scientists. “At the same time, I’m worried that the directive leaves an enormous amount of discretion to the agencies.”…….

Obama administration issues guidelines designed to ensure ‘scientific integrity’

December 18, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA