Science & Democracy Resources

In September 2005, NOAA scientist Dr. Pieter Tans was asked to cancel a conference session on energy use and the carbon cycle due to policy implications and was told that the words “climate change” could not appear in the titles of any presentations.

A major study of climate change’s potential consequences for the United States was erased from official government climate science and policy discussions.

Two independent investigations revealed persistent political interference in the work of federal climate scientists.

Summary and supporting documents detailing survey of scientists at NOAA, NASA, NCAR, USDA, EPA, DOD, DOE, and USGS. The survey gives evidence for inappropriate political interference in their work.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) agreed to a politician’s request to insert a pro-abstinence speaker on a panel discussion at the 2006 National STD Prevention Conference in Jacksonville, Fla.

Several EPA scientists challenged the methodology and questioned the impartiality of the expert panel that reviewed findings of a 2004 EPA study concluding that hydraulic fracturing “poses little or no threat” to drinking water supplies.

The GW Bush administration sought to undermine the public’s understanding of the view held by the vast majority of climate scientists that human-caused emissions of heat-trapping gases are making a clear contribution to global warming.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) distributed a 34-question survey to more than 460 NOAA Fisheries scientists to obtain their perceptions of scientific integrity within the agency. 

Engineer William E. Howard III reported in a letter to Science that his nomination to a Defense Dept. advisory panel was rejected because he had contributed Senator John McCain (R-AZ) presidential campaign.

Political interference in science threatens our nation's prosperity, research capacity, and leadership within the global scientific community.

On February 18, 2004, over 62 leading scientists signed this statement voicing their concern about the misuse of science by the Bush administration.