Scientists say US government distorts scientific facts to serve policy purpose

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, February 20, 2004

Scientists say US government distorts scientific facts to serve policy purpose

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Over 60 influential scientists have accused the Bush administration of systematically distorting scientific facts to serve its policy goals on the environment, health, biomedical research and nuclear weaponry at home and abroad, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, made their accusations in a statement released on Wednesday. The accusations were discussed in a conference call organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists, an independent organization that focuses on technical issues, which also issued a 38-page report detailing its accusations.

The two documents accuse the administration of repeatedly censoring and suppressing reports by its own scientists, stacking advisory committees with unqualified political appointees, disbanding government panels that provide unwanted advice and refusing to seek any independent scientific expertise in some cases.

"Other administrations have, on occasion, engaged in such practices, but not so systematically nor on so wide a front," the statement from the scientists said, adding that they believed the administration had "misrepresented scientific knowledge and misled the public about the implications of its policies."

Kurt Gottfried, an emeritus professor of physics at Cornell University who signed the statement, said the administration had "engaged in practices that are in conflict with spirit of science and the scientific method."

Gottfried, also chairman of the board of directors at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the administration had a "cavalier attitude towards science" that could place at risk the basis for the nation's long-term prosperity, health and military prowess.

John H. Marburger III, the science adviser to President George W. Bush and director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House, said it was important to listen to "the distinguished scientific leadership in this country." But he said the report consisted of a largely disconnected list of events that did not make the case for a suppression of good scientific advice by the administration.

The scientists denied that they had political motives in releasing the documents as the 2004 presidential race began to take clear shape. The report, Gottfried said, had taken a year to prepare, much longer than originally planned, and was released as soon as it was ready.

According to the report, the Bush administration has misrepresented scientific consensus on global warming, censored at least one report on climate change, manipulated scientific findings on the emissions of mercury from power plants and suppressed information on condom use.

The report asserts that the administration also allowed industries with conflicts of interest to influence technical advisory committees, disbanded for political reasons one panel on arms control and subjected other prospective members of scientific panels to political litmus tests.

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