is politics trumping science?« Thread Started on May 20, 2004, 12:59am »--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Conservationists and park advocates have long said that the Bush administration favored politics over science when shaping public policies such as clean air and whether to allow snowmobiles in Yellowstone. In February, a panel of more than 60 leading scientists took that charge further, saying the administration routinely distorts and suppresses science for partisan ends.The panel, which included 20 Nobel laureates and several former federal agency leaders, released a statement accusing the administration of ignoring reports from its own scientists in favor of advice from unqualified political appointees."Across a broad range of issues, the administration has undermined the quality of the scientific advisory system and the morale of the government's outstanding scientists," says Dr. Kurt Gottfried, emeritus professor of physics at Cornell University and chair of the Union of Concerned Scientists.The scientists' statement followed a series of court decisions overturning Bush administration policies deemed harmful to the environment. One blocked an administration rule that would have relaxed pollution requirements for aging, coal-fired power plants. NPCA was a plaintiff in another recent case to thwart approval of a power plant that would spur air pollution and haze at Yellowstone National Park - another decision where critics say politics trumped science.The administration's controversial decision to overturn a science-based ban on snowmobiles in Yellowstone also has been harshly criticized. U.S. District Court Judge Emmett Sullivan overturned the decision in December, calling it "completely politically driven." By overturning the original Park Service ban overwhelmingly supported by the public, the administration "ignored decades of scientific information," says Steven Bosak, legislative officer for NPCA.Because issues such as air pollution affect the health of parks and people, park advocates urge the Bush administration to inform its decision-making with science."Without honest scientific information, our national parks stand to suffer from flawed policies that weaken park protection," says Craig Obey, NPCA's vice president of government affairs."Manipulating science for political purposes rather than relying on accurate scientific findings will harm the parks and deny future generations the experience that should be their birthright."http://www.npca.org/magazine/2004/spring/news1.asp