UPDATE: The numbers included below are in comparison to current funding levels, which are those that were passed in the most recent omnibus spending bill. The White House recently released its budget proposing the following cuts: 31% cut to EPA’s budget including a 20% reduction of EPA staff Up to a 15% cut to USGS 2% … Read more
Yesterday, Scott Pruitt, the newly installed head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), made a statement regarding climate change in answer to a question posed to him on a CNBC program. “I think that measuring with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do and there’s tremendous disagreement about the degree … Read more
Last week, advance details of the White House’s proposed cuts to NOAA and the EPA were published by the Washington Post. NOAA’s overall budget is proposed to be cut by a total of 17%, with some programs slated to be cut more deeply or eliminated altogether. The White House proposal would cut the EPA budget … Read more
As some of the individuals nominated to lead the federal science agencies under President Trump start to be confirmed – with others likely to be confirmed in coming weeks, AGU stands ready to work with them and offer our expertise and the expertise of our members. That said, we acknowledge that some of the nominees … Read more
— By Eric Davidson, President, AGU, and Robin Bell, President-Elect, AGU A few short weeks ago, a group of scientists on Reddit and Twitter were looking for a way to speak publicly in support of science, research, and evidence-based policy in light of recent communications and actions taken by the new administration and Congress. These … Read more
Over the past few weeks, many of you have expressed an interest in becoming more involved in science policy. We’ve discussed opportunities in the past for you to engage under a new Administration and Congress in “The Shifting Landscape of Science” post and this is another element of that effort. Each year, AGU weighs in on the … Read more
Editor’s Note: This blog post was cross-posted from the Bridge, an AGU blog on science and policy. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and 26 other Senators recently introduced S.338, legislation that aims to promote and protect scientific integrity. The bill contains language that would require the Directors of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and … Read more
The presumed top two candidates for President Trump’s science advisor have been reported by several credible media organizations to characterize human-induced climate change as “a radical hypothesis,” “exaggerated,” and the product of “a cult.”* We urge From The Prow readers to sign and promote our petition to appoint an individual with a strong scientific background … Read more
If the thought had ever crossed my mind when I first joined AGU in 1990 that I might one day join its leadership, I would have dismissed it as highly unlikely. As a graduate student, I had imprinted on a community of soil scientists and ecologists. I attended my first AGU meeting to stand in … Read more
Today, AGU issued this letter to federal agency heads and press release to science-interested media. AGU expressed its concern over recent reports related to scientific integrity and open communication of scientific information generated by federal agencies to the public. We will continue to monitor what’s happening to science at the federal agency level and speak out … Read more