Tired of Losing in Court, Trump Administration Amplifies Attack on Science

Tired of Losing in Court, Trump Administration Amplifies Attack on Science

The Trump administration is acutely aware of science’s role in pushing for effective government regulation, so it’s instituted a sneak attack on science.




Participants in the 2017 March for Science in Washington, DC., protested the Trump administration's anti-science attacks.

Participants in the 2017 March for Science in Washington, DC., protested the Trump administration’s anti-science attacks.

Molly Adams/Flickr

Several years ago, researchers studying environmental causes of childhood autism found a link to chlorpyrifos, a pesticide widely used across the U.S. on staple crops like corn, wheat, and citrus.

That study and others that followed led the EPA to ban the use of chlorpyrifos for most indoor applications, but agricultural use continued, poisoning farmworkers and others. Thanks to a series of Earthjustice lawsuits, the EPA finally proposed banning this brain-damaging pesticide in 2015. But as soon as President Trump took office, the chemical industry lobbied successfully to derail the ban. We sued, invoking the wealth of scientific data showing there is no safe level of exposure to chlorpyrifos. And in August, we won a resounding court order requiring regulators to finalize the proposed ban.  

This victory is just one of several wins Earthjustice has racked up against the Trump administration. We also had another recent court win to protect grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park from being hunted.

The results in these two cases, as in many of our cases, hinged on years of painstaking work by independent scientists. These wins prove facts still matter in court. They also underscore how much we depend on sound science to protect our health and environment. 

Acting EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler

Acting EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler has attempted to exclude consideration of sound science from EPA decisions.
Cliff Owen / AP

The Trump administration and its allies are acutely aware of science’s role in pushing for effective government regulation — which is why they’ve instituted a sneak attack on science. Their effort to disregard or disqualify any scientific finding that threatens corporate bottom lines has been glaringly apparent in the chlorpyrifos fight as the EPA continues to drag its feet. More sweepingly, last year former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt kicked independent scientists off key advisory boards, and acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler has initiated new actions to exclude consideration of sound science altogether.

The administration’s other anti-science attacks include suppressing a report on formaldehyde’s health effects and halting a study on coal’s health risks. Recently, the president ignored findings by the world’s top climate experts, who warned we have less than 20 years to prevent a climate catastrophe. He also denied his own administration’s most recent climate assessment, which details debilitating consequences to our planet and ourselves unless we dramatically cut carbon pollution.

Just as fossil fuel interests have attacked good science to delay climate action, the chemical industry is trying to undermine and eliminate science that keeps us safe. Good science is the foundation on which our legal work stands, as well as the underpinning of our strongest environmental laws. We are taking every opportunity to defend the role of science in the courts. And, in the new Congress, we will be pressing for robust investigations of this administration’s unfounded attacks.

Drupal user Author (Staff members): 

Iran-linked group hacks nuclear scientists, US sanctions officials

Strange that such stories are closely timed to events that threaten leaders in USA and Israel, as well as Saudi Arabia? Wonder how much money the security firm gets or hopes to get from those governments ? grin.

7872184-4x3-140x105.jpg

London-based cybersecurity group Certfa finds data showing Iran-linked hackers tried to break into private emails of nuclear scientists and US sanctions officials. It is unclear how many accounts they successfully accessed.

Russian woman admits to being a secret agent, in a plea deal

Potential excuses for NRA: “We hardly knew her…” “She told us she was for real, so we believed her…” “A really, really low level person…”

10002280-4x3-140x105.jpg

A Russian woman accused of being a secret agent admits that she conspired to infiltrate the American gun-rights movement to gather intelligence on conservative political groups as Donald Trump rose to power.

Second Look Behind the Headlines – News you can use…

Baldacchino di Perla

"Luce di parole, ombra di sogni."

Northern Desert Photography

Living on the Edge of the Sagebrush Ocean

Susana Cabaço

Spiritual Insights & Personal Empowerment

Barbara Picci

Artist & Art Blogger

craft journey

Furnicraft, woodwork, and art

musings corner

reveries and rants

Japão para Românticos

Bem Vindos a este espaço onde compartilhamos um pouco da realidade do Japão à todos aqueles que desejam visitar ou morar no Japão. Aqui neste espaço, mostramos a realidade do Japão e dos imigrantes. O nosso compromisso é com a realidade. Fique por dentro do noticiário dos principais jornais japoneses, tutoriais de Faça você mesmo no Japão e acompanhe a Série Histórias de Imigrantes no Japão. Esperamos que goste de nossos conteúdos, deixe seu like, seu comentário, compartilhe e nos ajudar você e à outras pessoas. Grande abraço, gratidão e volte sempre!

Leben als Mensch

Willkommen auf Elke´s Glücks-Blog

Sharpshot Nature .Com

- Specializing in the great outdoors, capturing nature at its finest!

Diane Ravitch's blog

A site to discuss education and democracy

Expansão e Percepção

Seu Guia de Inspirações e Reflexões Diárias

noga noga.

my-health-and-beauty.com/

Uğurcan'ın Ütopyası

Benim Gezegenime Hoş geldiniz !!!

AKILS

Blog de viajes y lugares

Ed Mooney Photography

The official blog of Ed Mooney Photography. Dad of 3, Photographer, Blogger, Powerlifter. Exploring the historical sites of Ireland.

everything Explored on the earth

It has new aidias,news, about education , motivation, social, historical, culture, marketing creation new aidias education of language science culture and history

Born to die

L'unico modo sensato di vivere è senza regole

Early Morning Memories

by Anuran (A) & Sayoni (S)

My thoughts

Fun for the Brain

Neo Vision College

An exemplary learning community.

Anthony’s Crazy Love and Life Lessons in Empathy

Loves, lamentation, and life through prose, stories, passions, and essays.

Episodic Squalid Rants

public tantrums by a non-two-year-old

The Street Art Directory

Public, street and urban art worldwide

Artie & Stu

all the rules of free form

Everyone read that they fell in love first

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2937106805202763" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

davidscottmoyer

Lapsed Painter, Occasional Photographer, Compulsive Writer

Health & Fitness

Health Blogs

Buildings Tell Tales

Exploring the hidden architectural heritage of Budapest

Divit kalem

Yaşamdan

Roy's Weblog

The third incarnation...

Thought Pukes

More than a thought less than a question

"بوصلة الحياة"

"بوصلة الحياة: مدونة متعددة المجالات، من السياسة إلى الرومانسية، ومن تطوير الذات إلى الأدب وأكثر!" بقلم مشاعر بنت عبدالرحمن

parallax

The view from here ... Or here!

ClearingSpace4Joy

Bringer and seeker of joy

Belladonna’s Flashlight

The One Where She Stumbled Through Her 40's and Faced Her Demons

~ Trivial Music Silliness ~

Baw wit da baw. Just sayin'.

mo mnsoor blog

Website storys

Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss

Welcome to the Anglo Swiss World

gnaddrig ad libitum

Querbeet und ohne Gewähr

Peace & Truth

KINDNESS IS FREE, sprinkle it all over the world, and 😁 smile

Ética de la vida diaria

Nuestra ética de todos los días...

Elizabeth Gauffreau

Fiction Writer in Poet's Clothing