EPA Wants Research Transparency – but it’s really an attack on science.

This article discusses the changes being made at EPA by Scott Pruitt. Again, this is really bad. 

The Environmental Protection Agency is considering a major change to the way it assesses scientific work, a move that would severely restrict the research available to it when writing environmental regulations.

Under the proposed policy, the agency would no longer consider scientific research unless the underlying raw data can be made public for other scientists and industry groups to examine. As a result, regulators crafting future rules would quite likely find themselves restricted from using some of the most consequential environmental research of recent decades, such as studies linking air pollution to premature deaths or work that measures human exposure to pesticides and other chemicals.

The reason: These fields of research often require personal health information for thousands of individuals, who typically agree to participate only if the details of their lives are kept confidential.

Federal court will hold first-ever hearing on climate change science

This article discusses the court case against the fossil fuel industry over their role in causing globalm warming.

A federal judge in San Francisco has ordered parties in a landmark global warming lawsuit to hold what could be the first-ever U.S. court hearing on the science of climate change.

The proceeding, scheduled for March 21 by U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup, will feature lawyers for Exxon, BP, Chevron and other oil companies pitted against those for San Francisco and Oakland — California cities that have accused fossil fuel interests of covering up their role in contributing to global warming.

Fracking foes accuse industry of manipulating science

The oil and gas industry sponsors and spins research to shape the scientific debate over horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, according to a watchdog group’s analysis of more than 130 documents distributed to policymakers by industry representatives. Huffington Post, Feb 21 2015

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/21/fracking-research-deceive_n_6724162.html?utm_hp_ref=green

‘Scientific fact’ should decide fracking policy

The 2015 Edinburgh International Science Festival launches today with a call for a “new Enlightenment” – with policy decisions on controversial issues such as Scotland’s North Sea oil, fracking and climate change to be based on hard scientific fact rather than hype. Edinburgh Scotsman, United Kingdom. 19 February 2015.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scientific-fact-should-decide-fracking-policy-1-3694934

Seismologist to head up examination of link between earthquakes and fracking

A consortium that includes B.C.-government backed Geoscience BC has appointed a seismologist to a two-year term to examine monitoring data from continuing small earthquakes in northeastern B.C. linked to fracking. Vancouver Sun, British Columbia. 22 January 2015.

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Seismologist+head+examination+link+between+earthquakes/10749360/story.html