Perverting science for politics

[HungLikeJesus]

This is from LiveScience

White House Played Role in Smog Rule

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency agreed to weaken a key section of its new smog requirements announced this week after being told at the last minute that President Bush preferred a less stringent approach, according to government documents.

The documents depict a series of tense exchanges between the EPA and the White House Office of Management and Budget during the days before the new smog air quality standard was announced Wednesday.

Changes directed by the White House were inserted into the smog regulation only hours before it was issued with the late flurry of activity forcing the EPA to delay the announcement for five hours.

The disagreement revolved around the amount of protection from ozone, or smog, should be afforded wildlife, farmlands, parks and other open spaces.

This so-called "public welfare'' or "secondary'' smog standard is separate from a decision to tighten the smog requirements for human health, which the EPA decided to do by reducing the allowable concentrations of ozone in the air from 80 parts per billion to 75 parts per billion.

[there's more at the link]

[tw]

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus

tw - Are you saying that the EPA is responsible for American obesity problems?

Price of gasoline has been too low causing people to abandon bicycles. Excessively cheap gas creates too many visits to junk food stores that also sell gasoline (WaWa, Gas 'n Go, etc) and too much driving while consuming Krispy Kremes. MacDonalds also participated by upgrading drive-in windows with SuperSizing.

To save Americans from early 'heart attack' deaths, Arabs have jack booted gasoline prices. God told them to.

George Jr probably asked god to arrange this. George talks to god. We now have friends working for us in high places using high prices. Don't worry; be happy. Everything is now under control. This time without using torture.

[Ibby]

By god, I think he's being funny!

[xoxoxoBruce]

He's always funny. The only difference this time, is it's intentional.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Ibram

By god, I think he's being funny!

God is not involved.

[classicman]

lol - he seems to have lightened up A LOT lately! Maybe you're right - he got a girlfriend.

[Shawnee123]

I'm developing a major crush on the t-dub.

[classicman]

T-dub + Shawnee = perverted science.

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by classicman

T-dub + Shawnee = perverted science.

You can call us t-shawn. That's what the tabloids will be calling us anyway. :p

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

You can call us t-shawn. That's what the tabloids will be calling us anyway. :p

Good, cuz I think "A-Shawn-t" is taken.

[Flint]

Remember Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome? The whole city ran on pig-shit.

[BigV]

Since '01, Guarding Species Is Harder

Endangered Listings Drop Under Bush

By Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 23, 2008; Page A01

With little-noticed procedural and policy moves over several years, Bush administration officials have made it substantially more difficult to designate domestic animals and plants for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Controversies have occasionally flared over Interior Department officials who regularly overruled rank-and-file agency scientists' recommendations to list new species, but internal documents also suggest that pervasive bureaucratic obstacles were erected to limit the number of species protected under one of the nation's best-known environmental laws.

The documents show that personnel were barred from using information in agency files that might support new listings, and that senior officials repeatedly dismissed the views of scientific advisers as President Bush's appointees either rejected putting imperiled plants and animals on the list or sought to remove this federal protection.

I particularly like the Machiavellian elegance of this next tactic:

Officials also changed the way species are evaluated under the 35-year-old law -- by considering only where they live now, as opposed to where they used to exist -- and put decisions on other species in limbo by blocking citizen petitions that create legal deadlines.

Brilliant!!

OF COURSE we should only evaluate a species' candidacy for listing on the Endangered Species Act based on where they live now! For pity's sake, we can't go back and change the past, now can we? And if a species' population (BANG!) is decreasing (BANG!) and then is beyond (BANG!) the (BANG!) point (BANG!) of no (BANG!) return, then, gee Wally, I'm so sorry. (See attached graphic. Note, missing from the graphic is the timeframe for GWB's ESA listing legacy--Seven years. His total for seven years is 59. Compared to nearly 59 PER YEAR by his soft hearted soft headed father. Nevermind the fact that this administration has requested none, only been... bullied into listing those 59 at the end of a lawsuit).

So, so, so unfair. Take it all now, leave nothing of value behind. Send the bill and the carcasses and the wreckage to the grandchildren.

[TheMercenary]

BigV you can't actually be surprised by any of this.

[glatt]

Point of this thread is to document in one place instances where the current administration has perverted science for politics. Nobody is surprised by it anymore, but should we yawn and scratch ourselves, or make note of it?

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by glatt

Point of this thread is to document in one place instances where the current administration has perverted science for politics. Nobody is surprised by it anymore, but should we yawn and scratch ourselves, or make note of it?

I think if it makes you feel better scratch the itch. There are plenty of people taking notes. So wrongs may be righted, some may not. Much of the environmental actions by this administration are deplorable.