Editorial: Censoring science

Posted 10/28/17

If we simply ignore science, muzzle the federal scientists, unpleasant things like global warming and rising seawater cease to exist — problem solved.

So seems to be the attitude of the new …

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Editorial: Censoring science

Posted

If we simply ignore science, muzzle the federal scientists, unpleasant things like global warming and rising seawater cease to exist — problem solved.

So seems to be the attitude of the new Environmental ‘Protection’ Agency (EPA) which, for reasons unstated, cancelled at the last minute Rhode Island presentations by three EPA scientists. The three had been expected to participate in a workshop to discuss a report on the condition of Narragansett Bay and threats to its health that include climate change.

The Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, which operates a reserve on Prudence Island, is hosting the event. One of the three scientists was to have delivered the keynote address about a report that was years in the making.

Efforts by organizers to find out what caused the cancellation have been met by silence. They say that silence sends a chilling message.

“As soon as you start trying to censor science, how do you keep it out of the realm of the political?” asked John King, chairman of the estuary program’s science advisory committee. “This looks like the opening volley of the war on science.”

Latest estimates are that the sea could rise by ten feet here by the end of this century.

That seems like something an agency devoted to protecting the environment might want to talk about.

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.