Hi Ecologgers, I strongly agree with what Dr. Palmer is suggesting. It would be a powerful message to send. I encourage fellow graduate students to support our faculty in expressing our concern as scientists.
Best, --Joey Joseph Smokey WSU Vancouver Graduate Student Conservation Biology Laboratory (VSCI 217) 14204 NE Salmon Creek Avenue Vancouver, WA 98686-9600 360-/-921-/-6070 northwestbirding[at]gmail[dot]com On Thu, Jan 26, 2017 at 4:26 PM, Palmer, Mike <[email protected]> wrote: > I completely agree we need to write our elected officials in support of > science, federal databases, federal policies, etc. > > However, I also think we need administrators - in particular, college and > university presidents, to step up to the plate. They really should, in my > opinion, take a prominent leadership role as so much is at stake for ALL of > academia. > > > Here is a letter I wrote (relevant for land grant universities) but making > it a bit more anonymous: > > > President**** > > ****University > > > > Dear President ****, > > > > As a scientist, I am greatly concerned by recent activities by the Trump > Administration that effectively stifle science. > > > > Gag orders are preventing members of key scientific agencies (e.g. NPS, > EPA, USDA) from communicating scientific facts to the public. Land > Grant Universities such as ***University require free and open > communication with federal scientists, and many of us at *** have such > scientists as close collaborators > > > > Scientists around the world have noted with consternation the likelihood > of the disappearance of key federal data sets. We absolutely need access > to such data as critical infrastructure for our research, not to mention > education and outreach. > > > > Two executive orders have chilling effects on science. Regulation #2, > the regulation freeze, will allow products to be used and actions to be > undertaken that would have a detrimental effect on health, safety, and the > environment – without scientific input. Regulation #5, the federal > hiring freeze, will end up decreasing the staff of scientific agencies and > thus cripple their ability to inform the public of critical scientific > issues, and to maintain federal scientific infrastructure. > > > > The most noticeable targets in the anti-science push have been climate > scientists, and those studying issues of social inequality. This creates > a frightening ‘witch hunt’ mentality that stifles free expression of > scientific truths. The newly leaked policy that EPA scientists must > subject their work to review by political appointees is symptomatic and > troubling. > > > > The president and his counselors have expressed contempt for the use of > verifiable information, instead touting “alternative facts” and “long held > beliefs” as if they had equal weight. Similarly, there are signs that > first amendment guarantees are being threatened. Both must be viewed by > academia as a threat to all we stand for. > > > > I have just reviewed ***University’s mission statement, vision statement, > core values, and strategic goals (***URL for mission statement**). I > find that the current actions and sentiment in the federal executive > branch, and to some extent the legislative branch, do not produce a > comfortable environment for us to fulfill our mission. > > > > President ***, you have been a leader in promoting ***University’s > scholarship and integrity. I ask you to make a public statement in > support of science and academic freedom. I appreciate that as a public > official you cannot make political statements. However, the defense of > science (like that of institutional diversity, for which I appreciate your > initiatives) transcends politics. I also ask you to stress the > importance of free flow of unbiased information from federal agencies, to > allow us to accomplish our mission. Furthermore, I ask you to make this > statement forcefully, publicly, and prominently. > > > > Sincerely, > > *** > > > >
