Concerned Scientists Charge of Politicized Science Rings Hollow, Says National Center for Policy Analysis 2/20/2004
From: Sean Tuffnell of National Center for Policy Analysis, 800-859-1154, stuffnell@ncpa.org WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 -- The Bush Administration came under fire this week from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a left-leaning advocacy group, for systematically distorting facts for political goals. Yet according to experts with the National Center for Policy Analysis' (NCPA) E-Team, "this is a perfect case of the pot calling the kettle black." UCS is an advocacy organization of mainly non-scientists that specializes in signing up prominent scientists for political causes," said NCPA Adjunct Scholar S. Fred Singer, president of the Science & Environmental Policy Project and a former official with the Environmental Protection Agency. "This petition is in itself a distortion of the facts." Singer noted that the list of scientists gives the impression that they are experts on the issues covered, but the list of policy grievances is too broad for this to be possible. For example, many of the signers know very little about climate change issues, except for what they have heard about the International Panel on Climate Change report. "Various statements for included scientists simply regurgitate the flawed political summary of the IPCC report. This summary is widely acknowledged to be at odds with the actual data," said Singer. --- The NCPA is an internationally known nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute with offices in Dallas and Washington, D.C., that advocates private solutions to public policy problems. NCPA depends on the contributions of individuals, corporations and foundations that share its mission. The NCPA accepts no government grants. |