AR-News: Distortion or Lies: When Politics Trumps Good Science.

[ISPEAKInc at aol.com]

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1. Distortion or Lies: When Politics Trumps Good Science.
Petition: http://www.care2.com/go/z/14976

Why has the United States government disregarded global 
consensus on climate change for so long? Why weren't 
EPA experts consulted prior to the creation of new Mercury 
pollution regulations? Science has increasingly been 
manipulated to achieve political aims, and Americans 
have lost the ability to protect themselves. Protect our 
familes from the misuse of science by signing this 
petition: http://www.care2.com/go/z/14976

Good science uses the "scientific method" for a reason - 
to ensure that we come as close to the unbiased truth 
as possible. However, on February 18, 2004, over 60 
leading scientists voiced their concern over the Bush 
Administration's systematic  distortion of scientific facts 
in an effort to further its political agenda. 

These scientists are so outraged, they signed a letter 
condemning the Administration's current policies which 
have included: 

** deliberately stacking advisory panels with political 
appointees, 
** censoring and disregarding government scientists and 
reports when they conflict with the administration's political 
goals, 
** disbanding scientific panels whose advice conflicted 
with the Bush administration's policies. 

The integrity of scientific study is critical to those who rely 
on scientific analysis to inform policy decisions and to the 
American public who depends on the governement to 
protect their health and safety. 

How can you help? Join America's leading scientists and 
urge your representatives to call for legislative and 
regulatory action to restore scientific integrity to federal 
policymaking. Go to: http://www.care2.com/go/z/14976

 
2.  End "Scientific" Whaling -- The Whale-Killing Loophole
http://www.care2.com/go/z/14979 

Over 20,000 whales have been killed since commercial 
whaling was banned by the International Whaling 
Commission in 1986. How? Partly because a loophole 
allows any nation to issue itself a permit to kill any number 
of whales "for the purposes of scientific research" and 
sell the whale meat in supermarkets later!

Some nations, like Japan, continue to expand their 
programs of "scientific" killing. In fact, only 11% of 
Japanese adults support the killings, and so Japan 
has invested in a public relations offensive to convince 
the public that whaling is culturally and economically 
important to Japan and that whales eat too many fish 
and threaten the conservation of fish stocks - a claim 
for which there is no scientific basis.

More than 1,400 whales are expected to suffer a long 
and torturous death this year alone.

Sign this petition to Japan's Ministry of the Environment, 
urging him to stop flouting our international agreement 
to protect whales! http://www.care2.com/go/z/14979 

3. Inspirational Quote: 
As humans, we rely greatly on the environment; often times 
we forget just how much it relies on us. That's why each of 
us plays a vital role in the protection of this precious resource.
- Tiger Woods


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