Union of Concerned Scientists
|
|
The Union of Concerned Scientists as defined on the UCS website:
- The Union of Concerned Scientists is a nonprofit partnership of scientists and citizens combining rigorous scientific analysis, innovative policy development, and effective citizen advocacy to achieve practical environmental solutions. [1] (http://www.ucsusa.org/index.cfm)
Water_pollution.jpg
The Union or UCS is a non-profit advocacy organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Some of the policies that the Union endorses include controls on pollution, reduction of nuclear weapons, a ban on weapons in space, federal regulation of biotechnology, and the protection of endangered species. The Union also encourages research on renewable energy, low-pollution vehicles, and sustainable agriculture.
History
The UCS was founded in 1969 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by faculty and students. The UCS membership has grown to include many private citizens in addition to scientists. Its popularity among private citizens who value rigorous scientific analysis has led some to suggest that the name should be expanded to reflect its broader appeal.
In 1997, the UCS circulated a petition entitled "A Call to Action". The petition called for the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. The petition was signed by 105 Nobel Prize-winning scientists.
In February, 2004, the Union received a good deal of attention from the mass media by publishing a report titled "Scientific Integrity in Policymaking". This report criticized the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush for "politicizing" science. Some of the allegations include altering reports by the Environmental Protection Agency on global warming and choosing members of scientific advisory panels based on their political views rather than scientific experience. In July 2004, the Union released a addendum to the report in which they criticize the Bush administration and allege that reports on West Virginia strip mining have been improperly altered and rejecting well-qualified nominees for government posts, such as Nobel laureate Torsten Wiesel, because they were openly critical of the Bush Administration and its policies.
- On April 2, 2004, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy issued a statement by John H. Marburger, III, the director of OSTP, that claims the descriptions of the incidents in the UCS report are all "false," "wrong," or "a distortion." UCS analysis of the particulars (pdf) in the White House document shows that these claims are unjustified. Since that time, the administration has been virtually silent on the issue.[2] (http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/rsi/page.cfm?pageID=1641)
External link
- Union of Concerned Scientists (http://www.ucsusa.org/index.cfm)
- UCS Nuclear Concerns (http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/nuclear_safety/page.cfm?pageID=1408)
- Scientific Integrity in Policy Making, links to full report and updates (http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/rsi/page.cfm?pageID=1643)