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NeilT

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #50 on: January 25, 2017, 12:14:53 AM »
AbruptSLR,

I guess you've never served in the Army....   ;D ;D ;D

That describes 90% of the people I worked alongside there.
Being right too soon is socially unacceptable.

Robert A. Heinlein

AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #51 on: January 25, 2017, 12:20:01 AM »
AbruptSLR,

I guess you've never served in the Army....   ;D ;D ;D

That describes 90% of the people I worked alongside there.

Maybe having extreme narcissistic personality disorder is what makes them dangerous :P
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
― Leon C. Megginson

AbruptSLR

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“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
― Leon C. Megginson

pileus

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #53 on: January 25, 2017, 12:49:34 AM »
ClimatechangePsychology took a snapshot from the wikipedia page of The new climate change denier head of CIA anticipating much rewrite. Hopefully this gets to be stored outside US too :  http://climatechangepsychology.blogspot.fi/2017/01/our-new-cia-head-mike-pompeo-tea-party.html
Clearly a very capable man: a mechanical engineer before he became a lawyer, and first in his class at West Point is no small achievement. So, what causes him to reject mainstream science and become a climate contrarian? It just doesn't scan.

Robert E Lee was #2 in his USMA class, and we know what he was willing to do to the United States.  The Academies are full of exceptional men and women, but there are also plenty of "true believers".

DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #54 on: January 25, 2017, 12:53:17 AM »
ClimatechangePsychology took a snapshot from the wikipedia page of The new climate change denier head of CIA anticipating much rewrite. Hopefully this gets to be stored outside US too :  http://climatechangepsychology.blogspot.fi/2017/01/our-new-cia-head-mike-pompeo-tea-party.html
Clearly a very capable man: a mechanical engineer before he became a lawyer, and first in his class at West Point is no small achievement. So, what causes him to reject mainstream science and become a climate contrarian? It just doesn't scan.

Robert E Lee was #2 in his USMA class, and we know what he was willing to do to the United States.  The Academies are full of exceptional men and women, but there are also plenty of "true believers".

You have to be true believer by design....

pileus

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #55 on: January 25, 2017, 12:56:24 AM »
In this 9-minute video of DT speaking at the start of his "business leaders" meeting yesterday, he mentions "reducing regulations by 75%" to lessen the burdens on manufacturing.

“We want to start making our products again”: President Trump meets with business leaders
https://twitter.com/cnn/status/823539914054782976

Business and corporate America will generally either seize on this opportunity, or drift there with a shrug of metaphorical shoulders, "the government said we could"

As consumers, employees, or share holders, if we observe businesses and corporations turning to environmental degradation (beyond what exists today) based on a loosening controls structure, we need to hold them accountable with our $$ and with our voices.

DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #56 on: January 25, 2017, 01:01:53 AM »
In this 9-minute video of DT speaking at the start of his "business leaders" meeting yesterday, he mentions "reducing regulations by 75%" to lessen the burdens on manufacturing.

“We want to start making our products again”: President Trump meets with business leaders
https://twitter.com/cnn/status/823539914054782976

Business and corporate America will generally either seize on this opportunity, or drift there with a shrug of metaphorical shoulders, "the government said we could"

As consumers, employees, or share holders, if we observe businesses and corporations turning to environmental degradation (beyond what exists today) based on a loosening controls structure, we need to hold them accountable with our $$ and with our voices.

Opportunists maybe. Companies with a long history (or future) will weigh current but also future possible regulations. If they have international operations will also look to EU and Canada/Asia. They won't relax for 4 years only to have to pay bigly in the next change. It will be a long wait and see...

pileus

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #57 on: January 25, 2017, 01:08:51 AM »
It was one thing to control or suppress information in the 1930s or 40s, or even today in say North Korea, but it's an entirely different proposition in the US in 2017.  If the nonsense regarding lies and suppression continues from the new admin, there will likely be a growing set of counter measures and resistance from various sectors of the US.  There is clearly a significant part of the US population that will play along with Dear Leader Trump, but there is a larger contingent that will not roll over, and will push back.  We just need to rise to the challenge, and pick our spots.

pileus

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #58 on: January 25, 2017, 01:13:49 AM »
In this 9-minute video of DT speaking at the start of his "business leaders" meeting yesterday, he mentions "reducing regulations by 75%" to lessen the burdens on manufacturing.

“We want to start making our products again”: President Trump meets with business leaders
https://twitter.com/cnn/status/823539914054782976

Business and corporate America will generally either seize on this opportunity, or drift there with a shrug of metaphorical shoulders, "the government said we could"

As consumers, employees, or share holders, if we observe businesses and corporations turning to environmental degradation (beyond what exists today) based on a loosening controls structure, we need to hold them accountable with our $$ and with our voices.

Opportunists maybe. Companies with a long history (or future) will weigh current but also future possible regulations. If they have international operations will also look to EU and Canada/Asia. They won't relax for 4 years only to have to pay bigly in the next change. It will be a long wait and see...

I agree in that large established organizations, with high brand recognition and value, along with internal ethics and values, are much more likely to "do the right thing" WRT to the environment, carbon footprint, and renewables.  If they try otherwise employees will be the first to stand up and object.

We need to worry about the obvious companies, in the FF and energy sectors, mass agriculture and manufacturing, and elsewhere, that are less inclined to operate from a position of values and concern for the environment.

DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #59 on: January 25, 2017, 01:18:04 AM »
In this 9-minute video of DT speaking at the start of his "business leaders" meeting yesterday, he mentions "reducing regulations by 75%" to lessen the burdens on manufacturing.

“We want to start making our products again”: President Trump meets with business leaders
https://twitter.com/cnn/status/823539914054782976

Business and corporate America will generally either seize on this opportunity, or drift there with a shrug of metaphorical shoulders, "the government said we could"

As consumers, employees, or share holders, if we observe businesses and corporations turning to environmental degradation (beyond what exists today) based on a loosening controls structure, we need to hold them accountable with our $$ and with our voices.

Opportunists maybe. Companies with a long history (or future) will weigh current but also future possible regulations. If they have international operations will also look to EU and Canada/Asia. They won't relax for 4 years only to have to pay bigly in the next change. It will be a long wait and see...

I agree in that large established organizations, with high brand recognition and value, along with internal ethics and values, are much more likely to "do the right thing" WRT to the environment, carbon footprint, and renewables.  If they try otherwise employees will be the first to stand up and object.

We need to worry about the obvious companies, in the FF and energy sectors, mass agriculture and manufacturing, and elsewhere, that are less inclined to operate from a position of values and concern for the environment.

If you think that companies fhat you put in the second category like examplr ExxonMobil, do not have ethics and values that are similar to other large corporations ( that you include in the first category ) you are making a big mistake. And they will rise up...

6roucho

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #60 on: January 25, 2017, 07:09:39 AM »
ClimatechangePsychology took a snapshot from the wikipedia page of The new climate change denier head of CIA anticipating much rewrite. Hopefully this gets to be stored outside US too :  http://climatechangepsychology.blogspot.fi/2017/01/our-new-cia-head-mike-pompeo-tea-party.html
Clearly a very capable man: a mechanical engineer before he became a lawyer, and first in his class at West Point is no small achievement. So, what causes him to reject mainstream science and become a climate contrarian? It just doesn't scan.

Robert E Lee was #2 in his USMA class, and we know what he was willing to do to the United States.  The Academies are full of exceptional men and women, but there are also plenty of "true believers".
pileus, I think in this case the reason is money. Pompeo went into the pipeline business after the army and is employed by the gas industry. A startling state of affairs, when the man is responsible for providing facts about national security issues.

6roucho

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #61 on: January 25, 2017, 07:12:56 AM »
Quote
A US national park has posted a series of tweets about climate change that were later deleted.
"Today, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is higher than at any time in the last 650,000 years. #climate," said one of the tweets.
The posts by Badlands National Park in South Dakota were widely shared but had all been removed by Tuesday evening.
The National Park Service shut its own Twitter operation briefly on Friday after an apparent clampdown.
The park service had retweeted photos about turnout at President Donald Trump's inauguration.
But the accounts were reactivated the next day after an apology for "mistaken" retweets.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38740205

Go Badlands.

According to some reports, there now a blanket ban on National Park Service employees communicating with the public. Which, if true, is not only outrageous, but obviously dangerous. [Correction, only by press or social media]
« Last Edit: January 25, 2017, 07:34:08 AM by 6roucho »

Cid_Yama

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #62 on: January 25, 2017, 07:32:58 AM »
Well, that's it.  No more US climate change information will be forthcoming.

Start at 13:40

All EPA Grants and Contracts Frozen

link

EPA gagged

Not just EPA - Dept of Transportation, Dept of the Interior, HHS and the National Institutes of Health, the USDA Agricultural Research Services, National Park Service, etc

Have been told they are no longer even allowed to provide data or information to Congressional offices.
"For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and provide for it." - Patrick Henry

budmantis

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #63 on: January 25, 2017, 07:43:46 AM »
Thanks for the info Cid. The dark side of the force has taken control, with Darth Trumpus as Emperor. Dark times ahead.

DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #64 on: January 25, 2017, 08:20:58 AM »
POLITICS
Sources: Trump Administration Tells EPA To Cut Climate Page From Website

Quote
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to remove the climate change page from its website, two agency employees told Reuters, the latest move by the newly minted leadership to erase ex-President Barack Obama’s climate change initiatives.

The employees were notified by EPA officials on Tuesday that the administration had instructed EPA’s communications team to remove the website’s climate change page, which contains links to scientific global warming research, as well as detailed data on emissions. The page could go down as early as Wednesday, the sources said.

DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #65 on: January 25, 2017, 08:27:05 AM »
What US looked like without EPA

Quote
The U.S. National Archives' buddy icon   
DOCUMERICA Project by the Environmental Protection Agency
For the Documerica Project (1971-1977), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hired freelance photographers to capture images relating to environmental problems, EPA activities, and everyday life in the 1970s.

The U.S. National Archives digitized more than 15,000 photographs from the series Documerica (Local ID 412-DA) and included them in our online catalog. Our Web site has quick catalog search links for featured DOCUMERICA topics, locations, and photographers.

DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #66 on: January 25, 2017, 11:35:19 AM »
https://www.epa.gov/climatechange

Still here?

Tick....Tok.....Tick....Tok....

Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #67 on: January 25, 2017, 02:27:32 PM »
Elon Musk tweetstorm last night.  These are his tweets/replies:

Elon Musk:  ... This may sound surprising coming from me, but I agree with The Economist. Rex Tillerson has the potential to be an excellent Sec of State.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/824010489449431040
... Rex is an exceptionally competent executive, understands geopolitics and knows how to win for his team. His team is now the USA.
... I share The Economist's opinion that he should be given the benefit of the doubt unless his actions prove otherwise
... Tillerson at his confirmation hearing: "I think it’s important that the United States maintain its seat at the table in the conversation
 ... on how to address threats of climate change. They do require a global response."
Tillerson also said that “the risk of climate change does exist” and he believed “action should be taken"
(To @MichaelEMann:) I'm just saying that we should see what happens first. The actions may be surprising.
Rex Tillerson supports a carbon tax. This is what is really needed to move the needle. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-10/watch-elon-musk-agree-with-exxon-time-for-a-carbon-tax


However, Musk also tweeted "Tsk tsk" and "Sigh" -- to no one in particular -- so he may have been on Ambien again. ;D
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

pileus

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #68 on: January 25, 2017, 04:26:14 PM »
If you think that companies fhat you put in the second category like examplr ExxonMobil, do not have ethics and values that are similar to other large corporations ( that you include in the first category ) you are making a big mistake. And they will rise up...

Indeed, but there will be challenges to the ethics/values of many organizations as these executive orders and then eventually legislation translates through to reality and tangible impacts.  Will orgs "walk the talk" WRT to values, or will they roll over for the sake of expediency and profit, and either wink at or adjust their ethical positioning?  In our information saturated and hyper aware society, you can be sure that employees and consumers will be watching and reacting.

Shortly before the election Tesla changed its mission statement from “to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable transport.” -----> “to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy".  This is not a subtle shift.  Missions are different than values/ethics, but the crisp statement is signaling an inherent commitment to renewables and to help move the world away from fossil fuels.  Much coming out of the WH and the cabinet nominees points toward a chilling effect on federal support of renewables, roll backs of efficiency regulations, and a surge in fossil fuel extraction.  Elon Musk can't change his mission statement to adjust to the new WH directives, so by definition Tesla will be expected to work in opposition to the goals of Trump and his cabinet.

Exxon has a long form values and ethics position.  But you only need to read this content from the "Sustainability" section to know that it's intellectually dishonest and meaningless:  "We are committed to addressing the challenge of sustainable development — balancing economic growth, social development and environmental protection so future generations are not compromised by actions taken today."  Physics says that Exxon compromises future generations 24/7 by their daily actions, so there's no reason to believe anything Tillerson says about dealing with climate change.


AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #69 on: January 25, 2017, 05:17:48 PM »
The linked article is entitled: "EPA Scientists' Work May Face 'Case By Case' Review By Trump Team, Official Says".  This could get worse than McCarthyism; except where environmental and climate scientists get squeezed.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/25/511572169/epa-scientists-work-may-face-case-by-case-review-by-trump-team-official-says

Extract: "Scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency who want to publish or present their scientific findings likely will need to have their work reviewed on a "case by case basis" before it can be disseminated, according to a spokesman for the agency's transition team."
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #70 on: January 25, 2017, 05:35:59 PM »
The linked article is entitled: "Donald Trump's Science Denial Is Becoming National Policy", and it makes it clear that we have so far only seen the tip of the iceberg of Team Trump's anti-science campaign

http://time.com/4646085/donald-trump-science-denial/

Extract: "It isn’t just climate science. Trump may appoint an anti-vaccine activist to run a commission on immunization safety, and an anti-regulation zealot to run the Food and Drug Administration. Trump himself has called the fact that asbestos causes cancer a “con” and even refused to believe the objective scientific reality of drought in California."

“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #71 on: January 25, 2017, 05:50:52 PM »
See comments #40 and #48 above re Badlands National Park Service twitter account.

BadlandsNPS twitter may have been forced to close, but an unofficial, BadHombreLandsNPS account has opened -- with the recently-deleted tweets -- to continue on.

"Good morning, climate/science allies! Here's a quote from Edward Abbey to get us going this morning. #climate"
https://twitter.com/badhombrenps/status/824224289947844608
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NeilT

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #72 on: January 25, 2017, 06:27:37 PM »
Maybe having extreme narcissistic personality disorder is what makes them dangerous :P

No, no, it makes them predictable when given an order... ::) ::)
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #73 on: January 25, 2017, 06:28:12 PM »
The linked website provides information for a proposed "Scientists' March on Washington".

http://www.scientistsmarchonwashington.com/


Extract: "There are certain things that we accept as facts with no alternatives.  The Earth is becoming warmer due to human action.  The diversity of life arose by evolution.  Politicians who devalue expertise risk making decisions that do not reflect reality and must be held accountable.  An American government that ignores science to pursue ideological agendas endangers the world.

 Please bear with us as pull together our mission statement and further details."

Edit, see also:

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/316023-scientists-are-planning-their-own-march-on-washington

Extract: "A Twitter account that started on Monday has periodically sent out updates and requests for people to get involved."

Edit2, see also:

http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/1/25/14370712/trump-science-gagging-explained
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #74 on: January 25, 2017, 06:38:52 PM »
RESIST!

USDA lifts gag order: report
Quote
The Department of Agriculture has reportedly lifted an order that called for scientists and employees of its research arm not to release any of its work to the public.

After a report that the agency had told staff to stop releasing any "news releases, photos, fact sheets, news feeds, and social media content,” BuzzFeed reported that another memo was sent Tuesday night from a top official for the department’s Agricultural Research Service that the original order should not have been issued and “is hereby rescinded.” ...
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/316015-agriculture-department-lifts-order-for-lockdown-on-its-research-arm


EPA spokesman: No plan to take down climate webpages
Quote
An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spokesman said the Trump administration is not currently planning to take down website content regarding climate change.

Doug Ericksen, spokesman for the so-called beachhead team working to transition the agency to the Trump administration, said officials are reviewing all of the “editorial” parts of the EPA’s website for possible changes. ...
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/316081-epa-spokesman-no-plan-to-take-down-climate-webpages
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #75 on: January 25, 2017, 06:43:42 PM »
Silenced Federal Agencies Violating Their Own Policies
Quote
Tuesday marked a flurry of actions by the Trump administration that have cut off some federal scientists from the outside world.

The news, reported by outlets including ProPublica, the Huffington Post, BuzzFeed and the Associated Press, centers around the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture. The outlets reported that there is a ban in place that prohibits scientists from talking to the press and performing outreach via news pages and social media.

The ban violates federal scientific integrity policies that began under the Bush administration and were strengthened during the Obama administration. Those policies are in place to encourage the flow of scientific information between agencies and the taxpayers they serve, free of any political interference. The showdown happening now could be the first of many fights between federal scientists and the Trump administration, which has shown hostility toward science and science-based policy. ...
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/silenced-federal-agencies-are-violating-their-own-policies-21105
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #76 on: January 25, 2017, 06:57:32 PM »
Maybe having extreme narcissistic personality disorder is what makes them dangerous :P

No, no, it makes them predictable when given an order... ::) ::)

We will soon see whether Trump predictably follows Putin's orders ...  :P
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Villabolo

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #77 on: January 25, 2017, 08:04:00 PM »
Is there anyone here who is downloading info before it's gone? What exactly are scientists doing to preserve records?
In the multiversic symphony
In the place of endless possibilities
In the land of dreams we'll meet

Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #78 on: January 25, 2017, 09:33:19 PM »
Is there anyone here who is downloading info before it's gone? What exactly are scientists doing to preserve records?

The effort is well underway, yes. 
https://www.wired.com/2017/01/rogue-scientists-race-save-climate-data-trump/

See also the "Trump to eliminate Climate Change research" thread under the Consequences section on this Forum.

These tweets are from yesterday:

Matt Solt:  @EricHolthaus Does #datarefuge need anything from the EPA climate site before it goes down tomorrow? Can scrape through the night

Eric Holthaus:  I think our colleagues at @internetarchive and @UofT secured virtually all of EPA site + data already.
cc: @DataRefuge @bwiggerson

https://twitter.com/ericholthaus/status/824106097841573888
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #79 on: January 25, 2017, 10:20:43 PM »
President Trump’s Rejection of Science Represents a Threat to National Security
The President’s attacks on science demand an urgent response.
Quote
...In just a few days, Trump has embarked on a systematic effort to discount and obscure concerns over climate and the environment, even as he has opened the door for an industry takeover of public lands. Most shocking, of course, are Trump’s moves to silence federal scientists who work in the public interest on the most pressing issue of our time — even of all time. If climate and environmental scientists aren’t allowed to do their job — understanding our rapidly changing planet and how we can work to lessen the impact of our actions for the benefit of all living things on Earth and then share that knowledge with the public — we are all at risk.
...
The outrage we’re all seeing at these moves is a hopeful sign. This weekend was the largest day of protest in United States history, and for good reason. Already, there are plans for marches in the coming weeks that could bring hundreds of thousands of people back to Washington on behalf of science and the environment. ...
https://psmag.com/trumps-attacks-on-science-represent-a-national-security-threat-b10cc05f7d69
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logicmanPatrick

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #80 on: January 25, 2017, 11:25:34 PM »
Is there anyone here who is downloading info before it's gone? What exactly are scientists doing to preserve records?

Quote
On Inauguration Day, a grim rain hammered Los Angeles for most of the morning and into the afternoon, part of a record-setting series of storms that would cause flooding, mudslides, and evacuations across southern California. Meanwhile, in a nondescript Lego-block building housing the department of Graduate Education and Information Studies on the UCLA campus, a diverse group gathered over their laptops for reasons practically as grim.

Inspired by and in conjunction with other “hackathons” at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Toronto, the group’s mission was to preserve and protect precious scientific data related to climate change and environmental regulation by scraping as much information from the Department of Energy website as time would allow. They called it “a guerrilla archiving event.”

Read more at Paste magazine.
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ritter

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #81 on: January 25, 2017, 11:44:07 PM »
A McCarthyism-esque Orange Scare? Unbelievable. Except that it is happening in real time.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #82 on: January 25, 2017, 11:59:54 PM »
5pm (Eastern U.S. Time): AP News: Trump administration requires studies, data from EPA undergo review by political appointees before public release.

EPA science under scrutiny by Trump political staff
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is mandating that any studies or data from scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency undergo review by political appointees before they can be released to the public.

The communications director for President Donald Trump's transition team at EPA, Doug Ericksen, said Wednesday the review also extends to content on the federal agency's website, including details of scientific evidence showing that the Earth's climate is warming and man-made carbon emissions are to blame.

Former EPA staffers said Wednesday the restrictions imposed under Trump far exceed the practices of past administrations.

Ericksen said no orders have been given to strip mention of climate change from www.epa.gov , saying no decisions have yet been made.

We're taking a look at everything on a case-by-case basis, including the web page and whether climate stuff will be taken down," Erickson said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Obviously with a new administration coming in, the transition time, we'll be taking a look at the web pages and the Facebook pages and everything else involved here at EPA."

Asked specifically about scientific data collected by agency scientists, such as routine monitoring of air and water pollution, Ericksen responded, "Everything is subject to review." ...
https://apnews.com/c1423276fb574b07953651a68a082db9/EPA-science-under-scrutiny-by-Trump-political-staff
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #83 on: January 26, 2017, 12:10:05 AM »
Jason Mark:  Just got off phone w/ a longtime USFS source: "Ppl are just really freaked out. Basically, it's just fascism, is what it is" #gagorder
https://twitter.com/writerfarmer/status/824387212351401984

The Daily Show comes to film #DataRescuePhilly @DataRefuge @PPEHLab @upennlib
https://twitter.com/auralflaneur/status/824359982485409792

One bit of consolation: In 1+ day, the @ScienceMarchDC Facebook page now has more members than Trump's inauguration attendance.
https://twitter.com/ericholthaus/status/824388150353022976

There are now at least 14 "rogue" Twitter accounts from federal science agencies:
https://twitter.com/StollmeyerEU/lists/twistance/members
         https://twitter.com/ericholthaus/status/824389711170932736

And another: @AlternativeNWS
"The Unofficial Resistance team of U.S. National Weather Service."
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #84 on: January 26, 2017, 02:35:18 AM »
See #67 above.

A Brief Chat With Elon Musk About Climate Change, Rex Tillerson, and Donald Trump
Quote
Yesterday Elon Musk stunned us (and just about everyone else) by tweeting in support of Rex Tillerson, former CEO of ExxonMobil and likely Secretary of State under the Trump administration. Musk’s public image is that of a tycoon using his influence to innovate towards a techno-utopian future powered by clean energy and complete with human cities on Mars. What could he possibly have in common with a mogul who made his fortune sucking the Earth’s resources dry? We asked him. And today he answered. ...
http://gizmodo.com/a-brief-chat-with-elon-musk-about-climate-change-rex-t-1791620750
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #85 on: January 26, 2017, 03:40:15 AM »
The linked article is entitled: "Decrying 'post-truth' climate politics, scientists test activist waters", and I must admit that if scientists pull this off well, I will be proud of them, and I will certain join a march in my city.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2017/0125/Decrying-post-truth-climate-politics-scientists-test-activist-waters

Extract: "Typically, scientists are reluctant to engage in what could be perceived as political activism. But many researchers are now pushing back against what they call unprecedented attacks on climate change research by the Trump administration."
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #86 on: January 26, 2017, 02:04:09 PM »
Trump And Climate Change: Scientists and Activists Plan Marches in Washington DC
After more than one million people joined the Women's March on Washington and its sister protests, organizers are now planning a Scientists' March on Washington and a “People’s Climate March.”
Quote
Climate March

Activists are also planning the People’s Climate March on April 29 in Washington D.C. and across the nation, the Sierra Club announced Wednesday.

“The April 29th march comes in response to widespread outrage against President Trump’s disastrous anti-climate agenda - including his executive orders yesterday advancing the Keystone and Dakota Access pipelines,” said the organization in a statement.

The last People’s Climate March was in 2014 in New York City, where more than 400,000 people gathered. This year’s event will coincide with the end of Trump’s first 100 days in office.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-climate-change-scientists-activists-232105474.html

Scientists' March on Washington
Quote
What is the Scientists' March on Washington
Welcome!  We want to thank you all for your incredible outpouring of support for this march.  We are working to schedule a March for Science on DC and across the United States.  We have not settled on a date yet but will do so as quickly as possible and announce it here.

Although this will start with a march, we hope to use this as a starting point to take a stand for science in politics.  Slashing funding and restricting scientists from communicating their findings (from tax-funded research!) with the public is absurd and cannot be allowed to stand as policy.  This is a non-partisan issue that reaches far beyond people in the STEM fields and should concern anyone who values empirical research and science. 
http://www.scientistsmarchonwashington.com

And here is the link to the Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/marchforscience/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #87 on: January 26, 2017, 02:39:47 PM »
In response to the new president’s stances on a range of issues, more scientists are preparing to run for political office.
Quote
For American science, the next four years look to be challenging. The newly inaugurated President Trump, and many of his Cabinet picks, have repeatedly cast doubt upon the reality of human-made climate change, questioned the repeatedly proven safety of vaccines. Since the inauguration, the administration has already frozen grants and contracts by the Environmental Protection Agency and gagged researchers at the US Department of Agriculture. Many scientists are asking themselves: What can I do?

And the answer from a newly formed group called 314 Action is: Get elected.

The organization, named after the first three digits of pi, is a political action committee that was created to support scientists in running for office. It’s the science version of Emily’s List, which focuses on pro-choice female candidates, or VoteVets, which backs war veterans. “A lot of scientists traditionally feel that science is above politics but we’re seeing that politics is not above getting involved in science,” says founder Shaughnessy Naughton. “We’re losing, and the only way to stop that is to get more people with scientific backgrounds at the table.”
 ...
Early signs are promising. In just two weeks, more than 400 people have signed up to the recruitment form on the organization’s site. They include Jacquelyn Gill from the University of Maine, who studies how prehistoric climate change shaped life on the planet. “If you’d told me a year ago that I would consider running for office, I would have laughed,” she says. “I always fantasized about serving an administration in an advisory capacity, but we now have explicitly anti-science people in office and in the Cabinet. Waiting passively for people to tap me for my expertise won’t be enough.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/01/thanks-to-trump-scientists-are-planning-to-run-for-office/514229/
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Csnavywx

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #88 on: January 26, 2017, 03:31:15 PM »
Great! Maybe we can start reducing the number of lawyers in Congress and start replacing them with real people that live in the real world instead of "technical legal land".

Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #89 on: January 26, 2017, 03:31:33 PM »
Resistance.
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NeilT

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #90 on: January 26, 2017, 06:48:31 PM »
Did anyone clue into the statement by Trump that he didn’t need “more legislation”; that the US already had enough legislation; that it just needed to be used.

This, essentially, removes Congress and the Senate from the decision process for much of what Trump is trying to do.

Predictable but still not very good news.  Obama was using this for years.  Now the boot is on the other foot.
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Villabolo

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #91 on: January 26, 2017, 07:09:06 PM »
Sorry if this has been covered before.

Concerning my previous post, I forgot to add, what can non-scientists and non-professionals do to assist in this record saving work? I would like to volunteer but I have no skills with which to do so. Is there anything that I can do no matter how humble it is? I'm not referring to social activism but only record saving.

Also, is there any redundancy in the record saving work? I fear that someone-maybe Russians or the Pentagon-could hack the sites where the data is stored and delete it. I'm thinking of a more decentralized system, with scientists and others storing some of the information on their personal computers.

I am downloading GISStemp anomaly maps for my own use.
« Last Edit: January 26, 2017, 07:32:00 PM by Villabolo »
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pileus

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #92 on: January 26, 2017, 11:48:38 PM »
Did anyone clue into the statement by Trump that he didn’t need “more legislation”; that the US already had enough legislation; that it just needed to be used.

This, essentially, removes Congress and the Senate from the decision process for much of what Trump is trying to do.

Predictable but still not very good news.  Obama was using this for years.  Now the boot is on the other foot.

At some point soon there will be actions and policies that go beyond the current flurry of exec orders, where congress will need to legislate.  But yes it's clear Trumpists have contempt for the legislative process.  The courts will also come into play.  Also, from the inaugural transcript Trump did not once mention the constitution...that's also a strong tell. 

WRT Obama, to a large degree his hand was forced by an intransigent GOP led by McConnell.  Otherwise he could do very little.  Executive powers started to inflate under GW Bush, post 9/11.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #93 on: January 27, 2017, 02:45:16 AM »
Trump administration silences the Department of Energy’s Sunshot team
Quote
President Trump has told the United States Department of Energy Sunshot team that they are not allowed to communicate any information to the public until political appointments are made to review all of said communications per a report from Samantha Page at ThinkProgress.
...
From the Sunshot website,

The U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative is a national effort to support solar energy adoption by making solar energy affordable for all Americans through research and development efforts in collaboration with public and private partners. SunShot funds cooperative research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects by private companies, universities, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and national laboratories to drive down the cost of solar electricity.
...
Any information released by the Sunshot group would be of a technical nature that communicates research advancements. The Sunshot team does not research climate change or pollution, which makes the move to silence them even more strange....
https://electrek.co/2017/01/26/trump-silences-the-department-of-energys-sunshot-team/


Ironically, this was published just yesterday:

SunShot $1 per Watt Solar Cost Goal: Mission Accomplished, Years Ahead of Schedule
Quote
The SunShot initiative hoped to reduce the total costs of PV solar energy systems by about 75 percent so that they were cost-competitive with other forms of energy without subsidies before 2020. Chu said that SunShot would work to bring down the cost of solar -- by focusing on four main pillars:

- Technologies for solar cells and arrays
- Power electronics to optimize the performance of the installation
- Improvements in solar manufacturing processes
- Installation, design and permitting for solar energy systems

In fact, steep reductions in system pricing have stemmed not just from modules, but also from price reductions in inverters, trackers and even labor costs. It's only stubborn soft costs such as customer acquisition that have actually risen....
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Sunshot-1-Per-Watt-Solar-Cost-Goal-Mission-Accomplished-Years-Ahead-of-S
« Last Edit: January 27, 2017, 02:53:25 AM by Sigmetnow »
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #94 on: January 27, 2017, 10:38:40 AM »
The linked article is entitled: "The nation’s top scientists can’t get through to Trump — and they’re alarmed".  It looks like the White House is denying access for scientific leaders to even present their case against muzzling science.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/01/26/leaders-of-science-organizations-dismayed-by-trump-administration-moves/?utm_term=.51cb8c1fd134

Extract: "Leaders of several of the nation's top science organizations say they've been shunned by the Trump administration and are alarmed by signs that the administration will muzzle government researchers and reject the scientific evidence that informs such critical issues as vaccine safety and climate change."
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DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #95 on: January 27, 2017, 12:48:51 PM »
The linked article is entitled: "The nation’s top scientists can’t get through to Trump — and they’re alarmed".  It looks like the White House is denying access for scientific leaders to even present their case against muzzling science.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/01/26/leaders-of-science-organizations-dismayed-by-trump-administration-moves/?utm_term=.51cb8c1fd134

Extract: "Leaders of several of the nation's top science organizations say they've been shunned by the Trump administration and are alarmed by signs that the administration will muzzle government researchers and reject the scientific evidence that informs such critical issues as vaccine safety and climate change."

Maybe time for some multi billionaires philanthropist to get those organizations private....

DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #96 on: January 27, 2017, 12:51:37 PM »
That is a scary thought ASLR..... Policy divorced from science !!! Reverse renaissance....Back to the dark ages...

ritter

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #97 on: January 27, 2017, 06:40:55 PM »
That is a scary thought ASLR..... Policy divorced from science !!! Reverse renaissance....Back to the dark ages...

And at such a crucial time.

Maybe we could disallow science deniers the use of technology and medicine. If you don't believe in science, you shouldn't be able to participate in all the wonders it has created. I think the problem would become self-correcting quite quickly.  :)

DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #98 on: January 27, 2017, 06:46:33 PM »
That is a scary thought ASLR..... Policy divorced from science !!! Reverse renaissance....Back to the dark ages...

And at such a crucial time.

Maybe we could disallow science deniers the use of technology and medicine. If you don't believe in science, you shouldn't be able to participate in all the wonders it has created. I think the problem would become self-correcting quite quickly.  :)



Or cell phones, internet, airplanes, food....Let em grow their own....
« Last Edit: January 28, 2017, 03:39:11 AM by DrTskoul »

Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #99 on: January 27, 2017, 08:48:26 PM »
All the Laws and Executive Orders Trump Has Signed So Far

A running list of what the Republican-dominated federal government is up to.
This article will be continuously updated throughout 2017 as President Donald Trump signs executive orders and makes bills into laws.
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/all-the-laws-and-executive-orders-trump-has-signed-so-far
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