Table of Contents
Working to ensure that science plays its role in policies that affect us all.
Decisions that affect everyone’s well-being need to be grounded in facts and evidence. This should go without saying, but too often policy choices are driven by narrow private interests that stand to benefit from ignoring or distorting science, putting public health and safety at risk. The Center for Science and Democracy promotes processes that support evidence-based decisionmaking, fighting back against attacks on public safeguards and exposing disinformation tactics.
Defending public safeguards from attack
The Clean Air Act. The Clean Water Act. The Endangered Species Act. Firmly grounded in scientific evidence, these protections, and others like them, have made the United States a safer, healthier place to live. But in recent years there have been persistent efforts in Congress and within federal agencies to weaken these safeguards. We’re working to keep them strong.
Fighting misinformation and inappropriate influence
Some private interests that view science-based solutions as a threat to their bottom lines try to derail those solutions by distorting or drowning out the science—publishing bogus research, manufacturing uncertainty, harassing scientists, or buying credibility through academic affiliations. And deep-pocketed corporations can also derail science-based policy through lobbying, campaign contributions, or “revolving door” relationships with federal agencies, which allow them disproportionate influence over the process. We expose and push back against these tactics.
Championing the role of science advice
Science advisory committees are a little-known but vitally important component of the federal policymaking system. They provide independent expert advice to policymakers, helping to ensure that decisions reflect the best available science. Weakening, eliminating, or “packing” these committees is a favorite tactic for sidelining science. We fight to defend their crucial role.
Bringing science to critical issues
As federal, state and local governments deliberate on policy decisions, we work to ensure that scientific evidence is reflected in those decisions, producing original research and analysis, organizing public comments, testimony and petitions, and providing informed commentary on our blog. We’ve spoken up for science-based policies on fracking, added sugar labeling, air pollution standards, and other issues.
Meza ya maudhui Kufanya kazi kuhakikisha kwamba sayansi ina jukumu lake katika sera ambazo zinatuathiri sisi sote. Maamuzi ambayo huathiri ustawi wa kila mtu yanahitaji kutegemea ukweli na ushahidi. Hii inapaswa kwenda bila kusema, lakini mara nyingi chaguzi za sera zinaendeshwa na maslahi madogo ya kibinafsi ambayo yanastahili kufaidika na kupuuza au kupotosha sayansi, na kuhatarisha afya na usalama wa umma. Kituo cha Sayansi na Demokrasia (Center for Science and Democracy) huendeleza michakato inayounga mkono maamuzi ya msingi wa ushahidi, kupigana dhidi ya mashambulizi dhidi ya ulinzi wa umma na kufunua mbinu za habari bandia. Kutetea ulinzi wa umma kutoka kwa shambulio Sheria ya Hewa Safi. Sheria ya Maji Safi. Sheria ya Spishi Zilizokuwa Hatari ya Kutoweka. Kwa sababu ya uthibitisho wa kisayansi, sheria hizi na nyingine kama hizo zimefanya Marekani iwe mahali salama na salama pa kuishi. Lakini katika miaka ya hivi karibuni kumekuwa na juhudi za kudumu katika Bunge na ndani ya mashirika ya shirikisho kudhoofisha ulinzi huu. Tunafanya kazi ili kuwafanya wawe na nguvu. "Watu fulani wanaotazama suluhisho la kisayansi kama tishio kwa faida yao ya msingi hujaribu kuharibu suluhisho hilo kwa kupotosha au kuzima sayansi, kuchapisha utafiti bandia, kutengeneza kutokuwa na uhakika, kuwatesa wanasayansi, au kununua uaminifu kupitia ushirika wa kitaaluma.""" "Kampuni zenye fedha nyingi zinaweza pia kuharibu sera za kisayansi kwa kutumia ""mawasiliano ya lobbying,"" ""msaada wa kampeni,"" au ""mara ya kugeuka"" na mashirika ya shirikisho, ambayo huwawezesha kuwa na ushawishi usio wa kawaida juu ya mchakato." Tunafunua na kupinga mbinu hizi. "Kusema kwa njia ya ushauri wa kisayansi, ""Kusanyiko la washauri wa kisayansi ni sehemu ndogo lakini muhimu ya mfumo wa sera ya shirikisho.""" Wao hutoa ushauri wa wataalamu wa kujitegemea kwa watunga sera, kusaidia kuhakikisha kwamba maamuzi yanaonyesha sayansi bora inayopatikana. Kudhoofisha, kuondoa, au "kufunga" halmashauri hizi ni mbinu inayopendwa ya kuondoa sayansi. Tunapigana ili kutetea jukumu lao muhimu. "Kujumuisha sayansi katika masuala muhimu: ""Kama serikali za shirikisho, serikali za majimbo na za mitaa zinafikiria juu ya maamuzi ya sera, tunafanya kazi kuhakikisha kwamba ushahidi wa kisayansi unaonyeshwa katika maamuzi hayo, kuzalisha utafiti wa awali na uchambuzi, kuandaa maoni ya umma, ushuhuda na maombi, na kutoa maoni ya habari kwenye blogi yetu." Tumezungumza kwa sera za kisayansi juu ya fracking, kuongeza sukari ya kuashiria, viwango vya uchafuzi wa hewa, na masuala mengine.