From this week's C&EN, Linda Wang covers the 3 new policy statements from the American Chemical Society on "the rights of persons with disabilities, to water treatment and conservation, and to the science and technology of hydraulic fracturing." Also, an interesting little sidebar in the article:
ACS Committees Seek Member Input On Policy Statements
Six ACS position statements are set to expire at the end of 2016. Society members are encouraged to review the expiring statements and to offer their thoughts and comments to the ACS committees considering revisions, as well as to provide input on other statements that should be developed or changed. The following are links to the statements up for review:
- Science Education
- Ensuring Access to High-Quality Science
- Biomonitoring
- Chemical Risk Assessment & Regulatory Decision-Making
- Climate Change
- Forensic Science
- Peer Review
In addition, a new policy statement is currently being explored for the following:
Chemical Safety
Comments and suggestions on any of these topics should be submitted to policy@acs.org.Seems to me that some members might have something to say about that chemical safety statement...
A policy statement (or at least a position) on the the heavy political hand that has been waved a free inquiry needed for science should be considered. Some see an equivalence in the UVA requests of Prof Michael Mann and the recent Rep. Smith inquiry into NOAA to the letters to University presidents by Congressman Grijalva and the use of "RICO" (racketeering) laws raised by Senator Whitehouse. I don't know if the situations are equivalent- fishing vs congressional oversight are the battle lines- but it is not at all good for science to be dictated by political winds.
ReplyDeleteA policy statement (or at least a position) on the the heavy political hand that has been waved a free inquiry needed for science should be considered. Some see an equivalence in the UVA requests of Prof Michael Mann and the recent Rep. Smith inquiry into NOAA to the letters to University presidents by Congressman Grijalva and the use of "RICO" (racketeering) laws raised by Senator Whitehouse. I don't know if the situations are equivalent- fishing vs congressional oversight are the battle lines- but it is not at all good for science to be dictated by political winds.
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