Experts and Climate Change Politicisation: A Case Study of the Environmental Protection Agency 1983-2015

The study analyzes EPA congressional testimonies from 1983 to 2015 to examine the relationship between governmental experts and political pressure. It finds that while the frequency of climate-related advocacy statements increased over time and fluctuated based on the political context, EPA experts consistently maintained the scientific basis of climate change and advocated for action, even under administrations that denied the science.

• The frequency of climate-related advocacy statements in EPA congressional testimonies increased over the period from 1983 to 2015, although the prevalence of these statements was influenced by the political context.
• EPA experts consistently upheld the scientific reality of climate change and pushed for policy action, regardless of whether the presidential administration in power denied the science.
• The behavior of EPA experts suggests a complex relationship with politics that does not fit simple binaries of being either completely independent or entirely subservient to political will.

APA

Loy, L. (2022). Experts and Climate Change Politicisation: A Case Study of the Environmental Protection Agency 1983-2015. Climate Social Science Network. https://cssn.org/experts-and-climate-change-politicisation-a-case-study-of-the-environmental-protection-agency-1983-2015/

Chicago

Loy, Loredana. Experts and Climate Change Politicisation: A Case Study of the Environmental Protection Agency 1983-2015. Climate Social Science Network, 2022. https://cssn.org/experts-and-climate-change-politicisation-a-case-study-of-the-environmental-protection-agency-1983-2015/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Loy |first1=Loredana |title=Experts and Climate Change Politicisation: A Case Study of the Environmental Protection Agency 1983-2015 |publisher=Climate Social Science Network |date=10 May 2022 |url=https://cssn.org/experts-and-climate-change-politicisation-a-case-study-of-the-environmental-protection-agency-1983-2015/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{loy2022experts, author = {Loy, Loredana}, title = {{Experts and Climate Change Politicisation: A Case Study of the Environmental Protection Agency 1983-2015}}, institution = {Climate Social Science Network}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://cssn.org/experts-and-climate-change-politicisation-a-case-study-of-the-environmental-protection-agency-1983-2015/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }