Statement on Scientific Integrity

A collective statement signed by over 62 prominent scientists (and later 15,000 others) alleging that the George W. Bush administration systematically disregarded scientific objectivity. The authors cite specific instances of censorship at the EPA and other agencies, the appointment of unqualified individuals to advisory boards, and the misrepresentation of climate change data. They propose legislative reforms to forbid censorship of scientific studies and ensure public access to government research.

• The George W. Bush administration is accused of systematically manipulating the integration of science into policy decisions when scientific knowledge conflicted with political goals.
• The administration allegedly used several methods to undermine scientific integrity, including appointing unqualified individuals or those with conflicts of interest to advisory committees, disbanding committees, and censoring reports from government scientists.
• In the area of climate change, the administration is accused of misrepresenting findings from the National Academy of Sciences and government scientists to avoid regulating emissions. Specifically, in June 2003, the White House demanded changes to an EPA report, leading EPA officials to remove substantial discussions of climate change to avoid issuing a 'scientifically indefensible' document.
• The EPA suppressed a study indicating that a bipartisan Senate clean air proposal would provide more health benefits than the administration's proposed Clear Skies Act.
• Political oversight and censorship of scientists occurred across multiple federal agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, and Health and Human Services, as well as the EPA.
• The administration is accused of disregarding expert assessments from Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, and Livermore National Laboratories when claiming that Iraq sought aluminum tubes for uranium enrichment.
• The signatories propose three specific legislative and regulatory reforms: forbidding the censorship of scientific studies (except for national security), requiring high professional standards for advisory panel members, and ensuring public access to government studies and advisory findings.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2008). Statement on Scientific Integrity. https://www.ucs.org/resources/2004-scientist-statement-scientific-integrity

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Statement on Scientific Integrity. 2008. https://www.ucs.org/resources/2004-scientist-statement-scientific-integrity.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Statement on Scientific Integrity |date=13 July 2008 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/2004-scientist-statement-scientific-integrity |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{unionofconcernedscientists2008statement, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Statement on Scientific Integrity}}, publisher = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2008}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/2004-scientist-statement-scientific-integrity}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }