jdupuis

ScienceBlogs is no more: Confessions of a Science Librarian is moving

jdupuis — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 23:01:22 +0000

ScienceBlogs is no more: Confessions of a Science Librarian is moving

As of November 1st, 2017, ScienceBlogs is shutting down, necessitating relocation of this blog.

It's been over eight years and 1279 posts. It's been predatory open access publishers, April Fool's posts and multiple wars on science. A long and wonderful trip, career-transforming, network building and an awful lot of fun. Over that period of time, ScienceBlogs has gone from the 800 pound gorilla of science blogging to just another site with not enough traffic to keep the lights on, which I guess is the way of the world. Things change, life moves on.

Thanks to everyone at ScienceBlogs for all the support and encouragement. And mostly, thanks to all my readers for their support, time and attention.

But the story isn't over, only shifting setting. Over the course of the next few days I'll be relaunching this blog at Scientopia, joining old friends and making new ones.

See you on the other side!

Watch my account over on Twitter for details as they develop.

jdupuis Mon, 10/30/2017 - 19:01

Science in Canada: Save PEARL, The Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory

jdupuis — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 08:59:56 +0000

Science in Canada: Save PEARL, The Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory

Deja vu all over again. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.

Canadian science under the Harper government from 2006 to 2015 was a horrific era of cuts and closures and muzzling and a whole lot of other attack on science.

One of the most egregious was the threat to close the PEARL arctic research station. (PEARL website) Fortunately, the outcry was so fierce that the Harper government extended PEARL's funding for five years. Well, guess what? The five years is up and PEARL is threatened with closure once more.

Canadian science under the Justin Trudeau Liberals has shown signs of improvement, but has a ways to go.

One way for them to show their commitment to science (and to the environment and fighting climate change) would be to restore funding to PEARL and establish it as a permanent laboratory.

The fine folks at Evidence for Democracy have a campaign running whereby you can send a letter toScience Minister Kirsty Duncan asking to restore that funding.

The link is here.

The descriptive text from the E4D campaign site is here, including a great description of the importance of PEARL:

Canada’s high Arctic research station, The Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) will be closed in 2018 because its funding is being cut.

Surprised? So are we.

The federal government has made it clear that science and climate change are two of their top priorities, so why are they closing this key research station?

With the impacts of our changing climate already being felt in Canada and around the world, investing in climate science is a necessary part of ensuring that our decisions and actions around climate change mitigation and adaptation are based on up-to-date science and evidence.

PEARL is one of only a handful of high Arctic research stations in the world. From its scientifically strategic location in Canada’s high arctic, PEARL is able to investigate crucial environmental issues like ozone depletion, airborne spread of pollutants and monitor high Arctic climate changes.

After over a decade of internationally recognized scientific research, PEARL is at risk of closing.

PEARL, along with six other climate change and atmospheric research projects were all funded by the Climate Change and Atmospheric Research Program (CCAR). Money for the CCAR program runs out this year and the federal government did not announce any new funds in the 2017 budget. Without immediate new funding, all of these research programs are expected to end.

But it’s not too late to save PEARL and Canadian atmospheric climate science! Join us in asking the government to:

Invest $1.5 million per year to make PEARL a national laboratory
Provide a well supported and stable funding environment for climate research in Canada by reinstating a funding model for climate science similar to the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS) that was cut by the Harper government.
Given the Government’s commitment to addressing climate change, investing in climate and atmospheric science should be at the forefront of funding priorities.

With climate science under attack in the US, Canada has an opportunity and a responsibility to be international leaders on climate science. This starts by making sure PEARL and the other CCAR-funded projects aren’t shuttered.

The government has supported a new northern research center, the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS), which is a valuable asset to Canadian polar knowledge. But there is no indication that any atmospheric or climate change research will be untaken at CHARS. Also CHARS is located 1200 km south of PEARL, so it simply can’t replace the high arctic data collected at PEARL.

Shutdown preparations at PEARL have already begun, we need urgent action to save this essential research station.

Send a message to the Minister of Science today.

The text of the letter to Minister Duncan:

Dear Minister Duncan,

Thank you for making science and climate change priorities for your government.

I am concerned that Canada’s high arctic research station, The Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) is set to close at the end of this year unless its funding is renewed.

PEARL, along with the other projects funded by the Climate Change and Atmospheric Research program, conduct crucial research into important issues like ozone depletion, airborne spread of pollutants and changes to our climate.

Without new funding, we risk losing these facilities in the Arctic. This will jeopardize data continuity, productive collaborations between academic and government scientists, and recruitment of new researchers into the field.

I urge you to ensure that Canada continues to be a global leader in climate science by:
- Investing $1.5 million per year to make PEARL a national laboratory that could be overseen by Polar Knowledge Canada or Environment and Climate Change Canada; and
- Providing a well supported and stable funding environment for climate research in Canada by reinstating a funding model for climate science similar to the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS) that was cut by the Harper government.

These investments are a necessary complement to the other arctic and climate change research your government is investing in. While the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) is a valuable asset to Canadian stewardship of polar science, there is no indication that any atmospheric or climate change research will be undertaken there, nor does its location (1200 km south of PEARL) allow for the same high arctic data collection currently taking place at PEARL.

The funding of PEARL and the other CCAR projects are an essential part of ensuring that our decisions and actions around climate change mitigation and adaptation are based on up-to-date science and evidence.

I'm working on a readings list post about PEARL and hope to have that up within the next few days.

jdupuis Tue, 09/26/2017 - 04:59

The Trump War on Science: Daring blindness, Denying climate change, Destroying the EPA and other daily disasters

jdupuis — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 13:20:03 +0000

The Trump War on Science: Daring blindness, Denying climate change, Destroying the EPA and other daily disasters

The last one of these was in mid-June, so we're picking up all the summer stories of scientific mayhem in the Trump era. The last couple of months have seemed especially apocalyptic, with Nazis marching in the streets and nuclear war suddenly not so distant a possibility. But along with those macro-level issues, Trump and his cronies are still hammering away at climate change denial, environmental protection, research funding and public health issues. As exhausting as it seems -- and this is part of the plan -- amongst all of us opposed to Trump, we need to keep track of a wide range of issues.

If I'm missing anything important, please let me know either in the comments or at my email jdupuis at yorku dot ca. If you want to use a non-work email for me, it's dupuisj at gmail dot com.

The selections are by no means meant to represent a comprehensive account of everything written about science and science-related over the last few months. I'm not aiming for anything than complete or comprehensive. For example, there are probably hundreds of articles written about climate-change related issues over that period, but I'm just picking up what I hope is a representative sample.

The last time around was a bit more thematically organized rather than chronologically. I'm trying the later organizational method this time around to see if I can get a sense of which I prefer or which seems more useful.

This post covers from approximately mid-June, 2017 up to August 31, 2017. The fact that most days -- even in the summer -- there are multiple things to report is terrifying.

A few general resources:

Sidelining Science Since Day One: How the Trump administration has harmed public health and safety in its first six months by The Union of Concerned Scientists
I Heart Climate Scientists

And now the full list:

June 2017

2017.06.01. U.S. pulling out of the Paris climate deal may make China great again
2017.06.02. Trump Has No One in Charge of FEMA or the NOAA, Just in Time for Hurricane Season
2017.06.03. Trump administration touts innovation, cuts funding for it
2017.06.04. Duluth EPA lab turns 50: Low profile, high outcome science mostly behind the scenes
2017.06.09. Watch Donald Trump Throw Binders Full of Highway Environmental Reviews on the Floor
2017.06.09. Trump Caps Infrastructure Week By Tossing Binders on Ground
2017.06.13. President Trump chats on phone with Tangier mayor
2017.06.13. If elected governor, Graham says Florida would stick with Paris climate accord
2017.06.14. Meet the fossil fuel all-stars Trump has appointed to his administration
2017.06.14. EPA: air pollution rule should be delayed – despite its effect on children
2017.06.14. Actual Scientists Say Sea-Level Rise Is A Threat To Tangier Island, Virginia
2017.06.14. San Diego commits to 100% clean electricity
2017.06.15. Energy Department aims to close international clean energy office
2017.06.15. EPA Chief Gets Hit From All Sides At First Budget Hearing
2017.06.15. These Republicans Are Pretty Upset About Trump’s EPA Budget
2017.06.15. Trump’s EPA budget cuts hit strong opposition at House panel
2017.06.15. Why California's Climate Change Fight Is Also About Public Health
2017.06.15. U.S. Quietly Removes 17 Sites From UN Biosphere Reserve Network
2017.06.16. EPA head met with multiple energy execs in his first weeks
2017.06.16. Trump Doesn't Care about HIV. We're Outta Here
2017.06.17. Six resign from presidential HIV/AIDS council because Trump 'doesn't care'
2017.06.17. Navigating Clean Energy Innovation in the Age of Trump
2017.06.18. Six members of President Trump’s advisory council on HIV/AIDS have resigned
2017.06.19. Energy Secretary Rick Perry says CO2 is not the main driver of climate change
2017.06.19. Republicans And Democrats Unite Against Scott Pruitt's Heavy Budget Cuts To The EPA
2017.06.19. Trump administration will not renew key EPA advisers, cancels committee meetings in agency shakeup
2017.06.19. Rick Perry blames ocean for climate change: Energy secretary once again denies scientific consensus
2017.06.19. DOE head says carbon dioxide not primary cause of climate change
2017.06.20. 6 Resigned from Trump's HIV/AIDS Advisory Board. Here’s Why One Doctor Stayed
2017.06.20. EPA Set to Eliminate Over 1,200 Employees By September
2017.06.20. EPA axes 38 more science advisers, cancels panel meetings
2017.06.20. Perry sees climate denial as evidence of being ‘intellectually engaged’
2017.06.20. Apple CEO Tim Cook urges Trump to show more compassion on immigration
2017.06.20. Trump regulators trigger pollution fight
2017.06.20. Perry sees climate denial as evidence of being ‘intellectually engaged’
2017.06.20. EPA Wants 1,200 Employees to Accept Buy Outs, Early Outs
2017.06.21. Trump attacks wind power in state that gets nearly third of energy from wind
2017.06.21. EPA not renewing advisory roles for dozens of scientists: report
2017.06.22. GOP senator slams proposed NIH cuts: ‘No one should have to defend’ them
2017.06.22. Trump administration removes protections for Yellowstone grizzly bears
2017.06.22. Clarion call for scientists: 'Use your voice ... or lose it'
2017.06.22. These Scientists Are Running for Office to Fight Trump’s “Anti-Truth” Agenda
2017.06.22. Trump administration removes protections for Yellowstone grizzly bears
2017.06.23. The fact is: Facts don’t matter to climate deniers
2017.06.25. Bloomberg launches $17M contest for US cities
2017.06.26. Al Franken’s devastating strategy for taking on Trump’s team of climate science deniers
2017.06.26. Top EPA Official 'Bullied' Scientist to Change Testimony About Dismissed Scientists
2017.06.26. Republican governor sides with coastal communities against Trump’s offshore oil plans
2017.06.27. Trump's EPA chief met with chemical CEO before dropping pesticide ban: report
2017.06.27. Cities rally around the Paris deal, a reminder that global problems can have local solutions
2017.06.27. EPA seeks to scrap rule protecting drinking water for third of Americans
2017.06.27. EPA moves to repeal Obama water rule
2017.06.28. 'You Are A Climate Denier': Protesters Interrupt Rick Perry's Speech At Energy Conference
2017.06.29. Inspired by Trump’s attacks on science, this former engineer is running for Congress
2017.06.29. Climate kids to get their day in court against the Trump administration
2017.06.30. Pruitt will launch program to 'critique' climate science
2017.06.30. Scientists Who Have Had Enough
2017.06.30. No more business as usual: the corporates stepping up to save the planet
2017.06.30. EPA on climate change: Gotta hear both sides: The EPA is holding a color war to challenge climate science
2017.06.30. Wind Industry Tacks as Trump Shifts the Political Climate
2017.06.30. EPA head launching initiative to 'critique' climate science
2017.06.30. Science division of White House office no longer staffed: report

July 2017
2017.07.01. Buzz Aldrin Looked As Baffled As We Felt During Trump's Space Talk
2017.07.02. EPA’s Scott Pruitt is Trump’s most adept and dangerous hatchet man
2017.07.02. Struggling For Visas, Tech Startups Are Looking Outside The U.S. To Launch Businesses
2017.07.02. The White House's Science Division Is Now Completely Empty
2017.07.03. Court rejects Trump's delay of EPA drilling pollution rule
2017.07.03. China, Germany Step Up as U.S. Retires From World Leadership
2017.07.03. Stephen Hawking says Trump’s climate policies are pushing Earth toward an irreversible “tipping point”
2017.07.03. DONALD TRUMP’S NEW NATIONAL SPACE COUNCIL IS ALREADY BAFFLING THE SPACE INDUSTRY
2017.07.03. Why This Computer Scientist Is Running For Congress
2017.07.03. Court Blocks E.P.A. Effort to Suspend Obama-Era Methane Rule
2017.07.03. Federal court blocks Trump EPA on air pollution
2017.07.03. Stephen Hawking: Trump Pushing Earth's Climate 'Over The Brink'
2017.07.03. Obama praises Paris climate deal despite Trump's withdrawal
2017.07.03. When Trump attacks science, he attacks the heart of the Declaration of Independence
2017.07.04. Trump's alarming environmental rollback: what's been scrapped so far
2017.07.04. U.S. denies visas for Afghanistan’s all-girl robotics team
2017.07.05. Groups see climate science review as chance to undercut regulation
2017.07.05. Climate Change Authority No Longer Has Any Climate Scientists On It
2017.07.05. Democrat Tackles Climate Change Issues, Defying GOP Leadership
2017.07.06. Trumpcare and climate change will have the same victims
2017.07.06. Ivanka & Melania Are Not Happy With Where Angela Merkel Is Forcing Them To Go Tomorrow
2017.07.06. The U.S. Supreme Court Stymies Science
2017.07.07. Energy Secretary Rick Perry Makes Massive Mistake During Visit To Coal Power Plant
2017.07.07. Trump Administration Reviewing Marine Protected Areas in US, Will The Ocean Be Valued Accurately?
2017.07.07. Environmentalists Win a Victory Against Scott Pruitt
2017.07.07. ‘He doesn’t speak for the rest of America’: Jerry Brown shows up in Hamburg amid G20 — and shreds Trump
2017.07.07. How climate scepticism turned into something more dangerous
2017.07.08. Why Trump Pulling Out of the Paris Agreement Led to a Stronger Global Climate Change Plan
2017.07.08. Mike Pence touches Nasa equipment right next to 'do not touch' sign
2017.07.08. G20 world leaders’ agreement hinges on U.S. climate change issue
2017.07.08. G20 leaders' statement on climate change highlights rift with US
2017.07.09. G20 closes with rebuke to Trump's climate change stance
2017.07.10. Climate Change -- What Now With The White House Abandoning The Paris Agreement?
2017.07.11. Trump’s White House science office still small and waiting for leadership
2017.07.11. House bill would cut EPA funding by $528M
2017.07.11. Trump nominates finance executive for DOE science undersecretary
2017.07.11. State Science Adviser Resigns Early, Amid Departmental Reorganization
2017.07.11. White House’s dwindling science office leaves major research programmes in limbo
2017.07.11. House panel set to vote on bill that cuts or eliminates some DOE science programs
2017.07.11. EPA chief wants scientists to debate climate on TV
2017.07.12. The Trump Administration Wants To Debate Climate Change On TV. Here’s What Scientists Think About It.
2017.07.12. Q&A: Former Obama science adviser John Holdren on the White House science office and Trump’s science policy
2017.07.12. Trump’s ‘drill, baby, drill’ energy policies are being met by ‘sue, baby, sue’
2017.07.12. Rebel US Governors And Mayors Launch "America's Pledge" To Fight Climate Change
2017.07.12. EPA Chief Wants TV 'Debate' on Climate: Scientists Call Foul
2017.07.13. NOAA erases ‘human activity’ from news release on soaring greenhouse gases
2017.07.13. How President Trump’s Proposed Budget Cuts Would Harm Early Career Scientists
2017.07.13. Science’s Communication Problem
2017.07.13. Why Do Republicans Suddenly Hate College So Much?
2017.07.14. Does Being a Nice Personable Scientist Make Sense in Trump's America?
2017.07.14. Fox News host attacks climate scientists who might refuse to participate in EPA chief's sham debate
2017.07.16. EPA and Dept. of Interior held a private briefing with 45 gas and oil CEOs at Trump's D.C. hotel
2017.07.16. Macron says his charm offensive may change Trump's mind about climate change
2017.07.16. International Collaboration Between Scientists Is Becoming Difficult
2017.07.17. Myths and facts to know ahead of Rick Perry's study on the electrical grid and renewable energy
2017.07.17. Exclusive: Trump administration pulled top climate expert from Mark Zuckerberg’s national park visit
2017.07.18. Former NASA scientist releases new paper supporting youth climate case against Trump
2017.07.18. GOP rep asks NASA panel if there were ancient civilizations on Mars
2017.07.18. Trump's Pick For EPA Post Writes “Science-Bible Stories” And Has Ties To The Chemical Industry
2017.07.18. Neil deGrasse Tyson: fighting science denial starts with people, not politicians
2017.07.19. I’m a scientist. I’m blowing the whistle on the Trump administration.
2017.07.19. Seth Meyers Calculates The Damage Done By The EPA In Just 6 Months
2017.07.19. That French plan to attract climate scientists? It’s working.
2017.07.19. Climate Scientist Says He Was Demoted For Speaking Out On Climate Change
2017.07.19. Trump budget chief touts progress in rolling back regulations
2017.07.19. Updated: Trump pick for USDA science post has drawn darts for lack of technical background
2017.07.19. Six ways Trump is 'dismantling' the US after six months in office
2017.07.20. Another Day, Another Denier
2017.07.20. GOP Effort To Make Environmental Science 'Transparent' Worries Scientists
2017.07.20. Glacier Chief Pulled From Facebook Founder's Tour of Park
2017.07.20. Trump officially nominates climate-denying conservative talk radio host as USDA’s top scientist
2017.07.20. Whistleblower Speaks Out as Pruitt Tries to Destroy EPA
2017.07.20. EPA Set to Eliminate Over 1,200 Employees By September
2017.07.21. Trump's New Communication Director Believes the World is 5,500 Years old
2017.07.21. For the Impact of Trump Slashing Science Funding, Look North
2017.07.21. Trump Administration Is Demoting Scientists In The Hope They'll Quit, Says Whistleblower
2017.07.23. History shows that stacking federal science advisory committees doesn’t work
2017.07.24. Trump administration lining up climate change 'red team'
2017.07.24. Whatever You Do, Do Not Take Your Eye Off Trump’s War on Science
2017.07.24. GOP Science chairman extolls 'benefits' of climate change
2017.07.24. Has the Moment for Environmental Justice Been Lost?
2017.07.25. How Science Can Survive Hostile Governments
2017.07.25. Scientific integrity must be defended, our planet depends on it
2017.07.25. Is a Conservative Climate Movement Heating Up?
2017.07.26. Emergency Meeting Held To Oppose Trump Weakening Marine Monuments
2017.07.26. EPA Chief Met With Canada’s Scientist-Muzzling Ex-Prime Minister Before Scientist Purge
2017.07.26. This Is Not How Science Works
2017.07.27.
2017.07.27. It’s Never Been Harder to Be a Climate Scientist
2017.07.27. A Carbon-Free City Is Being Built from Scratch
2017.07.27. Murkowski’s committee postponed confirmation vote for Trump nominees
2017.07.27. Scott Pruitt's Crimes Against Nature: Trump's EPA chief is gutting the agency, defunding science and serving the fossil-fuel industry
2017.07.27. Trump Administration Moving Closer to Picking Science Director
2017.07.28. Developer might not build Keystone XL pipeline
2017.07.28. From abalone to advocacy
2017.07.28. Enviro Group Calls For Investigations Into EPA Chief’s Travel History
2017.07.28. Trump rolled back this environmental rule. California may replace it with a stronger one
2017.07.30. Pruitt wants to remove climate exhibits at the EPA’s museum
2017.07.30. We need a scientist's perspective in Richmond
2017.07.31. ‘You Don't Do Those Things Lightly’: Why EPA Chief Didn't Ban Brain-Damaging Pesticide
2017.07.31. Climate Science Out, Coal In: EPA Exhibit Will Reflect Trump's Agenda
2017.07.31. Scientists respond to Red Team/Blue Team climate change debate idea from EPA
2017.07.31. Court tells EPA to enforce Obama methane pollution rule
2017.07.31. Donald Trump’s War on Scientists Has Had One Big Side Effect: More than a dozen Democratic candidates with scientific backgrounds are running for Congress.

August 2017
2017.08.01. Energy Department Scientists Barred From Attending Nuclear Power Conference
2017.08.01. EPA museum may axe climate-change display, add one on coal
2017.08.01. Top EPA official resigns over direction of agency under Trump
2017.08.01. DHS waives environmental laws to speed border wall construction
2017.08.01. US scientists answer France’s call to come ‘make our planet great again’
2017.08.01. US Scientists, Please Run for Office. The Planet Needs You.
2017.08.01. William Gibson Has a Theory About Our Cultural Obsession With Dystopias
2017.08.01. Senior EPA official resigns with scathing message for Trump and Pruitt: “Today the environmental field is suffering from the temporary triumph of myth over truth.”
2017.08.02. Sam Clovis, Trump's pick for USDA chief scientist, called progressives 'race traders' and 'race traitors' online
2017.08.02. EPA panel clears Pruitt’s climate denial by misquoting scientific integrity policy
2017.08.02. Leaked EPA Document Does Not Absolve EPA Administrator of Spreading Falsehoods
2017.08.02. EPA panel clears Pruitt’s climate denial by misquoting scientific integrity policy
2017.08.02. EPA Science Integrity Panel Says Pruitt’s Climate Denial Is Permissible
2017.08.02. EPA clears Pruitt of scientific integrity charges
2017.08.02. Al Gore Warns That Trump Is A 'Distraction' From The Issue Of Climate Change
2017.08.02. 30-Year EPA Veteran Writes Farewell Letter, Warns of Environmental Catastrophe Under Pruitt
2017.08.03. Temporary Triumph of Myth Over Truth at Pruitt’s EPA
2017.08.03. EPA backs off delay for smog-causing emissions reduction after being sued
2017.08.03. Trump administration touts streamlining of mine permit review
2017.08.04. Scientists: The Public Needs to Hear from You!
2017.08.04. Schwarzenegger launches new effort to counter Trump on climate
2017.08.07. USDA office told to use ‘weather extremes’ instead of 'climate change'
2017.08.07. Government scientists fear Trump will suppress climate change study: report
2017.08.07. Think Too Much: The fight on behalf of science
2017.08.07. US federal department is censoring use of term 'climate change', emails reveal
2017.08.07. With Trump in the White House, Obama science experts operate shadow network to press their positions
2017.08.07. That Federal Climate Change Report May Not Be New, But It Is Startling
2017.08.08. Lawyers Take on Another Trumpian Task: Stopping Science Suppression
2017.08.08. Canada's hope to get climate change into NAFTA could prove difficult
2017.08.08. Tillerson advises diplomats to dodge questions on Paris deal: report
2017.08.08. Fearing Trump Censorship, Govt. Scientists Leak Alarming Climate Report
2017.08.08. A key government report on climate change is out. Here's what you need to know
2017.08.08. Scott Pruitt's EPA website still lacks a climate change section
2017.08.08. The closest man to Trump is a stealth climate believer
2017.08.08. The Trump administration's solution to climate change: ban the term
2017.08.09. The battle over science in the Trump administration
2017.08.09. EPA chief Pruitt holds series of closed-door meetings in GF, Fargo
2017.08.09. The reason the Trump administration avoids discussing the science of climate change
2017.08.09. Canadian co-author of U.S. climate report says findings 'flatly contradict' Trump administration
2017.08.09. EPA head casts doubt on ‘supposed’ threat from climate change
2017.08.09. Trump plans to roll back environmental rule everyone agrees on
2017.08.09. Midweek podcast: Meet the Canadian behind the frank U.S. climate report
2017.08.10. Trump team's climate change stance at odds with science
2017.08.10. Federal Scientists Say Climate Change Is No Hoax, Refuting Trump
2017.08.10. Americans Oppose EPA & Environmental Budget Cuts
2017.08.11. Manchin possibly emerging as pick to lead US Energy Department
2017.08.11. An attempt to avert Trump’s interference in climate science might actually invite it
2017.08.11. FDA puts new restrictions on hiring of foreign scientists, documents show
2017.08.11. Pruitt: EPA will review 'politicized' climate science report
2017.08.11. Trump’s environmental agenda is crashing into the courts
2017.08.12. Hoeven: EPA administrator meetings in ND should have been open
2017.08.14. The EPA Is Beginning To Roll Back An Obama-Era Rule Limiting How Much Toxic Waste Power Plants Release In Water
2017.08.14. Testing the Testers: How Scientist-Activists Persuaded their Peers to March
2017.08.14. Scott Pruitt is dismantling EPA in secret for the same reason the GOP health care bill was secret
2017.08.15. Trump Signs Order to End Obama-Era Flood Risk Building Standards
2017.08.15. Trump Scraps Obama-Era Rule To Protect Infrastructure From Climate-Change Flooding
2017.08.15. These are the business leaders still sitting on Trump’s Manufacturing Council.
2017.08.15. STUDY: EPA chief Scott Pruitt has given more interviews to Fox than to all other major TV networks combined
2017.08.16. So many CEOs resigned from Trump’s manufacturing council that he just disbanded it
2017.08.16. Trump abruptly ends manufacturing council after CEOs disband strategic and policy forum
2017.08.16. Against discrimination: Science cannot and should not be used to justify prejudice.
2017.08.16. EPA’s new focus: Fox
2017.08.17. The Science Police: In highly controversial fields, researchers have to balance science and advocacy.
2017.08.17. The Republicans Trying to Fight Climate Denial in Their Own Party
2017.08.17. Cleveland Clinic, American Cancer Society pull fundraisers from Mar-a-Lago
2017.08.17. Does Reg Review threaten Public Access?
2017.08.18. Maps Explain the 27 National Monuments Under Review by Trump
2017.08.18. EPA to revisit aspects of GHG Phase 2 regs; industry voices concerns
2017.08.18. Trump administration eyes truck emissions standards for its next climate rollback
2017.08.18. Trump Just Struck Down An Obama-Era Climate Rule That Protected Against Flooding
2017.08.18. Trump Forest organizers want to resist Trump with billions of trees
2017.08.21. Yes, Trump viewed #Eclipse2017 without glasses. 'Don't look,' an aide shouted.
2017.08.21. Trump takes in eclipse from White House
2017.08.21. Patagonia Spends $700,000 In First-Ever Ad to Blast Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke
2017.08.21. Report: Trump dissolves climate change advisory panel
2017.08.21. Why the Trump Administration's Latest Auto Industry Move Will Fail
2017.08.21. Trump’s Interior Department moves to stop mountaintop removal study
2017.08.21. Trump administration halts research on mountaintop removal coal mining
2017.08.21. Statement Regarding National Academies Study on Potential Health Risks of Living in Proximity to Surface Coal Mining Sites in Central Appalachia
2017.08.21. Feds halt study of potential link between surface mining and health problems
2017.08.22. AAAS Statement on Trump Administration Disbanding National Climate Assessment Advisory Committee
2017.08.23. Interior Dept. halts study into Appalachian mining technique's likely health hazards
2017.08.23. Climate Change Language Deleted from NIH Site
2017.08.23. Another US agency deletes references to climate change on government website
2017.08.23. Trump to hear recommendations for national monuments
2017.08.23. God help us, Donald Trump tried to dispense energy facts again.
2017.08.23. Trump thinks “clean coal” is just coal that’s been cleaned off. Here’s what it actually is.
2017.08.23. State Department science envoy's letter of resignation has a hidden message for the president
2017.08.23. Spelling 'IMPEACH' in letter, prominent UC professor resigns post in Trump administration
2017.08.23. State Dept. science envoy resigns with letter that spells out 'Impeach'
2017.08.24. Interior recommends Trump shrink national monuments
2017.08.24. The Trump administration's national monuments 'review' is a sham
2017.08.24. After public outcry, the Interior Department won’t eliminate any national monuments
2017.08.24. New study finds that climate change costs will hit Trump country hardest
2017.08.24. U.S. Energy Department grid study calls for boost to coal, nuclear power
2017.08.25. DOE denies it has policy to remove ‘climate change’ from agency materials
2017.08.25. US energy agency asked scientists to scrub references to climate change: Researchers were told to censor descriptions of projects funded by a Department of Energy laboratory.
2017.08.25. Energy Department Tells Scientist to Remove ‘Climate Change’ From Study
2017.08.25. Energy Dept. Asks Scientists to Remove 'Climate Change' from Project Description
2017.08.25. EPA cancels sponsorship of awards for climate leadership
2017.08.27. Trump Damaged Democracy, Silicon Valley Will Finish It Off
2017.08.27. How to offset Trump's climate science ignorance – plant 10bn trees
2017.08.28. Katharine Hayhoe is successfully convincing doubtful evangelicals about climate change
2017.08.28. Donald Trump's cyber-security advisers resign warning of 'insufficient attention to the growing threats'
2017.08.28. Tillerson Outlines Plan to Cut Envoy Jobs in State Overhaul
2017.08.28. Tillerson moves to eliminate special envoy posts at State Dept.: report
2017.08.28. EPA Chief Scott Pruitt: "Science Shouldn't Dictate American Policy"
2017.08.28. The US coal industry is going out, not with a whimper, but with a burst of rent-seeking
2017.08.28. The FDA’s Consumer Protection Warnings Are Falling Under Trump
2017.08.28. Trump Rescinded Obama’s Flood Regulations Weeks Before Hurricane Harvey Hit
2017.08.29. House Republican introduces measure to defund key climate research
2017.08.30. Greens sue to stop rollback of Yellowstone grizzly protections
2017.08.30. For Scott Pruitt’s EPA, Climate-Change Denial Is Mission Critical: The EPA chief is very wrong about Harvey
2017.08.30. Activists sue U.S. to restore protections for Yellowstone grizzlies
2017.08.30. Trump team politicizes superstorm Harvey by attacking scientists for doing their job
2017.08.30. Empty seats: Trump’s top science jobs vacant; others tied to industry
2017.08.31. The Trump administration wants to bail out failed contrarian climate scientists

As usual, if there are any errors in the above list or if I've missed anything significant, please let me know in the comments. If you'd prefer not to comment, you can let me know via email at jdupuis at yorku dot ca or my non-work email dupuisj at gmail dot com.

jdupuis Mon, 09/11/2017 - 09:20

Friday Fun: Is Game of Thrones an allegory for global climate change?

jdupuis — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 04:59:04 +0000

Friday Fun: Is Game of Thrones an allegory for global climate change?

After a bit of an unexpected summer hiatus, I'm back to regular blogging, at least as regular as it's been the last year or two.

Of course, I'm a committed Game of Thrones fan. I read the first book in paperback soon after it was reprinted, some twenty years ago. And I've also been a fan of the HBO series, which though a bit inconsistent and wobbly at times, has been quite worth watching.

And speaking of winter, has anyone else noticed that winter doesn't seem to be coming? Has anyone noticed the person most worried about climate-related issues, Jon Snow, is having trouble being believed? In fact, anyone who worries about the climate is having trouble being taken seriously. Sure, war is important, but the Army of the Dead will kill everyone, no matter who sits on the Iron Throne.

Sound familiar? Well, I'm hardly the first person to notice the link between our favourite apocalyptic TV show and our least favourite real life environmental apocalypse.

Enjoy, or at least seriously ponder, some of the links below.

Is “Game of Thrones” an allegory for global climate change?

Just as the White Walkers are being ignored by the houses fighting over the Westerosi throne, so too are the major producers of carbon emissions struggling to succeed in an economy that will, in the end, render the planet uninhabitable.

Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen's Face-to-Face Shows the Myopia of Climate Change Denial

How do we confront an enemy no one believes in because no one can see it? That's the question Snow leaves us with. We can see iceberg calving thanks to patient videographers positioned at the planet’s edges—a relative term, of course, as circles don’t have edges. But at this moment most would rather watch the videos on their screens rather than give up the behaviors that are part of the problem that’s causing calving. We tend to choose the superstitions that benefit us, not the ones that point at our destruction.

Like it or not, Game of Thrones is out biggest analogy for climate change

And what did Tyrion do with that information? What did he do when he learned that all of mankind was at risk? Did he beseech Daenerys to forego her quest for the Iron Throne and head north with her dragons? Did he explain to her that it was Jorah’s father who first told him about the White Walkers, in a desperate attempt to make her accept the existential threat they all face?

No, he did nothing more than convince her to give away some some worthless dragonglass as a show of good faith. He probably does believe Jon, but taking the Iron Throne is far more important to him, so the White Walkers will have to wait for another day.

Game of Thrones is secretly all about climate change

Swap climate change for White Walkers and "countries" for noble houses, and it starts to sound a lot like the real world.

Specifically, it sounds like the problem of international coordination on climate change. No one country can prevent catastrophic warming on its own: Every country that's a major greenhouse gas emitter is part of the problem.

Yet the biggest emitters, like the United States and China, are also geopolitical competitors: Both are wary of the other's intentions, making it hard for them to see any kind of deal that limits their emissions as win-win. And even if you get over the US-China hurdle, you have to get a deal that's acceptable to most every other country in the world — including developing ones that need cheap energy to fuel economic growth.

The big wars in Game of Thrones — the Baratheon-Targaryen-Stark-Tyrell-Lannister free-for-all — are basically supposed to stand in for these complications. All of these noble houses are focused on their short-term interests, but pursuing them is blocking the real problem: stopping the White Walkers and their zombie army. Likewise, CO2 emissions skyrocketed in the past 100 years — with potentially catastrophic consequences for the human race.

Summer is coming.

And a few more...

jdupuis Fri, 08/18/2017 - 00:59

The Trump War on Science: EPA budget cuts, More on climate change, The war on wildlife and other recent stories

jdupuis — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 13:02:40 +0000

The Trump War on Science: EPA budget cuts, More on climate change, The war on wildlife and other recent stories

Another couple of weeks' worth of stories about how science is faring under the Donald Trump regime. If I'm missing anything important, please let me know either in the comments or at my email jdupuis at yorku dot ca. If you want to use a non-work email for me, it's dupuisj at gmail dot com.

The selections are by no means meant to represent a comprehensive account of everything written about science over the last couple of weeks. I'm aiming for something representative rather than complete or comprehensive. For example, there are probably hundreds of articles written about the Paris Climate Agreement over the past few weeks and I've only chosen a few for this list.

By the way, the idea that this long list of items is from just a little over two weeks is astounding to me. And by astounding, I mean terrifying.

jdupuis Fri, 06/16/2017 - 09:02

Around the Web: A quick list of readings on "predatory" open access journals

jdupuis — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 15:25:57 +0000

Around the Web: A quick list of readings on "predatory" open access journals

As a kind of quick follow up to my long ago post on Some perspective on “predatory” open access journals (presentation version, more or less, here and very short video version here) and in partial response to the recent What I learned from predatory publishers, I thought I would gather a bunch of worthwhile items here today.

Want to prepare yourself to counter panic around predatory open access journals? Here's some great places to start.

I'm sure I've missed a bunch of important articles. Please let me know in the comments!

2017.06.14 Update: Added Beyond Beall’s List: Better understanding predatory publishers to the list.
2017.06.14 Update #2: Added two more to the list.

jdupuis Tue, 06/13/2017 - 11:25

The Donald Trump War on Science: Pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement and other recent stories

jdupuis — Wed, 31 May 2017 13:53:35 +0000

The Donald Trump War on Science: Pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement and other recent stories

For people who are wondering why I'm not doing more of my patented chronologies or collections of posts, the answer is pretty simple. There's so damn much going on it's hard for me to find the time and mental energy to bring it all together. I'm currently working on posts covering the Trump budget proposal as well as the story about the various issue with the Environmental Protection Agency. I'm not sure when I'll get to complete those, but in both cases the story is on-going. I'm also hoping to do an update on the March for Science post.

I may also compile the story around Paris Agreement and climate change.

In the meantime, here's some of the reporting from the last week or so, quick and dirty. I'll try and do these quicker posts more frequently. I'm saving the links anyway to include in the larger posts, so collecting on the blog shouldn't be too hard to get to.

If I've missed anything significant from the last week or so, please let me know in the comments or at jdupuis at yorku dot ca.
===

Here's a list of my previous blog posts concerning the Trump War on Science:

jdupuis Wed, 05/31/2017 - 09:53

Job posting: Physical Sciences Librarian and Head of Steacie Science and Engineering Library, York University, Toronto

jdupuis — Tue, 02 May 2017 09:18:54 +0000

Job posting: Physical Sciences Librarian and Head of Steacie Science and Engineering Library, York University, Toronto

Come work with me! Be my department head!

Here's the full posting:

Position Rank: Full Time Tenure Stream - Assistant/Associate/Senior Librarian
Discipline/Field: Head of Steacie Science and Engineering Library
Home Faculty: Libraries
Home Department/Area/Division: Steacie Science and Engineering Library
Affiliation/Union: YUFA
Position Start Date: October 1, 2017

Physical Sciences Librarian and Head of Steacie Science and Engineering Library, York University Libraries, York University

York University Libraries seeks an innovative and visionary leader who will inspire the librarians and staff of the Steacie Science and Engineering Library to match the ambition of York's growing Science, Engineering and Health faculties.

The Steacie Science and Engineering Library has 4.5 full-time librarians and 5.5 full-time support staff and is one of seven libraries in four buildings within the York University Libraries system. It attracts half a million visitors a year and provides specialized resources, research support and information literacy sessions to York's science, engineering and health programs. Steacie Library takes pride in its extensive information literacy program and successful community outreach events such as its Hackfest, the Ada Lovelace Day Wikipedia Edit-a-thon, Open Access Week and Science Literacy Week.

This is a continuing appointment with an expected designation of Assistant, Associate or Senior Librarian, depending on qualifications. York offers a competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and an exceptional benefits package.

The appointment as head of the Steacie Science and Engineering Library is a five-year term (with possibility of renewal), providing leadership and direction for the department, working collegially with librarians and consultatively with department staff.

Responsibilities include oversight of daily library operations, dealing with staffing levels, mentoring and enabling goal-setting, promoting leadership at different levels, fostering implementation of best practices, and regularly reviewing department structures and procedures to ensure excellence and quality user experience. The department head represents Steacie Library as an advocate of the Libraries; serves as a point of contact for the science and engineering community on campus and externally; and builds partnerships with faculty, university administration and other campus units.

York University Libraries released a new five year strategic plan in 2016 and is currently engaging in a restructuring process. The department head will embrace and implement the plan and lead an ambitious agenda to position Steacie Library as an innovation hub to support the growing Science, Engineering and Health faculties. The candidate will also lead Steacie Library and its staff through this period of change by aligning departmental goals and institutional vision in support of the Libraries' strategic priorities, and by representing the departmental perspective system-wide.

The successful candidate will act as liaison with the Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy, and Science and Technology Studies (STS), and the Division of Natural Science, and will build relationships with students, researchers and instructors in these undergraduate and graduate programs. The candidate will support teaching, learning and research; provide information literacy instruction; work with colleagues to provide, promote, manage and evaluate library services, resources and collections; and foster an understanding of the research culture, data needs and publication trends of science and technology researchers. The candidate will also participate in project and committee work for the Libraries and the university, and in external cooperative and professional activities. Some evening and weekend hours may be required.

The successful candidate will have the following qualifications:

an ALA-accredited MLIS or equivalent with graduation year of 2007 or later;
academic background in the physical sciences or equivalent library professional or work experience in these subject areas;
demonstration of a progression of leadership responsibilities and evidence of building effective working relationships with institutional colleagues;
demonstrated understanding of information literacy and research competencies in science and STS;
demonstrated understanding of the research culture of science and technology, including scholarly communication, publishing trends and corresponding needs of faculty and researchers in the physical sciences;
demonstrated expertise with relevant information sources in science and technology, particularly for chemistry, physics and astronomy, including chemical structure searching;
understanding of the changing role of academic libraries in higher education and an ability to envision innovative and creative methods of integrating and employing digital technologies;
established record of research, publication and professional development;
strong public service philosophy and evidence of professional initiative and leadership;
strong written and oral communication skills;
ability to work collegially with a diverse population of colleagues and patrons; and
ability to handle multiple responsibilities and manage priorities.
The position is available from 1 October 2017. All York University positions are subject to budgetary approval.

Librarians at York University have academic status and are members of the York University Faculty Association bargaining unit (http://www.yufa.ca/).

York University is an Affirmative Action (AA) employer and strongly values diversity, including gender and sexual diversity, within its community. The AA program, which applies to Aboriginal people, visible minorities, people with disabilities, and women, can be found at www.yorku.ca/acadjobs or by calling the AA office at 416-736-5713. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.

People with disabilities and Aboriginal people are priorities in the York University Libraries Affirmative Action plan and are especially encouraged to apply. Consideration will also be given to those who have followed non-traditional career paths or had career interruptions.

The deadline for complete applications is 2 June 2017. Three letters of reference will be requested by 26 June and required by 17 July for candidates who may be interviewed. Interviews will be scheduled in the last two weeks of August.

A letter of application with a current curriculum vitae should be sent to:

Chair, Steacie Librarian Search Committee
York University Libraries
516 Scott Library
4700 Keele St.
Toronto, ON
M3J 1P3
Fax: (416) 736-5451
Email: yulapps@yorku.ca

Posting End Date: June 2, 2017

I'm on the search committee for this posting, so I can really only answer the most basic questions. If anyone would like to speak to someone internally about the York environment, etc., please let me know and I can pass you along to someone. My email is jdupuis at yorku dot ca.

jdupuis Tue, 05/02/2017 - 05:18

Friday Fun: Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary

jdupuis — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 04:56:41 +0000

Friday Fun: Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary

Like with La La Land a few months back, here we have a jazz-themed documentary that I haven't seen yet but have read an awful lot about.

Unlike La La Land, I actually intend to see Chasing Trane and actually have tickets to see an upcoming showing at a Toronto theatre.

The reviews seem fantastic, with more or less unanimous opinion that the film does justice to Coltrane both as a person and as a musician.

Some of what I've been reading...

Q&A with “Chasing Trane” Filmmaker John Scheinfeld / Down Beat
'Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary' serves the jazz legend well by Noel Murray / LA Times
Filmmaker John Scheinfeld Explores the Life of John Coltrane by Angela Dawson / Front Row Features
‘Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary’ by Owen Gleiberman / Variety
Jazz Legend: John Scheinfeld's 'Chasing Trane' examines the life of saxophonist John Coltrane by Daniel Eagan
What Haunted John Coltrane by Jason Parham
See Doors' John Densmore Recall 'Spiritual but Cathartic' John Coltrane Gig by Hank Shteamer
An interview with John Scheinfeld, writer and director of Chasing Trane, the new John Coltrane Documentary / The Jazz Collector
DOC NYC Closes with Death, Heaven, and John Coltrane by Michael J. Agovino / Village Voice
Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary by Todd McCarthy / Film Journal
Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary by Dwight Brown / HuffPost
‘Chasing Trane’ brings an overlooked John Coltrane back to life by Adam Howard
Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary / Unseen Films
John Coltrane Comes Back To Life In New ‘Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary’ by Shenequa Golding / Vibe
‘Chasing Trane’ Illuminates the Spirit of John Coltrane by John Kruth / Observer
INTERVIEW: Documentarian John Scheinfeld chases the real John Coltrane by John Soltes / Hollywood Soapbox
Movie Review: Chasing Trane – The John Coltrane Documentary by Kristen Lopez / The Young Folks
John Coltrane Documentary Chasing Trane Is a Flub Supreme by Alan Scherstuhl / LA Weekly

jdupuis Fri, 04/28/2017 - 00:56

My remarks at the Toronto March for Science

jdupuis — Sun, 23 Apr 2017 22:31:13 +0000

My remarks at the Toronto March for Science

Many thanks to the organizers of this past weekend's March on Science here in Toronto. They invited me to be part of the amazing roster of speakers for the event. I was honoured to take part and offer some of the lessons I've learned in the course of my various listing projects over the last number of years, especially the epic chronology of the Harper years.

There's a nice video summary here and a CTV News report where I'm interviewed here. A couple of additional media stories are here and here and here.

My fellow presenters were Master of Ceremonies Rupinder Brar and speakers Dawn Martin-Hill, Josh Matlow, Tanya Harrison, Chelsea Rochman, Aadita Chaudhury, Eden Hennessey and Cody Looking Horse.

Here's what I had to say:

Hi, my name is John and I’m a librarian. My librarian superpower is making lists, checking them twice and seeing who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. The nice ones are all of you out here marching for science. And the naughty ones are the ones out there that are attacking science and the environment.

Now I’ve been in the list-making business for quite a few years, making an awful lot of lists of how governments have attacked or ignored science. I did a lot of work making lists about the Harper government and their war on science. The nicest thing I’ve ever seen written about my strange little obsession was in The Guardian.

Here’s what they said, in an article titled, How science helped to swing the Canadian election.

“Things got so bad that scientists and their supporters took to the streets. They demonstrated in Ottawa. They formed an organization, Evidence for Democracy, to bring push back on political interference in science. Awareness-raising forums were held at campuses throughout Canada. And the onslaught on science was painstakingly documented, which tends to happen when you go after librarians.”

Yeah, watch out. Don’t go after libraries and librarians. The Harper govt learned its lesson. And we learned a lesson too. And that lesson was that keeping track of things, that painstakingly documenting all the apparently disconnected little bits and pieces of policies here, regulations changed there and a budget snipped somewhere else, it all adds up.

What before had seemed random and disconnected is suddenly a coherent story. All the dots are connected and everybody can see what’s happened. By telling the whole story, by laying it all out there for everyone to see, it’s suddenly easier for all of us to point to the list and to hold the government of the day accountable. That’s the lesson learned from making lists.

Let’s travel back in time to the spring of 2013…..

And as an aside, when I say government of the day, I do mean “of the day.” Back when I started my listing project, I was under no illusion that the previous Chretien/Martin regime was perfect when it came to science. They had their share of budget cuts and muzzling and all the rest.

But back in 2013 what I saw the government doing wasn’t the run of the mill anti-science that we’d seen before. Prime Minister Harper’s long standing stated desire to make Canada a global energy superpower revealed the underlying motivation but it was the endless litany of program cuts, census cancellation, science library closures, regulatory changes and muzzling of government scientists that made up the action plan. But was it really a concerted action plan or was it a disconnected series of small changes that were really no big deal or just a little different from normal?

That’s where making lists comes in handy. If you’re keeping track, then, yeah, you see the plan. You see the mission, you see the goals, you see the strategy, you see the tactics. You see that the government was trying to be sneaky and stealthy and incremental and “normal” but that there was a revolution in the making. An anti-science revolution.

Fast forward to now, April 2017, and what do we see? The same game plan repeated, the same anti-science revolution under way. Only this time not so stealthy. Instead of a steady drip, it’s a fire hose. Message control at the National Parks Service, climate change denial, slashing budgets and shutting down programs at the EPA and other vital agencies. Incompetent agency directors that don’t understand the mission of their agencies or who even want to destroy them completely.

Once again, we are called to document, document, document. Tell the stories, mobilize science supporters and hold the governments accountable at the ballot box. Hey, like the Guardian said, if we did it in Canada, maybe that game plan can be repeated too.

I invited my three government reps here to the march today, Rob Oliphant, Josh Matlow and Eric Hoskins and I invited them to march with me so we could talk about how evidence should inform public policy. Josh, of course, is up here on the podium with me. As for Rob Oliphant from the Federal Liberals and Eric Hoskins from the Ontario Liberals, well, let’s just say they never answered my tweets.

Keep track, tell the story, hold all of them from every party accountable. The lesson we learned here in Canada was that science can be a decisive issue. Real facts can mobilise people to vote against alternative facts.

Thank you.

jdupuis Sun, 04/23/2017 - 18:31