A new organisation, SEFORA (Scientists and Engineers for America), has been formed to counter the abuse and supression of science currently popular in American media and politics. They have drafted a "Bill of Rights" for scientists and engineers which includes:
Federal policy shall be made using the best available science and analysis both from within the government and from the rest of society.
and
The federal government shall not support any science education program that includes instruction in concepts that are derived from ideology and not science.
The second one is worth playing up - intelligent design, anti-vaccination, Catholic objections to contraception and stem cell research, corporate attempts to play down the effects of pollution, global warming, bad nutrition and the like - all these are slowly finding their way into publicly funded education. The end result can only be a confused and therefore compliant populace, just what every demagogue wants.
A couple of things - one is that this needs to be an international group - "Scientists and Engineers for the World". Science is an international enterprise that spans across not only political, but ideological and economic boundaries, and if science is to be respected and properly used by politicians, then it needs to fight the forces of ignorance and spin everywhere.
Another thing is that they restrict their aim to the federal government, but as much or more harm comes from state governments, not only in the US but in, say, Brazil, where ecological concerns and laws are ignored by provincial governors who hand out logging permits.
In other words, it's a good start, but they are thinking too narrowly. When the Bush2 cabal is gone, there will be other cabals in state and federal governments that need to be brought to the heel of facts and knowledge.
Hat tip to Pharyngula by the guy with the incomprehensible name.
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