Bush administration gags scientists again

New Bush administration rules put even more limits on what government scientists can say.

Published December 18, 2006 7:44PM (EST)

Continuing what some have termed a "war on science," the Bush administration has announced new rules that will further restrict the ability of government scientists to speak out about research that contradicts official policy.

The Associated Press reports that the new rules apply to scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey and cover all material they might release publicly, no matter how small -- if the material could be "policy-sensitive."

The AP quotes one scientist, Jim Estes, as saying, "I feel as though we've got someone looking over our shoulder at every damn thing we do. And to me that's a very scary thing. I worry that it borders on censorship. ... It feels like they're doing this to keep us under their thumbs. It seems like they're afraid of science. Our findings could be embarrassing to the administration."


By Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon.

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