Science, health, and related policies

By Kent on January 17, 2008 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | View blog reactions

I've written before about how important it is that science should inform the policy choices of the next President of the United States, and I pointed out that Science provided analyses of the candidates views on science in a recent issue. But it's not enough to have a president that can appoint knowledgeable science advisers and who will listen to the evidence they present in formulating policies. We need congressmen and senators who will do the same thing

Yesterday, the Scientists and Engineers for America launched its Science, Health, and Related Policies (SHARP) network.

SEA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization with 501(c)(3) status. Our mission is to renew respect for evidence-based debate and decision-making in politics and at all levels of government. (source)

In addition to brief biographies, the SHARP website provides information on positions that congressmen and senators have taken on legislation related to education, energy, environment, global warming, health, innovation, research and research management, stem cell research,

Here, for example, is the paragraph that currently appears in Chris Dodd's listing under the heading of &ldqup;Global Warmng”:

With a vote of 51-42 the Senate rejected S. Amdt 1094 to the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (H.R. 1495). This amendment would have required the Army Corp of Engineers to account for the long-term and short-term effects of global climate change in all feasibility studies or reevaluation reports. Supporters of S. Amdt. 1094 focused especially on the dangers associated with increased hurricane intensity and rising sea levels. Opponents criticized the amendment as being too expensive to implement and refuted any relationship between hurricane intensity and global warming (read the floor debate). Senator Dodd voted for this amendment.

It appears that SHARP will be a very valuable resource to anyone who cares about ensuring that science informs public policy.