E.P.A. to put science first
Science in America is most defiantly in a devalued state when the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lisa P. Jackson, needed to ensure congressional leaders science would come first.
In her conformational hearing she promised that her agency will follow scientific data, instead of overruling finding to follow a political agenda. While she acknowledges that there will also be policy actions that differ from E.P.A. reports, she will ensure that political appointees will not interfere with E.P.A. technical experts. This shift in philosophy could be the start of re-strengthening of environmental protection including further exploring arsenic in water, and current carbon dioxide emissions. The administrations priorities will be to address global warming, air pollution, hazardous waste sites, toxic chemicals and the protection of water quality
This is a definite signal to a shift back to valuing science. In the US many of these issues have been seen as debatable while all credible scientific evidence points to a direct conclusion.
On an unrelated but just as important note, Lisa Jackson when she assumed her job on January 23rd, is also the first African American to hold this position in the United States.
