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Let Scientists Speak Out

Target: U.S. Federal Agencies
Sponsored by: Union of Concerned Scientists

While federal government scientists play a critical role in protecting our health, safety and environment, many report that they are often discouraged from sharing their scientific research and analysis with the media and the public. In fact, a recent Union of Concerned Scientists investigation found that the media policies and practices of some federal agencies effectively censor scientists, impeding their ability to discuss their work with their peers and with interested journalists who convey research findings to the public.

Other federal agencies—like NASA—have changed their policies to allow their scientists far greater freedom in meeting their public service missions, demonstrating that it is possible for the government to do better.

Federal scientists must feel free to speak out about research findings that impact our lives. Please urge federal agency leaders to improve their agencies' media policies.

deadline: Ongoing...
goal: 25,000

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Subject: Allow Scientists to Speak Freely With the Public

Dear [Agency Official],

A recent investigation conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that your agency could improve its communication between agency scientists and the press. Please create a forward-thinking media policy that encourages open communication between scientists, the media, policy makers and the public.

[Your personal comments will be added here.]

Federal scientists should be able to alert the public when their research indicates a potential public health, safety or environmental hazard. Unfortunately, there have been many recent documented cases in which scientists at federal agencies have been censored and the media stymied in their attempts to access government scientific information.

In order to meet your public service mission, your agency should allow scientists to more effectively communicate about their scientific research and expertise. A model media policy can be found here:
http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/Model-Media-Policy-1.pdf

Sincerely,
[Your name here]

We took action on “Let Scientists Speak Out”!

# 18,317:

5:43 pm PST, Nov 20, Steven Pazienza, New York

# 18,316:

4:27 pm PST, Nov 20, Bethe Neitz, South Carolina

# 18,315:

12:25 pm PST, Nov 20, Deborah Lone Wolf, Michigan
This law that G.W.Bush put into the silencing of out scientists is several years old. I first read about it shortly after Al Gore's film. " An Inconvenient Truth" came about and the Bush administration kept lying about what the top scientists were reporting about global warming. Bush even had is "experts" whom had no scientific training what so ever, work overtime trying to discredit the real experts. Than B Bush underhandedly placed a law against all scientists in America making them submit all reports they had written to Bush's non experts for editing and in the majority of submitted reports, they were debunked as lies, even though the reports were actual fact. Bush denied the top scientists to be able to let these reports be known to the people of the world and that is censorship and violation of the freedom of speech. It is past time to allow the truth to come out and to use this information to try to make the environment better for all living things.

# 18,314:

10:35 am PST, Nov 20, Ashley Strain, New Jersey

# 18,313:

10:24 am PST, Nov 20, Patrizia Baschiera, Italy

# 18,312:

7:01 am PST, Nov 20, Virgil Brown, Virginia

# 18,311:

4:03 am PST, Nov 20, Elaine Bennett, Illinois
And this would include fluoride waste from the aluminum indusrty added to our drinking water, and the amount or persistent aerosol spraying criss-crossing the sky in what has been referred to a "CHEMTRAILS". Analysis of this material shows high levels of barium, aluminum, cadmiun, and many other heay metals falling onto our crops, and in our water supplies. It is no longer an arguement of wether or not they are "real". STOP THE SPRAYING, STOP POLLUTING OUR AIR AND WATER, and tell Monsanto to back off with their disease causing GMO's.

# 18,310:

1:10 am PST, Nov 20, John Miller, Illinois

# 18,309:

9:16 pm PST, Nov 19, Charron Dusha, Wisconsin

# 18,308:

6:59 pm PST, Nov 19, Shelania Johnson, Georgia

# 18,307:

5:18 pm PST, Nov 19, Name not displayed, Virginia

# 18,306:

5:14 pm PST, Nov 19, Leslie MacKay, California

# 18,305:

4:27 pm PST, Nov 19, Rebekah Driessen, California

# 18,304:

3:50 pm PST, Nov 19, Susan S M, Minnesota

# 18,303:

1:04 pm PST, Nov 19, Martha Massat, Missouri
For the health of the community, scientists need to be able to speak openly on their assesments of health and environmental risks in the community.

# 18,302:

12:48 pm PST, Nov 19, Elena Rubino, New Jersey

# 18,301:

12:15 pm PST, Nov 19, William Bryant, Iowa
Having done my undergraduate and graduate work in the biological sciences and observing how valid science, rational thought, and consideration of cause and effect relationships have been undermined by the Bush/Cheney regime, I propose that real science be brought to the fore in decision making for the US. Let's build on the findings that are already available from worldwide science and make decisions in all areas of public policy (including the social arena) that science and it's findings can speak to. Let's ditch the arrogant pseudosophisticated attitude that because it "was not invented here" it is not applicable. Examples of these types of blunders are healthcare and enviromental concerns. Get with it and keep us informed of problems and progress.

# 18,300:

11:45 am PST, Nov 19, Barbara Becker, Ohio
In order for people everywhere to safeguard the health of their communities, the scientific facts are needed.

# 18,299:

11:20 am PST, Nov 19, Gary Lee, California

# 18,298:

11:18 am PST, Nov 19, Marikay Litzau, Minnesota

# 18,297:

11:11 am PST, Nov 19, Mimi Sroat, Hawaii

# 18,296:

11:10 am PST, Nov 19, Robert King, Jr., Colorado
Americans need to know that the work of the federal agencies they fund is transparent enough to justify their continued funding. Who wants to buy a house, if you can only use one room?

# 18,295:

10:43 am PST, Nov 19, Shawn Miya, Indiana

# 18,294:

10:22 am PST, Nov 19, Dana Fox, California

# 18,293:

8:48 am PST, Nov 19, Mary White, North Carolina
The public needs to know what scientists have discovered, sos they can make intelligent choices for themselves.

# 18,292:

8:09 am PST, Nov 19, Jean Donnelly, California

# 18,291:

7:59 am PST, Nov 19, Nanci Gabbard, Ohio

# 18,290:

7:27 am PST, Nov 19, Gretchen Beaubier, New Mexico

# 18,289:

7:25 am PST, Nov 19, William Rogers, Maryland
It will improve our environment. Government Agencies have been know to do what supports there agencies only and not the people. When will we learn that we are those agencies and to make a change we must start with ourselves. Grow up people of the world.

# 18,288:

6:52 am PST, Nov 19, Name not displayed, Ohio

# 18,287:

6:42 am PST, Nov 19, Robert J. Brennan III, Rhode Island

# 18,286:

6:29 am PST, Nov 19, Kayla Cielo, Florida
So many environmental mistakes, such as the mass sprayings of dieldrin in Indian River County and beyond, have caused cancers and parkinsons disease from water and soil secretion. The medical community as well as the scientific community is not addressing these fat cell sitting toxins that cause breastmilk to be toxic for babies. The general public should know what thier bodies are unawaredly being subjected to due to mistakes past. These secrets should not be kept from mothers and new generations.

# 18,285:

6:09 am PST, Nov 19, Julio Aviles, Pennsylvania

# 18,284:

5:25 am PST, Nov 19, Courtney Osborne, Ohio

# 18,283:

5:07 am PST, Nov 19, Helaine Clark, California

# 18,282:

3:35 am PST, Nov 19, Michael Priory, Florida

# 18,281:

12:09 am PST, Nov 19, Name not displayed, California
We need to allow scientists to tell the truth instead of silencing them to protect the large companies' profiits. We must rid ourselves of this leftover from the Bush administration

# 18,280:

9:52 pm PST, Nov 18, GEORGE D BELLESHEIM, Florida

# 18,279:

9:42 pm PST, Nov 18, Richard Walker, Mississippi
If it is a health or safety issue I do believe any scientist should be able to speak out about the issues as longas it does violate national security.

# 18,278:

8:37 pm PST, Nov 18, Name not displayed, Arkansas
Citizens are asked to make decisions for themselves, their families, and for the country by supporting various programs. How can we make good decisions without good information? What good does it do for scientists to gather information if they are not allowed to share it. This type of censorship is wrong and goes against the values our country stands for.

# 18,277:

8:33 pm PST, Nov 18, Name not displayed, Arizona
It's the Scientists Job to report their what they find about the Environment that will be Harmful for us Humans , Animals and Plants.

# 18,276:

7:20 pm PST, Nov 18, Name not displayed, Virginia

# 18,275:

7:08 pm PST, Nov 18, Kathryn MacDonald, Washington
The people need to be heard!

# 18,274:

6:57 pm PST, Nov 18, Randall Schwab, Washington

# 18,273:

6:51 pm PST, Nov 18, Vaughn Brown, Washington

# 18,272:

6:09 pm PST, Nov 18, Danette Jammer, Pennsylvania
Why would the federal agencies want to censor the scientists unless the federal agencies don't want us to know their findings? Sounds like a BIG cover up is going on. Our health is at stake. What does it take to start getting the honest facts. I am very sick of all the actions of our government agencies. They work for us and it's time for us to hear what the scientists have to say!

# 18,271:

5:58 pm PST, Nov 18, Bert Golding, Texas
Accurate scientific information is critical-- scientists must be able to communicate freely without political censorship!

# 18,270:

5:48 pm PST, Nov 18, Peggy Adams, Ohio

# 18,269:

5:23 pm PST, Nov 18, Jessica Flynn, Maine

# 18,268:

5:12 pm PST, Nov 18, Cheryl Erickson, Colorado
The public has a right to know the true findings of federal scientists without politics getting in the way.

# 18,267:

5:11 pm PST, Nov 18, Karen Albanese, New Jersey

# 18,266:

5:06 pm PST, Nov 18, Stephen Laverty, Massachusetts

# 18,265:

5:04 pm PST, Nov 18, Name not displayed, New Jersey

# 18,264:

4:58 pm PST, Nov 18, Cindy Eldkrona, Oregon

# 18,263:

4:11 pm PST, Nov 18, Jay Vitroli, California
Secrecy in this area is incredibly dangerous! It allows the government to tell us anything they want--not usually a truthful disclosure. I am also finding out cia use scientists for brainwashing unaware victims. Ck out jim jones & guyana! Startling reveations on mind control.

# 18,262:

4:06 pm PST, Nov 18, Philip Klein, California

# 18,261:

4:01 pm PST, Nov 18, Brent Barber, North Carolina

# 18,260:

3:57 pm PST, Nov 18, Norma Killebrew, Florida
Two issues bother me. One is the fact that unhealthy animals are presented to the public for consumption...downer cows, as an example. The other problem is that I live in phosphate country and there is little actual research to support the harm that does both to humans and the environment. Please allow scientists to speak freely.

# 18,259:

3:43 pm PST, Nov 18, Jennifer Brena, California

# 18,258:

3:36 pm PST, Nov 18, Lyn McCormick, Colorado
Because the government and corporate business America need to be accountable to the people for creating situations that are unsafe and unhealthy in their quest for power and wealth.

# 18,257:

3:30 pm PST, Nov 18, Rebecca Stone, California

# 18,256:

3:28 pm PST, Nov 18, Brian Guadagno, New Jersey

# 18,255:

3:17 pm PST, Nov 18, Name not displayed, Arizona
Simply this-it is important for the public to be informed.

# 18,254:

3:12 pm PST, Nov 18, Anjanette Cureton, New Mexico

# 18,253:

3:10 pm PST, Nov 18, Birdie B, Texas

# 18,252:

3:07 pm PST, Nov 18, Sjoran Fitzpatrick, Colorado

# 18,251:

3:02 pm PST, Nov 18, Nancy Sasko, Indiana

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