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Mountain or Molehill?

Analysis of Charges of Political Interference in Science Against the Obama Administration

Mountain or Molehill Key
	MOLEHILL: While there is no evidence of political interference in science, there are lessons to be learned.
	FOOTHILL: While there is some evidence of political interference in science, the government should adopt practices to protect scientific integrity.
	MOUNTAIN: There is significant evidence of political interference in science that requires changes in government practice.

The Obama administration has been accused of political interference in science on several occasions. UCS has analyzed these accusations and has rated each situation as a mountain, foothill, or molehill based on the validity of the charges. Click on each case study to explore the charge, whether or not political interference in science occurred, and what best scientific integrity practices should be applied in similar situations.

UCS will continue to keep a watchful eye on the Obama Administration and is working towards long-lasting reforms that would restore scientific integrity to federal policy making. Use this form to tell UCS about additional charges of political interference in science.

The Issue	Mountain, Foothill, or Molehill?
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Amount of Oil Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the US government significantly underestimated the amount of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico. In the weeks after the disaster, independent scientists were able to provide estimates that were much closer to the actual amount of oil leaked, yet government estimates remained unchanged for nearly a month.	B-D
U.S. Forest Service Accused of Preventing Employee Communication with Press The U.S. Forest Service was accused of preventing its employees from communicating with the press about issues of national interest—a practice that was widespread under the Bush administration.	B-U
Climate Change Researchers Accused of Manipulation and Exaggeration of Scientific Findings. The release of emails stolen from climate scientists and the discovery of an IPCC error regarding glacier disappearance have led to claims that the scientific consensus about climate change is false.	A-C
Minerals Management Service Accused of Errors and Violations in Offshore Drilling Program The Minerals Management Service has been accused of drafting an inadequate offshore drilling plan and violating environmental statutes in permitting offshore projects.	C-M
White House Accused of Withholding Visitor Logs The White House was accused of withholding its visitor logs from the public.	C-W
Environmental Protection Agency Accused of Censorship The EPA was accused of censoring an agency economist when preparing a scientific finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare.	B-E
Office of Management and Budget Accused of Infuencing Scientific Finding This White House Office of Management and Budget was accused of attempting to influence the EPA's scientific finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare.	A-O
White House Accused of Inappropriate Closed-Door Meetings The White House was accused of holding inappropriate closed-door meetings while the EPA was preparing a national fuel economy standard.	A-W
U.S. Global Change Research Program Accused of Misrepresenting Science The U.S. Global Change Research Program was accused of misrepresenting science to support the Obama administration's agenda.	A-U
Administration Accused of Politicizing Census The Obama administration was accused of attempting to politicize the 2010 Census.	A-A
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Accused of Misusing Science The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was accused of misusing science when developing fisheries management policy.	A-N