Trump administration funding cuts and limitations on federal government employees are affecting a major scientific conference on the Great Lakes opening Monday in Milwaukee.
May 23, President Donald Trump signed an executive order “to restore Gold Standard Science.” The order claims the action is needed “rebuild public trust in science.”
But scientific groups claim the new administration is having the opposite effect.
The Union of Concerned Scientists’ blog slammed the executive order. The blog post calls the order “another smoke screen created by the Trump administration in order to push its political agenda disguised as science.”
Jerome Marty is the executive director of the International Association for Great Lakes Research. He’s organizing the group’s 68th annual conference in Milwaukee this week.
He said normally about 700 scientists and officials attend the annual conference on threats to large freshwater lakes around the world. But this year they’re expecting 450.
Marty blames the declining attendance on restrictions preventing federal scientists from attending and budget cuts that have forced others to cancel.
Marty said many Great Lakes scientists are experiencing sadness and fear. Sadness that fewer research papers are being shared. And fear of repercussions if they share their own work.
.“We are losing the capacity to report on findings,” said Marty, “We’re going to put people in danger, because there are things that could be very dangerous and harmful to them if they are not being tracked and detected on time.”
Marty cites climate change and algal, also known as Cyanobacteria, growth as two threats to large freshwater lakes around the world.
He adds oil spills and other pollution is threatening major fresh water resources that millions of people rely on for drinking water.
