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Articles by Charise Johnson
Scientists Must Speak Up for the Green New Deal
When Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey introduced the Green New Deal (GND) resolution on February 7, 2019, many climate advocates rejoiced. From the Union of Concerned Scientists to the League of Conservation Voters, advocates representing a diversity of interests recognized that, finally, a resolution had been introduced into both chambers of Congress with an ambition that matched the scale of the climate-change challenge.
James Watson's Problematic Views on Race Persist in the Science Community
"It's unfortunately a broken record in general, and also specifically when it comes to Jim Watson." Filed Under Biology, Genetics, History, Human Behavior & Public Health The stripping of James Watson’s honorary titles in response to his offensive views on race and genetics marked an important moment in science history.
Can the EPA Protect Us from Ozone and Particulate Pollution Without Its Experts? What to Watch
This week, the EPA announced that its Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) alone would be reviewing upcoming ozone and particulate matter reviews. On October 10, the EPA nixed its ozone and particulate matter review panels—breaking with EPA’s use of expert science advisers for ambient air quality decisions since the 1970s and consistent with this administration’s trend of abandoning science advice.
After Pittsburgh, Thousand Oaks, Will New Congress Push for Gun Safety Research?
The night after mid-term elections, our nation suffered another gruesome tragedy at the hands of an armed gunman, and I’m still ready for Congress to demand a science-based conversation on gun violence. Last night in Thousand Oaks, California, 12 people- including the gunman and an officer- were left dead and at least 10 others injured at a popular college bar. It is believed that several survivors of last year’s mass shooting at a Las Vegas music festival were present.
PFAS Contamination on Military Bases Is A Scary Reality-And For Me, It’s Personal
Across the country, families are exposed to dangerous chemicals in their water—and the families most at risk are those living on or near military bases. This threat concerns me not just as a researcher, but as the child of a military family. PFAS, or poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances, are a class of synthetic chemicals that are silently ubiquitous and persistent in the environment—and highly toxic.
DOI’s New Policy Restricts Science Under the Guise of Transparency
Last week, Interior Department Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt issued an order, “Promoting Open Science”, purportedly to increase transparency and public accessibility of the research used by the Department to make science-based decisions.
This Beetle Lays its Eggs in Dead Mice Carcasses and then Covers Them With Mucus - But it’s Endangered and Important
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) rushed a scientific assessment on the endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) in Nebraska, seemingly because the agency didn’t want to disrupt agribusiness. Two biologists that were working on the assessment, Wyatt Hoback and Douglas Leasure, told the Washington Post that the FWS pushed them to conduct their science on an extremely constrained timeline. The beetle has been a source of contention in federal government research since 2013.
Proposed Changes to the Endangered Species Act Threaten Wildlife
The Trump Administration is threatening species, land conservation, and human health and wellbeing by rolling back our health, safety, and environmental protections. This time the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are attempting to undercut the scientific basis of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by proposing changes that will make it less effective, even increasing the chances that species will go extinct.
Op-Eds for Cheeseheads: Training New Scientists as Communicators in Wisconsin Food Systems Policy
“Facts aren’t impartial. They have great implications for people.
Proposed Changes to the Endangered Species Act Threaten Wildlife
The Trump Administration is threatening species, land conservation, and human health and wellbeing by rolling back our health, safety, and environmental protections. This time the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are attempting to undercut the scientific basis of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by proposing changes that will make it less effective, even increasing the chances that species will go extinct.
The EPA’s Proposed Chemical Disaster Rule is a Disaster in the Making
This post is a part of a series on RMP It isn’t new news or another hot take: communities of color are disproportionately exposed to and impacted by toxic chemical releases. The impacts of these incidents are severe, including death and serious injury, and often the children and families affected also have the fewest resources to protect themselves. They are also more immediately impacted by the decisions the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) makes on chemical risk management.
Opinion | The Trump era's newest endangered species is the Endangered Species Act
Get the Think newsletter. July 23, 2018 / 8:35 PM GMT / Updated July 23, 2018 / 8:35 PM GMT By Charise Johnson The Endangered Species Act itself is currently endangered, as a result of predation by lobbyists, conservatives in Congress and President Donald Trump.
The 1 Thing Massachusetts Needs in its Clean Energy Bill
Massachusetts is at a pivotal point in its lawmaking trajectory and its clean energy path. With just one week remaining in this legislative session, where we head on clean energy is up to a polydactyl handful of lawmakers tasked with coming up with shared language in the next few days for a bill that takes the state to the next level on climate and energy. The good news is that there’s just one thing we need to see in what they come up with.
New EPA Administrator, Same Bad Idea-Car Standard Rollbacks Would be Awful
For months now, we’ve heard from a variety of sources that the Trump administration is readying a proposal which would roll back 2025 vehicle standards to 2020 levels, halting progress on reductions in emissions and oil use at the same time that transportation has become the largest source of global warming emissions in the U.S. With Scott Pruitt resigning from his post at the EPA, many had high hopes that this could signal a change in direction for the agency—unfortunately, Acting...
Coal Bailout: Low on Benefits, but High on Costs
More indications that there is no national reason for a proposed financial rescue of coal plants came out this week. Power grid operator PJM says there is no emergency; a leading coal industry representative says we don’t have any measure or understanding of what is gained in terms of reliability; and financial estimates are reported at $17 – 35 billion per year. In the energy industry, the costs of decisions are often very substantial. Economics, policy, and engineering are all relevant.
Science Citizenship: Making Science Actionable
I decided to pursue a career in science in part because my high school chemistry teacher believed in me and sent me on a glacier expedition. My research as a Masters and PhD candidate brought me to remote corners of the earth, exploring glaciers at all latitudes. At otherworldly sites, I sampled the chemistry of snow and glacier melt. Most of my work was based in Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys, earth’s analogue to Mars.
Watching Wheeler: 9 Critical Actions the New EPA Chief Should Take
The people’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a new leader. Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler took the helm of the agency on July 9 following the resignation of Scott Pruitt. And now Wheeler has the opportunity to move past his predecessor’s scandals and return the agency to its science-based mission of protecting human health and the environment.
The Midwest’s Food System is Failing. Here’s Why.
If you’ve perused the new UCS 50-State Food System Scorecard, you’ve probably noticed a seeming contradiction. As shown on the map below, the heavily agricultural states in the middle of the country aren’t exactly knocking it out of the park when it comes to the overall health and sustainability of their food and farming systems. On the contrary, most of the leading farm states of the Midwest reside in the basement of our overall ranking. So what’s that about? A couple of reasons stand out to me.
The Endangered Species Act is Itself Endangered
In the last two weeks, both the Senate and House have introduced bills proposing damaging amendments to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the leading piece of science-based legislation used to protect and recover biodiversity in the United States.
Keep Your Paws Off: Three Ways Congress is Preying on Endangered Species Protections
It seems there is a doggedly persistent contingent of lawmakers in Congress whose life goals include defunding, weakening, ignoring, and overhauling endangered species protections. Their tactics are varied: sidelining science in favor of industry interests, attaching harmful riders to “must-pass” spending bills, and introducing legislation whose insidious intentions are masked by semantics.
Contents Under Pressure: Speak Out Against EPA Proposed Chemical Facility Safety Rollbacks That Put Communities at Risk
Over the last year, we have written extensively on the actions that Scott Pruitt’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken to eliminate or weaken critical science-based protections, particularly on chemical facility safety.
Between Two Terns: A Conversation on Endangered Species and Social Justice
Endangered Species Day was enacted by Congress in 2006 to encourage “the people of the United States to become educated about, and aware of, threats to species, success stories in species recovery, and the opportunity to promote species conservation worldwide.” This year, Endangered Species Day (May 18) began with a devastating school shooting.
Now Is the Time To Halt the EPA’s Restrictions on Science
If you have been following the news, I am sure you know by now that the EPA is proposing to restrict the science it will consider when developing new or revised health and safety protections. It may seem like a Washington game, but this proposed rule has huge implications for all of us. For scientists, it means that much of your work may be dismissed from impacting policy out of hand because you must adhere to research ethics policies that restrict the release of private data.
Tell Secretary Alex Azar: We Need to Demand Equitable Gun Violence Research and Reform
It has been only six weeks since last I wrote about gun violence in America, following the Parkland shooting that took seventeen lives and impacted a nation. In that time there have been 22 more mass shootings, at least 10 of them at schools. The number of deaths by guns in 2018 is at 3,423, and we’re only 89 days into the year—that’s about 38 human lives lost per day.
The Government Sidelines Science, but to What Extent?
In March 2005, a climate policy analyst at the U.S. Global Change Research Program resigned in protest over what he saw as political interference in science. After 10 years in federal service, Rick Piltz said he could no longer be complicit in what he called a “conspiracy of silence.” The people around him, he claimed, were allowing politics to be injected into what should have been scientific work on climate change.
Pennsylvania’s New Congressional Map is Fair, But Reveals Fundamental Tradeoffs in Institutional Choice
Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court released its much-awaited Congressional redistricting plan to replace a 2012 Republican-drawn plan which it recently ruled to be an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. The new plan is unquestionably more fair, ensuring at least two more seats for Democratic voters who currently hold only 5 of Pennsylvania’s 18 seats, despite composing about half of the statewide electorate.
The Facts About Trump’s Solar Tariffs - Who Gets Hurt? Who Gets Helped?
The solar-related shoe we’ve been expecting has finally dropped: President Trump recently announced new taxes on imported solar cells and modules. There’s plenty of downside to his decision, in terms of solar progress, momentum, and jobs. But will it revive US manufacturing? First, the what. The tax has come in at 30% for the first year (starting this month), then it drops 5 percentage points each year through year four, before going away completely.
And Then They Came for the Social Scientists
Drug overdose deaths in 2016 most likely exceeded 63,000. Most of these deaths (about 42,200) are due to the family of painkillers known as opioids, which includes legally prescribed medications used to treat pain such as oxycodone and hydrocodone.
Toyota Cries Over Climate Change While Their Trade Groups Cry Over Climate Policy
Don’t be fooled by this ad Toyota is running during the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Set to images of ice sculpture athletes who are melting – crying even – because of climate change, the elegant voiceover states; “winter has given us beauty, hope, and heroes. Winter has given us joy and miracles. Winter has given us the magic of the Winter Games. It’s time we all did more to protect it. So, at Toyota, we are renewing our commitment to hybrid, electric, and hydrogen vehicles.
Court To Decide Fate Of EPA’s Chemical Disaster Rule
Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging a 20-month delay EPA Administrator Pruitt put on standards designed to prevent accidents at facilities that use or store hazardous chemicals. On March 16, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is scheduled to hold a public oral hearing on this case, which pits environmental justice communities, scientists, public health advocates, and others against the EPA – whose very mission is to protect public health.
CDC Scientists Plea to Congress: Let Us Research Gun Violence
This past Wednesday, our nation bore witness as another gun-related tragedy unfolded, this time at a high school. Seventeen people were shot and killed, more than two dozen others wounded at Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County, Florida after a heavily armed, former student of the school brazenly opened fire on unsuspecting, innocent teachers and pupils.
8 Presidents Who Shaped the US Food System (for Better and for Worse)
As we prepare to observe Presidents Day, I’m thinking about a president’s role in shaping the way we grow food in the United States, and how we eat. Quite a few of our past presidents were farmers or ranchers at some point in their lives, and some had infamous relationships with certain foods, whether cheeseburgers or jelly beans or broccoli.
Science For Justice: A New Blog Series
Science and social justice are inextricably linked. Science provides the foundation for a strong democracy, and is critical to improving and maintaining quality of life. Evidence-based public safeguards are vital to protecting the health, safety, and well-being of communities and individuals. But the reality is that scientific evidence has been used to justify oppressive behaviors and disenfranchisement of certain groups in our nation.
Federal Scientists! Make a Note for the Record. We All Need to Know of Your Work.
To say that federal employees are working in a challenging environment is probably a gross understatement. I’ve heard reports of employees not being allowed to take notes in meetings or told not to use specific words in communications. The Union of Concerned Scientists has reported on scientific advice being sidelined by political staff across a broad range of decisions.
Tell Congress to Send Support, Not Poison Pills, to Endangered Species Protections
Valentine’s Day. It’s the time of year where we, as a nation, spend an exorbitant amount of money on roses, heart-shaped chocolates, and oversized teddy bears. In 2017, America spent $18.2 billion (an average of $146.84 per person) on gifts to show their affection for that special someone.
Popular Nutrition Program for Farmers and Families at Risk in 2018 Farm Bill (Correction)
CORRECTION: In our original post, we inaccurately stated that the Trump administration’s budget zeroed out the FINI budget, as well as the HFFI budget. The president’s budget, not uncommonly, simply did not address those programs as they’re among those that would expire in 2018 without reauthorization. Late this morning, the Trump administration released its proposed budget for the 2019 fiscal year.
Demolishing Public Protections to Build Trump’s Wall
From Hadrian’s Wall, to the Great Wall of China, the Wall of the North and many more , political walls have been built to discourage or control immigration, White Walkers, and ideologies at state borders since ancient times (though this is certainly not an endorsement). They have been built from stone, earth, wood, and steel, but one thing they all have in common—they are an ineffective strategy for border control, with other damaging side effects.
Oil and Gaslighting: The American Petroleum Institute Misses the Mark on Environmental Justice
Last month, the American Petroleum Institute (API) made a feeble attempt at refuting the findings of the latest report from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Clean Air Task Force, “Fumes Across the Fence-Line: The Health Impacts of Air Pollution from Oil & Gas Facilities on African American Communities.” The report highlights the disproportionate risk of health problems facing Black communities in proximity to oil and gas facilities.
How Much Does it Cost to Charge an Electric Car in Your City?
Everyone can see what gasoline costs, but how much does electricity cost for recharging an electric car? Photo: Tewy CC BY 2.5 Wikimedia) Everyone can see what gasoline costs, but how much does electricity cost for recharging an electric car? Photo: Tewy CC BY 2.5 Wikimedia) Most drivers know how much it costs to fill the tank with gasoline. It’s hard to miss the glowing numbers at the corner station. But how much does it cost to recharge an electric car?
The Senate Tax Bill: Just Say No
By the end of this week, the Senate is expected to vote on the tax cut bill reported out of the Senate Finance Committee earlier this month. Changes in the bill will likely be made right up to the end, as Republican leaders struggle to secure the 50 votes needed to approve the bill under budget “reconciliation” rules (normally, it takes 60 votes to move major bills through the Senate).
I’m About to Testify at the EPA. Here’s What I Have to Say….
After a restful and enjoyable time with my family over the Thanksgiving holiday, I’ve extended my stay here in Charleston, West Virginia, to testify at the Environmental Protection Agency’s hearing on its proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan. I’ll be speaking tomorrow morning. Below are my prepared remarks. I stand before you today as the brother, son, and grandson of West Virginia coal miners.
4 Ways to Discuss Congressional Budget Riders at the Dinner Table this Thanksgiving
Holiday gatherings with the family can be awkward, especially if you aren’t prepared for the inevitable table talk. Feeling like you don’t have enough fodder to sustain a conversation at the Thanksgiving dinner table this month?
Would Chemical Safety Measures Under Dourson Protect Military Families? Probably Not.
Dr. Michael Dourson, a toxicologist with a history of providing consultation to the chemical industry, could become the head of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Dourson has consistently defended the use of several chemicals found to pose major adverse health effects, manipulating his research in favor of industry interests.
Planned Mega-Dam Threatens Fish Populations and Food Security in Cambodia
By Sabrina GyorvaryAuntie Punleu has spent most of her life on Koh Dambang, an island set in the middle of the Mekong River in Cambodia. A small, grandmotherly woman, she paints an idyllic picture of life there."We catch fish as our main food every day. We eat fish nearly six days a week," she said. With her gentle strength and keen knowledge of community affairs, people on the island look to her as a natural leader.
5 Reasons Why Coal Is on the Way Out
By Lauri MyllyvirtaWhile some politicians—ahem, Trump!—are trying to prop up the fossil fuel industry, there's been a quiet revolution happening around the world.People are ditching coal—the main global energy source since 2003—like never before!Burning coal is the biggest single source of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity, and mining it also releases the potent greenhouse gas methane.So why is King Coal no longer the energy of the future?
Study: Fracking Chemicals Harm Kids' Brains
A new study from the Center for Environmental Health adds to the growing body of evidence that unconventional oil and gas (UOG), which includes fracking, is harmful to human health and especially hazardous to vulnerable populations, including newborns and children. During the fracking process, a mixture of water, sand and chemicals is directed at high pressures into shale beds to release petroleum resources.
Open Ocean Wind Farms Could Power the World
By Tim RadfordTwo Californian scientists have worked out how to achieve a wind-powered world that provides the entire planet with wind energy without spoiling the view with turbines on every hilltop.The answer: take wind farming onto the high seas.
Post-Harvey, the Arkema Disaster Reveals Chemical Safety Risks Were Preventable
Halloween is right around the corner, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been a perpetual nightmare to public safety since Administrator Scott Pruitt arrived, sending long-awaited chemical safety amendments to an early grave this year.
Regenerative Agriculture: Our Best Hope of Cooling the Planet
Another report sounding the alarm about climate change.
75% of World's Honey Laced With Pesticides
By Jessica CorbettRaising further concerns about the global food production system, a new study found that bees worldwide are being widely exposed to dangerous agricultural chemicals, with 75 percent of honey samples from six continents testing positive for pesticides known to harm pollinators."What this shows is the magnitude of the contamination," the study's lead author, Edward Mitchell, a biology professor at the University of Neuchatel in Switzerland, told the Denver Post.
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