Political Theater Targets the Environment

A news item in Salon (and many other places) reports that the House of Representatives has passed H.R. 1422, which would prevent the best scientific experts on any given topic (those who have done enough research that they have succeeded in getting their findings published in scientific journals) from serving on the EPA's Scientific Advisory Board -- but it would allow industry representatives (whose motives can charitably be described as "suspect") to serve. This is all in an effort to improve "transparency".

What's transparent here is the attempt to force the EPA to make decisions that are not informed by sound science. The bill's supporters think that it makes perfectly good sense to base decisions on what they think the truth should be rather than on what the truth actually is. And those industry experts will be happy to explain what the truth ought to be.

Of course, the President will exercise his veto. John Boehner knows this, so the only possible conclusion is that this action has nothing to do with governing and everything to do political posturing.

Somebody please tell me again why we pay these folks to go to Washington.