White House Climate Official Sanctioned By Key Science Body
The National Academy of Sciences, which is a key science body, has sanctioned a White House climate official, Jane Lubchenco, who serves as the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s deputy director for climate and the environment.
In order to reprimand Jane Lubchenco for breaking its code of conduct prior to joining the administration, the National Academy of Sciences has banned her from participation in NAS publications and activities for five years.
The decision is a severe rebuke to Lubchenco, who serves as the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s deputy director for climate and the environment.
The decision, which became effective on August 8, according to the NAS, the most esteemed scientific organization in the United States, is based on its code of conduct’s section 3 (pdf below). Members “shall avoid those detrimental research practices that are clear violations of the fundamental tenets of research,” according to the statement.
A NAS representative verified that the choice is connected to a paper’s retraction from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) from last year.
Prior to joining OSTP, Lubchenco edited an article that was retracted from the journal PNAS in October 2021 due to the fact that the data used for the analysis were not the most latest available and because she has a close friendship with one of the authors (her brother-in-law).
While serving at the White House, Lubchenco led efforts to create policies for scientific integrity across all government agencies.
“I accept these sanctions for my error in judgment in editing a paper authored by some of my research collaborators — an error for which I have publicly stated my regret,” Lubchenco said in a statement.
During the Obama administration, Lubchenco, a marine scientist, served as the head of NOAA’s administration.
Republicans in the House and the American Accountability Foundation (AAF), a conservative organization that had urged the NAS to look into Lubchenco, have both criticized Lubchenco for his involvement with the paper.
“The American people deserve leaders in the White House who don’t use their positions of influence to put their thumb on the scales for friends and family. Dr. Jane Lubchenco does not meet that standard and does not deserve to be an Assistant to the President “In a statement, AAF founder Tom Jones said.
- Source : GreatGameIndia
