Australia's chief scientist tears Trump's EPA mandate: 'It's reminiscent of the censorship exerted by political officers in the old Soviet Union'

President Trump's clampdown on the Environmental Protection Agency's scientific data reminds Australian chief scientist Alan Finkel of the Soviet Union. At a scientific roundtable Monday, Finkel warned his colleagues that science is "literally under attack" in the United States, citing the Trump administration's mandate that all research or data published by the EPA "undergo review by political appointees before that data can be published on the EPA website or elsewhere."
"It will almost certainly cause long-term harm. It's reminiscent of the censorship exerted by political officers in the old Soviet Union," Finkel said of the mandate. He pointed out that in the Soviet Union, every military commander also had "a political officer second-guessing his decisions."
Finkel argued that Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's system held Soviet agricultural science back "for decades," after Stalin used his "limitless power" to push "unscientific ideas." "So while Western scientists embraced evolution and genetics, Russian scientists who thought the same were sent to the gulag," Finkel said. "Western crops flourished. Russian crops failed."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The party bringing Trump-style populism to Japan
Under The Radar Far-right party is ‘Rise of Sanseito is ‘shattering’ the belief that Japan is ‘immune’ to populism’ the belief that Japan is ‘immune’ to populism
-
Southern barbecue: This year’s top three
Feature A weekend-only restaurant, a 90-year-old pitmaster, and more
-
Film reviews: Anemone and The Smashing Machine
Feature A recluse receives an unwelcome guest and a pioneering UFC fighter battles addiction
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US