EU official urges scientists to ‘be vocal’ but not ‘issue advocates’ in Harvard visit
U.S. scientists are bracing for a difficult time ahead, with an administration hostile to climate change science, dubious about environmental regulation, and seeking to dramatically slash some areas of the federal budget. They’re not alone, according to Carlos Moedas, the European Union’s commissioner for research, science, and innovation. Moedas, who visited campus this week, said scientists around the world are grappling with increased public skepticism, in part from the deluge of information — both accurate and inaccurate — we take in daily. During his stay, Moedas spoke to students and delivered a public lecture, “Good Science for Good Politics,” in which he discussed an initiative to weave scientific advice into the work of the European Commission, which serves as the EU’s executive arm. The talk was organized by the Kennedy School’s Program on Science, Technology, and Society and co-sponsored by the Harvard University Center for the Environment, the Weatherhead Center for...