EcoTone

“Race, Intelligence, and Genetics For Curious Dummies”

katie@esa.org (Katie Kline) — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:16:24 +0000

Last week, a cicada-like re-emergence of “Bell Curve” claims of a genetic determinacy between intelligence and race surfaced in a Heritage Foundation special report on immigration. The report drew on Jason Richwine’s Harvard dissertation, “IQ and Immigration Policy.” Amid the furor, the Atlantic’s Ta Nehisi Coates was ready with the history. He wrote in [...]

the drones are coming

katie@esa.org (Katie Kline) — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:03:34 +0000

Unmanned vehicles bring in the data By Liza Lester, ESA communications officer Earlier this month, a couple of environmental scientists from NOAA and WWF turned up at a symposium on drones in company with journalists, law & order types, engineers, gearheads and think tank fellows. The scientists were on the pro-drone docket. Drones can [...]

ESA Policy News May 17

katie@esa.org (Katie Kline) — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:00:22 +0000

Here are some highlights from the latest ESA Policy News by Science Policy Analyst Terence Houston. Read the full Policy News here. NSF: FORMER DIRECTORS EXPRESS CONCERN WITH DRAFT PEER REVIEW BILL On May 8, six former officials who headed the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Science Board during the Clinton and George W. [...]

Ecologists reaching out #reachingoutsci

katie@esa.org (Katie Kline) — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:04:39 +0000

By Nadine Lymn, ESA director of public affairs Since the earliest days of the Ecological Society of America’s existence (it’s 98 years old) ecologists have sought to share scientific information. In the 1950s, the Society created a public affairs committee and its members actively engaged with federal policy makers on some of the key [...]

Managing water with natural infrastructure: win-wins for people and wildlife

katie@esa.org (Katie Kline) — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:58:14 +0000

By Terence Houston, Science Policy Analyst The US Senate is moving forward with a new Water Resources Development Act, a comprehensive bill that authorizes funding for Army Corps of Engineers projects related to flood management, environmental restoration and other water resources infrastructure issues. The bipartisan legislation (S. 601) is sponsored by Senate Environment and Public [...]

Zeal to ensure clean leafy greens takes bite out of riverside habitat in California

katie@esa.org (Katie Kline) — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:13:22 +0000

Perceived food safety risk from wildlife drives expensive and unnecessary habitat destruction around farm fields By Liza Lester, ESA communications officer Meticulous attention to food safety is a good thing. As consumers, we like to hear that produce growers and distributers go above and beyond food safety mandates to ensure that healthy fresh fruits [...]

ESA Policy News: May 3

katie@esa.org (Katie Kline) — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:49:34 +0000

Here are some highlights from the latest ESA Policy News by Science Policy Analyst Terence Houston. Read the full Policy News here. NSF: SCIENCE COMMITTEE LEADERS WEIGH IN ON BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH INVESTMENT A letter to National Science Foundation (NSF) Acting-Director Cora Marrett from House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) received a sharp [...]

Briefing highlights importance of social science research

katie@esa.org (Katie Kline) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:31:31 +0000

By Terence Houston, Science Policy Analyst In recent months, there have been multiple congressional attempts to interfere with the National Science Foundation’s support of the nation’s fundamental research particularly related to social and behavioral science research. Such attacks have happened periodically over the years, but recent actions have been particularly aggressive. Congressional Republicans have pushed [...]

Ecology of zoonotic diseases

katie@esa.org (Katie Kline) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:50:05 +0000

Figuring out the what, where and when of disease outbreaks By Nadine Lymn, ESA director of public affairs Plague, Lyme disease, Hantavirus, West Nile Virus—these bacteria and viruses are zoonotic diseases that can be transmitted to people from animals like ticks, mosquitoes and rodents and were the subject of a recent Ecological Society of America [...]

ESA Policy News: April 19

katie@esa.org (Katie Kline) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 21:30:21 +0000

Here are some highlights from the latest ESA Policy News by Science Policy Analyst Terence Houston. Read the full Policy News here. BUDGET: SCIENCE RECEIVES HIGH PRIORTY IN WHITE HOUSE FY 2014 PROPOSAL On April 10, the White House released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 budget proposal, which includes significant increases for scientific research. The proposal [...]