House Republicans just passed a bill forbidding scientists from advising the EPA on their own research

By Lindsay Abrams

(Salon) House Republicans just passed a bill forbidding scientists from advising the EPA on their own research

Congressional climate wars were dominated Tuesday by the U.S. Senate, which spent the day debating, and ultimately failing to pass, a bill approving the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. While all that was happening, and largely unnoticed, the House was busy doing what it does best: attacking science.

H.R. 1422, which passed 229-191, would shake up the EPA’s Scientific Advisory Board, placing restrictions on those pesky scientists and creating room for experts with overt financial ties to the industries affected by EPA regulations.

The bill is being framed as a play for transparency: Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, argued that the board’s current structure is problematic because it  “excludes industry experts, but not officials for environmental advocacy groups.” The inclusion of industry experts, he said, would right this injustice.

EPA Considering Ban On Monsanto’s Glyphosate Herbicide Following Sobering Meeting With Moms Activist Groups

(Natural Cures) Two activist groups, Moms Across America and Thinking Moms Revolution, are taking great effort to convince the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recall Monsanto’s Roundup, the most widely used herbicide on the planet.

When the EPA ignored them, the troops were rallied. 10,000 moms from all over the nation bombarded the EPA with phone calls demanding attention to the topic.

One week later, five Moms Across America leaders along with lawyers, scientists and advocates from Organic Consumers Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Consumers Union, Beyond Pesticides and the Truth-in-Labeling Coalition were granted a meeting with nine EPA employees who have the authority to recall Roundup.