Science Under Siege: The Politician's War on Nature and Truth

There has been much made about Gloria Flora, the Humboldt Toiyabe forest supervisor in Nevada. Gloria quit her job in disgust over the way Forest Service employees are treated. People in Elko said Gloria was exaggerating the truth. This book proves otherwise. It gives example after example of public employees going through living hell to protect the environment. TWO THUMBS UP

Every now and then these days I hear someone bemoaning the lack of real "heroes" in contemporary America. Perhaps our definition of the term (athletes, entertainment figures, military types, the wealthy) needs to be altered, since the impressive group profiled in Todd Wilkinson's work are entirely admirable, hard-working and scrupulous, and not a little brave (including pure physical courage). This is a maddening book, fluently written, passionately argued and almost unbearable in its chronicling of offical mal- and misfeasance, lying, willful stupidity, and political gangsterism in the pursuit of selfishness. If you think that the smothering of science (and scientists) in the service of political expediency went out with the Middle Ages, think again. Everyone I have recommended it to has responded similarly: FOR GOD'S SAKE!--how can this be happening and why haven't I heard of it till now...check it out while there's still a few trees standing and frogs croaking....

This is not a book about Yellowstone, but anyone interested in Yellowstone will probably also be interested in this about what goes on behind the scenes in natural resource agencies. One chapter in particular centers on David Mattson, a champion of Yellowstone grizzlies punished for not toeing the government line, and even wanders into the debate over reconstruction of the North Fork Highway between Cody and Yellowstone Park. With all sides cranking up their fax machines to fire off press releases about the new National Park Service proposal to prohibit snowmobiles in parts of Yellowstone this winter, Science Under Siege is more relevant than ever.

"Science Under Siege is a remarkable project, both daunting and inspiring. It details almost too clearly one of the most elemental tenets of our time, or any other time: That truth has its own specific and considerable power, and that because of this, we cannot help but be tempted to shape and bend it, to buy and sell it. There are thousands of people in the governmental agencies who are not for sale, who exist, and persist, valiantly, in that strange no-man's land of being paid by the agency, or by Congress--individuals who still possess their integrity--but, as Wilkinson shows us, the cost is not cheap." Reviewed by Rick Bass in the San Francisco Chronicle Book Section, December 20,1998.

Wilkinson profiles eight government scientist who were persecuted and harassed for their scientifically-supported views on controversial issues, from the outrageous destruction caused by off-road vehicles in California's fragile Mojave Desert to one former logaholic's effort to revamp the corrupt U.S. Forest Service . . .these eight men have endured the slings and arrows of outrageous politics to conserve the resources our politicians are too short-sighted to protect.