The "Scientization" of Yucca Mountain

Harperdog writes "This is a nice piece by Dawn Stover on how science has had little to do with the choice, and blockage of Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository. This article doesn't go where you think it will; it isn't too long but is a thorough exploration of the process. Here's a quote: 'Government officials are often guilty of politicizing science. Egged on by business or religious interests, they cast doubt on the scientific evidence for a connection between tobacco and lung cancer, or between fossil fuels and climate change, or even between humans and our primate ancestors. Some scientific findings are suppressed, while others are manipulated or distorted beyond recognition. But in the case of Yucca Mountain, the reverse happened: Government officials "scientized" politics. They made decisions that were largely political but cloaked them in the garb of science.'"

Comments

Re:this is new?

[vlm]

> Government officials "scientized" politics. They made decisions that were largely political but cloaked them in the garb of science.'"

One could argue that this has happened often, in many fields. What's new here?

Wait till she discovers the psuedoscience of economics... if yucca mountain got her wound up into writing an article, Keynesian economics might literally make her head explode.

Another good one is climate science.