ᴬᵗˡᵃˢ 𖦹₊ ⊹

It's the End of American Science As We Know It We have 45 days to express our opposition to catastrophic changes.

[...] These rules, which we have 45 days to comment on starting May 29th, will affect every federal agency, affecting Housing, Education, Health and Human Services, NASA, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy among all the others.

I urge you to read Elizabeth Ginexi’s detailed summary. The broad brush strokes reflect the historical authoritarian moves described in my talk:

Diminishing or eliminating peer review in favor of political appointee decision-making. The peer-review process is where experts anonymously assess scientific proposals and outcomes on the basis of their expertise. Removing this means that funding decisions will be made on the basis of political sensibilities, rather than scientific sense.

Targeting climate change research, which is our best hope for sustaining all life on Earth. U.S. government agencies are some of the biggest climate change research organizations in the world and gutting their capacity to do this work literally puts the future of our species at risk.

Targeting and cutting research by and about disfavored minority groups (specifically trans people and anyone doing “DEI,” where it’s clear “DEI” is primarily a placeholder for “Black people” in the eyes of this administration).

Political litmus tests for researchers that allow grants to be cut if the researcher is a member of a civil rights organization the administration doesn’t like, even when their membership activities are kept completely separate from grant activity.

Total control over researcher conference attendance.

Functionally this means a political takeover of university research apparatuses by encouraging universities to censor their researchers.

This will also function as fiscal influence over professional societies through cuts to researcher attendance of conference and membership dues.

These changes are dystopian and ecologically unsustainable. They also completely unravel the American scientific enterprise in a way that is so thorough that you’d think only someone who really hates the United States would do this.

[...] Here’s What You Can Do

Submit a comment opposing these changes. You can use Elizabeth Ginexi’s summary to help you highlight the problems. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A GOOD WRITER TO DO THIS! JUST WRITE WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART!

This is a federal government issue, but it will affect the states because many of them get grants from the federal government. Contact your state reps — House and Senate — and governor and urge them to publicly and vigorously oppose these changes. Yes even if they are Republican. Remind them of how this will hurt farmers who get funding from the Department of Agriculture, state public health infrastructure, etc. These rule changes are almost certainly illegal under Congressionally-passed laws, and we need the states to be ready to sue if they get implemented.

Contact your Congressional representatives. Phone calls are better than emails, but do the best you can. You can use 5 Calls to find the numbers. Yes you need to call Republicans. Be a thorn in their side, even if you think they won’t listen.

“For the fifteenth time, ask James!”

“He can’t come home right now,” Sirius said lazily as he lounged on James and Regulus’s couch, rolling his eyes back dramatically. “He has work, Reg, it’s–”

“Yeah, and he can leave,” Regulus said stubbornly, crossing his arms. James had been at work for hours, and it was high time he came home. Plus, Regulus didn’t want to help Sirius pick out an outfit for his date with Remus for tonight, so James needed to come deal with his annoying best friend.

“Just be human for five minutes and give me your opinion, yeah? I took pictures. And then, of course, you need to help me pick out eyeliner,” Sirius mumbled, already swiping through pictures on his phone. “And a jacket. And shoes.”

And yeah, Regulus had had enough. Picking up his own phone, he called his boyfriend’s number.

“James?” he asked when the other man answered on the first ring.

“Reggie? You okay, love?”

“Hm, yeah, fine,” he replied, pretending to be preoccupied. “Just wondering…do we have a hammer in the flat somewhere?”

The line was deadly quiet. Then: “Reggie, baby, why do you need a hammer?” James’s tone was so sweet and terrified that Regulus almost rethought his decision. Almost.

“I want to hand those shelves we got,” he said casually, still seated firmly in his armchair, the shelves in question nowhere to be seen. “Figured you’ve been taking forever to do it, and–oh, shit–” With his foot, he nudged a pile of books on the nearby coffee table, sending them crashing to the ground. 

James clearly heard the noise they made, as he gasped on the phone. “Reg? Did you…what happened?”

“Nothing, Potter, I can hang shelves fine by myself! Just tell me where the hammer is!” he snapped, voice harried even as he grinned at Sirius, who had placed a hand on his face and was shaking his head.

“Love, maybe I should come help, it sounds like–” But Regulus cut him off.

“Nevermind, got it! Bye, love you!” He hung up, ignoring James’s frantic protests, and put his phone on silent, smiling evilly. 

Sirius stared at him, wide-eyed, though he definitely looked a bit impressed.