Starting in 2007, shortly after Mr. Harper became prime minister, new rules were issued
that prevented federal scientists from speaking freely with the media about their research without clearing it with public relations specialists or having an administrative “minder” accompany the scientists on interviews or to scientific conferences.
Scientists who usually shy away from political engagement are condemning President Trump for handing the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy
and the State Department to a group of men who have denied climate change or questioned the extent to which humans are responsible for global warming.
Many federal science agencies have rules against political meddling in the scientific process.
A survey of federal Canadian scientists revealed that 90 percent felt they could not speak freely to the media about their work.
To the outrage of the international science community, this included cutting all funding for the Experimental Lakes Area, a world-renowned research facility where scientists run experiments on pollution
and environmental contaminants in more than 50 small lakes in northwestern Ontario.
Just as the American science community is now struggling with whether to speak out
and march or stay quiet and do its work, Canadian scientists wrestled with the same questions.
Ultimately, Canada’s scientific community came together to save our research, galvanized support to fight back,
and captured the attention and concern of the public.
Inquiries from journalists became mired in an obstinate bureaucracy,
and media coverage of government climate research dropped 80 percent after the rules were imposed.