Update : We erroneously reported that the pro - STEM bills signed by Trump were Executive Orders . In fact , they were Congressional bills , and this has now been adjust .
President Trump is infamous for his treatment of women , and we at IFLScience have made it no secret we find his government activity ’s attitude towards scientific discipline is one ofnear - full despite . That ’s why , when the Commander - in - Chief recently added his theme song to two bill in the Oval Office – bills designed to recruit more women into science , engineering , engineering science , and mathematics ( STEM ) job – it came as quite a welcome surprise .
As per the first bill , HR 321 , NASA must actively storm up its attempts to recruit and encourage more young women into taking up STEM careers . NASA will also be require to report to Congressional citizens committee with regards to how much forward motion it is making on this issue .
The second bill , hour 255 , authorizes theNational Science Foundation(NSF ) , the author of nearly a quarter of all federally supported scientific research , to advance its recruitment attempt . woman fine-tune in STEM subjects will be aided in taking up STEM career in the worlds of both academe and industry .
Although the o.k. item of the bills are middling lacking – it ’s not clear what “ encouraging ” substance in practical footing – it ’s hard to disagree with the President signalise off on these , which were given two-party reinforcement in Congress . However , things are not as benevolent as they seem .
During the sign language ceremony at the Oval Office Trump said it was unfair that only 1 in 4 women with a degree in one of these fields ends up solve in them .
This likely refers to the results of a US nosecount back in 2012 , which notes that just 25 percent of both menandwomen with a bachelor ’s in a STEM subject find work in a STEM field , a job linked to the want of financial backing and career support for scientific discipline in general . The figure for women alone was actuallycloser to 1 in 7 – far sorry than Trump ’s squad have made out .
Just 1 in 7 woman with STEM degree go into STEM theater . US Census
This depressing statistic is n’t just down to the well - documentedrecruiting biasagainst women in STEM theatre – it goes back to education , and how , from a very young age , most girls are n’t raised to consider that they are just as capable to become scientist as military personnel are . It ’s not clear that the newEducation Secretary , someone who has no experience working in school day whatsoever , has any plans to address this issue .
Mind you , it ’s not ever been clear that Trump himself knows much about women in STEM . Back in 2016 , when questioned on the subject , he dismissivelysaid : “ there are a master of ceremonies of STEM programs already in world . ”
And then , of course , there ’s the Trump administration ’s anti - science order of business . From a Cabinet stuffed with clime modification denier to enormous budgetcuts to Union scienceresearch programme – including a24 percent cutto thebeleagueredEnvironmental Protection Agency ’s ( EPA ) budget – these Congressional bills have cropped up at a unknown sentence in the American political discourse .
There ’s something by all odds self-contradictory about encouraging women to take up STEM careers when it looks like there wo n’t be many provide by the time they graduate . Science take funding , manifest and simple , but everyactiontaken by the resurgent Republican Party in 2017 sum to nothing less thantramplingon so much of America’sscientific legacy .
With this in mind , it ’s deserving pointing out that as the pro - STEM bills were sign on , Trump also add his signature to one of his own Executive Orders , one that aims to “ survey ” the way public waterways are protect from befoulment under the EPA’sClean Water Rule .
This act essentially ensures over 110 million Americans have good boozing H2O , and it ’s backed by hard - and - fast science . This fiat seeks to weaken it just so dodo fuel companies can get off with a little more fracking and a little less regulation .
So yes , the sign language of the STEM bills are a good thing – but the wider picture confirm that Trump is far more of a threat to science than he is a champion to it .
[ H / T : Chicago Tribune ]
