Tag: anti-science
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Confronting Liberal and Conservative Biases on Science
New York Times reporter Eduardo Porter has an excellent piece about how ideology shapes our embrace/rejection of science. The left loves to rant about the "anti-science" right when the left participates just as much in the same anti-science behavior, and the left's anti-science behavior is every bit as destructive. "The left is turning anti-science," Marc…
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Pew: Major Gaps Between the Public, Scientists on Key Issues
From Pew Research: Major Gaps Between the Public, Scientists on Key Issues An enlightening interactive chart showing major discrepancies between what scientists believe and what the public believes, segmented by various demographics. It drives home that being pro or anti-science is highly selective across demographic groups. The divergence on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is particularly…
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To change anti-science activists’ minds, go beyond science
The Conversation: To change anti-science activists' minds, go beyond science … The proponents of GM rice and its benefits clearly have positive intentions, and they are understandably upset. Some of the pieces decrying the acts of the crop vandals explicitly refer to these activists as being “anti-science”. But to dismiss this, and similar, disagreements as…
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The Anti-Science Left?
Two weeks ago, I published a post Why Are Environmentalists Taking Anti-Science Positions? referencing an article written by environmentalist Fred Pearce. I read this book review in Forbes over the weekend. Forbes: Enviro-Romanticism Alert: Obama Won, But Can He Shake the Anti-Innovation, Junk Science Beliefs of His Base? A polemical new book, Science Left Behind,…
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Why Are Environmentalists Taking Anti-Science Positions?
Environment360: Why Are Environmentalists Taking Anti-Science Positions? On issues ranging from genetically modified crops to nuclear power, environmentalists are increasingly refusing to listen to scientific arguments that challenge standard green positions. This approach risks weakening the environmental movement and empowering climate contrarians. From Rachel Carson's Silent Spring to James Hansen's modern-day tales of climate apocalypse,…
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Bush Stem Cell Ban Wrong, But Not Anti-Science
Wired: Bush Stem Cell Ban Wrong, But Not Anti-Science President Bush's stem cell policy may have been restrictive and misguided, but it wasn't anti-science. In the wake of Obama's decision to lift Bush's funding ban, many scientists are celebrating the freedom of science from ideology. Their relief is understandable, but the rhetoric is disturbing. The…
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Why I Left Greenpeace
Wall Street Journal: Why I Left Greenpeace. (Mr. Moore, co-founder and former leader of Greenpeace is chairman and chief scientist of Greenspirit Strategies.) In 1971 an environmental and antiwar ethic was taking root in Canada, and I chose to participate. As I completed a Ph.D. in ecology, I combined my science background with the strong…
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Why do Some People Resist Science?
Edge: Why do Some People Resist Science? (HT: Presbyweb) It is no secret that many American adults reject some scientific ideas. In a 2005 Pew Trust poll, for instance, 42% of respondents said that they believed that humans and other animals have existed in their present form since the beginning of time. A substantial minority…