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Scientists Decry Political Interference

Posted by Zonk on from the keep-your-hand-out-of-the-till dept.

RamblingMan writes "According to the BBC, the American Union of Concerned Scientists has put out a statement about the misrepresentation of date and a list of such interference by the U.S. government in scientific research. Besides the usual slew of Nobel Laureate signatories, they provide a number of examples besides the well-known example of the EPA's Global Warming Report." From the BBC article: "'It's very difficult to make good public policy without good science, and it's even harder to make good public policy with bad science,' said Dr Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security. 'In the last several years, we've seen an increase in both the misuse of science and I would say an increase of bad science in a number of very important issues; for example, in global climate change, international peace and security, and water resources.'"

1 of 248 comments (clear)

  1. Look at their constituents. by copponex · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    (from Jesus Camp)
    MOM: (reading from "Exploring Creationism with Physical Science") One popular thing to do in American Politics is to note that the summers in the United States over the past few years have been very warm. As a result, global warming must be real. What's wrong with this reasoning?

    KID: It's only gone up 0.6 degrees.

    MOM: Yeah, it's not really a big problem, is it?

    KID: No. I don't think that... it's going to hurt us.

    MOM: It's a huge political issue, global warming is, and that's why it's really important for you to understand...

    KID: Is evolution too?

    MOM: Um, not really. On a much...

    KID: Creationism?

    MOM: Um, it's becoming one now. What if you had to go to school where the teacher said, "Creationism is stupid, and you're stupid if you believe in it?"

    KID: I think they should...

    MOM: Well, or what if you had to go to a school where the teacher said "Evolution is stupid, and you're stupid if you believe it?"

    KID: I wouldn't mind that.

    MOM: You wouldn't mind it. If you look at Creationism, it's the only possible answer to all the questions. It's the only possible answer.

    KID: That's exactly what dad said!

    MOM: Mmm hmmm, it's the only possible answer to all the questions.

    KID: Oh, yeah...

    MOM: Oh, yeah.

    MOM: Did you get to the part on here where it says that science doesn't prove anything? And it's really interesting when you look at it that way.

    KID: It is?

    MOM: It is.

    KID: (reading further) I think, personally, that Galileo made the right choice by giving up science for Christ.

    (later)

    MOM: We know when things started changing, you know, prayer got taken out of school, and um... the schools started falling apart. And now the rest of us are going, wait a minute, where is my country? Our firm belief is, there are two types of people, those who love Jesus and those who don't.