Transcript Downloadable Presentation - University of Hawaii at Manoa

Denial of Science
What’s a scientist to do?
?
“Denial of
Science”?
What’s that?
CLIMATE DISRUPTION
“This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bullshit has got to stop.
Our planet is freezing, record low temps, and our GW scientists are
stuck in ice.” --Donald J. Trump Twitter 1 Jan 2014
WIND ENERGY
“Not only are wind farms disgusting looking, but even worse they are
bad for people's health.” --Donald J. Trump Twitter 23 April 2012
ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING
“Remember, new ‘environment friendly’ lightbulbs can cause cancer.
Be careful—the idiots who came up with this stuff don't care.”
--Donald J. Trump Twitter 17 October 2012
FRACKING
“Fracking poses ZERO health risks. In fact, it increases our national
security by making us energy independent.” --Donald J. Trump
Twitter 1 May 2013
EBOLA
“The U.S. cannot allow EBOLA infected people back. People that go
to far away places to help out are great—but must suffer the
consequences!” --Donald J. Trump Twitter 1 Aug 2014
AUTISM-VACCINE CONNECTION
“Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot
of many vaccines, doesn't feel good and changes - AUTISM. Many
such cases!” --Donald J. Trump Twitter 28 Mar 2014
That was before
the election.
Maybe Trump
will change.
Trump appointee:
White House Chief Strategist
Steve Bannon,
Executive Director of
Breitbart News (3/12 to 8/16)
sample headlines during his tenure:
“Climate Change: The Hoax That Costs Us
$4 Billion a Day” (8 Aug 2015)
“Climate Change: The Greatest-Ever Conspiracy
Against The Taxpayer” (28 Mar 2016)
Trump appointee:
EPA Transition Team Leader
Myron Ebell,
Director of Center for Energy
& Environment at Competitive
Enterprise Institute
“There is serious scientific debate about the
magnitude, rate, and potential impacts of
global warming...Where we disagree with
global warming alarmists is whether this
amounts to a crisis requiring drastic action.”
(22 Nov 2016 blog)
Trump appointee:
EPA Administrator
Scott Pruitt,
Oklahoma Attorney General:
“A leading advocate against
EPA’s activist agenda.”
(Scott Pruitt’s web page)
“Global warming has inspired one of the major
policy debates of our time. That debate is far
from settled. Scientists continue to disagree
about the degree and extent of global warming.”
(17 May 2016 National Review)
Well…OK…but
things weren’t
so bad before
Trump.
James Inhofe,
Chairman, Senate Committee on the
Environment & Public Works:
“Global warming is the greatest hoax
ever perpetrated on the American
people.” (7/28/03 Congressional Record)
Lamar Smith,
Chairman, House Committee on
Science, Space, & Technology:
“Global Temperatures Plunge. Icy
Silence from Climate Alarmists.”
(12/1/16 committee Tweet
citing Breitbart News)
Ronald Reagan
President of the United States
(1981-1989)
Governor of California
(1967-1975)
“You know, a tree is a tree. How many more do
you need to look at?” (12 Mar 1966 speech)
“Trees cause more pollution than automobiles
do.” (4 Nov 1980 Washington Post)
Rush Limbaugh,
radio personality
from his 1993 book:
“On no issue has the evidence of
my foresight and keen political
instincts been more compelling than
that of the environment. Come,
let us count the ways: Despite the
hysterics of a few pseudo-scientists,
there is no reason to believe in global warming.
Mankind is not responsible for depleting the ozone
layer. The Earth’s ecosystem is not fragile, & humans
are not capable of destroying it.”
source: Union of Concerned Scientists
William Nierenberg
Fred Singer
has spent
$33 million
funding
science denial
since 1998
William Jennings Bryan,
3 presidential candidate,
attorney during 1925 Scopes
“Monkey Trial”:
“All the ills from which America suffers can be
traced to the teaching of evolution.”
Wow…OK…the
situation is
terrible…but
what can I do?
Important:
What we have
done so far
has not worked!
Wow…OK…the
situation is
terrible…but
what can I do?
(1) Prepare.
(2) Act!
(1) Prepare.
(a) Inspire your mind.
(1) Prepare.
(b) Inspire your soul.
(1) Prepare.
(c) Find your motto.
“Facts do not cease to exist because they are
ignored.” --Aldous Huxley
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
--Margaret Mead
“If not us, who? If not now, when?”
--Hillel the Elder
(paraphrased)
(1) Prepare.
(d) Learn the science.
especially the basics of climate change:
www.ipcc.ch
www.realclimate.org
www.skepticalscience.com
www.climatecentral.org
(1) Prepare.
(e) Learn to communicate science
with both passion & compassion.
(2) Act!
(a) Come down from the
“ivory tower” &
break the “wall of science”.
ivory tower 
wall
of
science

But that would
be advocacy
and I would lose
my credibility.
If we do not enter
the debates,
then popularization
of complex issues
will occur without our
direct input
and will likely be
more inaccurate.
Stephen Schneider
“Advocacy is nearly unavoidable, and scientists, by
virtue of being citizens first and scientists second,
have a responsibility to advocate to the best of their
abilities, to improve their advocacy abilities, and to
advocate in a justified and transparent manner.”
(2) Act!
(b) Popularize science.
Educate!!
Educate!!
Educate!!!
E. O. Wilson
(2) Act!
(c) Defend science.
data

(2) Act!
(c) Defend science.
Personally taking this action
to the level of state & federal
government is not for the
faint of heart.
(2) Act!
(d) Organize, join, volunteer.
www.greenlisthawaii.com
350 Hawaii
(2) Act!
(e) Help businesses to use
science ethically.
Denial of Science
Discussion Question
What are opportunities for
pro-science action,
especially at UH
& elsewhere in Hawai‘i?