Discuss

[Glenn]

Here is what I don't understand.

Cancer research, diseases, vaccines, air planes, boats, posi track on a hemi, rifles, scopes, ammunition, NASCAR for pete's sake. I could go on and on and on. All of these things are only possible because of SCIENCE and our continuous research into the world around us. So we love us some science and reap the benefits of it ALL THE TIME.

But, in the case of climate change, SCIENCE is completely full of shit? There is no doubt that the climate was changing long before humans. It will continue to change long after we are gone. But, I think you would have a hard time finding a scientist out there who wouldn't agree that humans have had some level of an effect on the natural forces that dictate the global climate. To what extent is that effect? That is certainly debatable. Can we take any realistic steps to mitigate things? That is debatable as well. But to outright deny that humans have had ANY effect on our natural world is ignorant at best.

Science isn't this thing that exist in a state free from manipulation somewhere that spits out data and technology for us to use. I have no problem with the discipline of science. I love it, in fact. True science isn't afraid of being challenged. In fact it welcomes it and says "Please, prove me right or wrong. Challenge me." But that's not what we have now. We have universities fighting for funding. Government fighting for control over us through fear, legislation and taxation. We have corporations doing their own non peer reviewed studies (see! cigarettes are safe! My kids love 'em!) to protect their share holders and bottom lines. All three have weaponized "science" to further their own agenda and influence our lives. So we can either be blindly trusting and wind up like the poor folks in Tuskeegee during the syphilis studies or we can scoff at everything and burn tires, environment be damned.

I, like you, think the answers are in the middle. But to find them who are we to trust? Politicians (R and D both cannot be trusted)? The corporations? The universities working on private grants?

It's tragic. Scientist, politicians, doctors and a host of others have lost their Aesculapian authority because they have abused it and lost the trust of the people. We're left with no leaders. None. Government on local, state and national level is a joke. Education is a joke. Whom are we to believe? I wish I knew the answer.