Yesterday, Earth Day 2017, was March for Science; a protest of the current administration's anti-science stance. The current administration denies global warming, has gutted the EPA.
As a degreed scientist, you'd think I'd be right out there marching, right?
Wrong!
Because I have worked in the field, both non-profit & for-profit, I know that scientific research in this country is not "pure."
There are 2 ways to get money to fund your research - the government (NSF, NIH, NIMH & others) or corporations. Each has their own agenda. If your research will not, or does not, give the desired results -- you will not (continue to) get funding.
This is the truth in America.
There are no "Let's study this and find out what's what" grants.
Every administration has its priorities. Every corporation has its agenda. The research that gets funded are those projects most likely to produce the results the big-wigs want publicized.
When global warming/climate change was 1st being investigated, there were 2 research groups. The other think-tank that produced very different results than those that are now generally accepted and have been formalized by the IPCC. They got shouted down, or quietly moved off the media.
I remember. I was waiting to see what the consensus would be, between 2 large, well-respected groups. I assumed the scientific method would prevail. It didn't. Hysteria & fear-mongering took over. Whatever result got the biggest headlines got publicized.
Do you know, since the 1970s, there has been a push to get US citizens out of our cars? Even back then, people were advocating reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Some wanted us to spend money on developing American oil. Others simply wanted us to reduce the use of petroleum products - from any source.
Public transportation was touted. Economy cars, compacts & sub-compacts sprang into favor. Gas economy, better mpg (which seems to have topped out at 36mpg, but that's another story). That kind of went by the wayside when SUVs came in -- suddenly, everybody wanted big, tough vehicles again. $4/gal gas seemed to slow that tide.
In recent years, gasoline prices have dropped. I personally think that was an economic power-play on Obama's part after Putin's bullying tactics in Ukraine. The US closed off markets for Russian oil, Putin's economy collapsed, American consumers rejoiced, without understanding how that happened. (PS: I admire that Putin paid off his IMF loans & kicked the banking cartel out of his country. His tactics, however, remain decidedly non-humanitarian.)
Through the years, I keep thinking 2 things: 1) Dictators hate a mobile population; and 2) We absolutely need to get off the oil standard if we want to keep our freedom.
Oh - climate change? Whatever you think causes it, it's here, and we have to figure out how to live with what's coming.
Science? Good stuff. Get the government out of it.
