From page 7A of the Press-Citizen
When science is co-opted by greed, it’s prudent to take heed
‘Why can’t people just trust science?’ my science-zealous husband asked.
With a deep breath and a loud voice, I proceeded to explain to him why science can’t be trusted. Science isn’t without biases. Science can be bought.
Science and tobacco Scientists declared smoking as harmless while reliable evidence revealed that cigarettes caused lung cancer, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
In the early 1950s, the tobacco industry paid hundreds of newspapers to publish a message. It stated the industry’s No. 1 concern was public health. The industry paid scientists to deliver doubt on smoking’s harmfulness.
In 1964, the surgeon general announced that smoking caused lung cancer. He released the report on a Saturday to minimize the impact on tobacco stock , reminding us of the importance of money.
Science and Roundup A farmer told me he wasn’t afraid to drink Roundup. Is this what science showed or is it what the company wanted us to believe?
Carey Gillam’s book ‘Whitewash’ explores the science connected with the use of glyphosate, the chemical in Roundup. Court cases claim Monsanto, the company that originally produced Roundup, knew about glyphosate’s danger, especially when formulated with polyethoxylated tallow amine.
In 1985, Monsanto pressured EPA’s toxicology branch to reverse its classification of glyphosate as a Category C carcinogen. Glyphosate’s status changed to ‘not likely to be carcinogenic.’
Lawsuits continue to try to sort out the science surrounding glyphosate.
Science and climate change In 1997, Lee Raymond, then Exxon’s chief executive, declared that ‘scientific evidence (on the role of human activity in global warming) is inconclusive.’ Two years earlier, the United Nations climate science group had concluded that burning fossil fuels was a significant cause of global warming .
Who do we believe, Exxon’s executives or the United Nations science group?
Even now with a 99.9% scientific consensus that humans are altering the climate, response to climate change remains a tangled mess. We continue to hear scientists being called ‘alarmists.’
Executives from oil corporations were asked to testify before Congress after
a recording exposed an Exxon official boasting about climate disinformation. During the hearings, executives of Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP and Shell were asked if they would pledge to stop lobbying against efforts to reduce emissions. None of them agreed .
Exxon Mobil spends millions funding groups that challenge proven climate science.
Science and COVID-19 Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortened the isolation period for those with COVID-19 from 10 days to five days. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky acknowledged the decision was partly to ‘keep the critical functions of society open and operating.’
CDC claims its decision was also based on science, which has concluded that most COVID-19 illnesses are spread in the first few days of infection. A significant chance of transmission remains after the five days.
The timing of the decision to shorten the isolation period came days after Delta Airline’s CEO sent Walensky a letter advocating for a shorter isolation period. We see how science can come wrapped in economic packaging.
We need science. Science helped us realize smoking is unhealthy. Science helped us rethink the safety of drinking Roundup. Science is helping connect the dots on climate change.
Weighing what is true takes time. Sorting out greed, money and power from actual science is challenging, but essential.
Let’s keep our eyes open. Let’s keep asking who is benefiting from this flavor of science. Let’s help each other better understand what is best for all of us.
Jane Yoder-Short lives in Kalona.
Headline:
We need science. Science helped us realize smoking is unhealthy. Science helped us rethink the safety of drinking Roundup. Science is helping connect the dots on climate change. Weighing what is true takes time. Sorting out greed, money and power from actual science is challenging, but essential. Let’s keep our eyes open. Let’s keep asking who is benefiting from this flavor of science. Let’s help each other better understand what is best for all of us.