Public rallies in support of science will take place in Washington, Chicago and across the country on Earth Day. Despite current government actions to the contrary, the majority of the public understands that our future requires rational analysis of complex issues.
Scientific understanding is built from inquiry and tested by empirical evidence. If the evidence indicates that the initial idea is flawed, it must be rejected.
Thomas Huxley described this nearly 150 years ago in his famous essay, “The great tragedy of Science — the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.” Those not willing to reject their own ideas when presented with compelling evidence to the contrary are not complying with the rules of objectivity. Which brings me to politics.
Wars are conducted by professional armed forces but directed by politicians. Likewise, politicians -- not scientists -- direct public science policy. In both cases, ill-informed policy can have dire ramifications.
Scientists are trained to interpret data and avoid speculative conclusions. Robust conclusions come only after repeated, rigorous testing. That human activity is raising the Earth’s temperature, with global implications, is such a robust conclusion. Nevertheless, many politicians continue to set climate policy based simply on a contrary opinion.
We need government leaders who embrace reasoned conclusions built from robust data gathered and vetted by dedicated science professionals.
If you agree, don’t be afraid to make your voice heard. And not just on Earth Day.
I’m Reed Scherer, and that’s my perspective.
- Earth Day 2017 is Saturday, April 22
