Comments

1
How are you off setting the carbon from your extravgant protesting adventure?

For that matter why are you scientist assuming the scientist behind the Moab didn't want to develop it

Maybe science is not liberal.....

3
Much of the confusion surrounding the March for Science goals and values came about, as you say, because of regressives on the left, including some of the original organizers, trying to highjack the March for their own goals. This dismayed many of us as the reasons for the March have to do with the pervasive science denialism in politics today in general (mostly from the right, though the left is not immune to it either) and this administration in particular. It was, we'd hoped, to be a political march, not a partisan one. It has taken some effort, not entirely successful, to steer it away from the regressive wrong think purity tests the regressives want to impose on the March. It risks being seen as a purely partisan effort because of that and THAT would be a huge mistake. Fortunately all of my colleagues attending the March, like I hope most nationwide, will ignore them and march because scientific illiteracy and denialism is today more prevalent in politics than ever before and that can have disastrous consequences. We do recognize that there is a risk of irrelevancy because of the perception the March is partisan, but most have decided it worth the risk.

You are also correct that we scientists are terrible at politics and this March is no exception. It's not difficult to understand why though. When it comes to consensus about things outside the scientific method, we scientists are about as easy to corral as a herd of cats.
4
If you're a scientist really wanting to connect to your community, do it in your community, not in the Beltway.
5
I for one cannot wait to see the anti white and anti liberal hot take 'think pieces" by people of color the day after like with the womxn march and how they elected Trump.
6
@4: Do their fellow Americans and their elected representatives not count as part of their community? Why would scientists give up their First Amendment rights, because they pursued a career improving and sharing knowledge? They have been quiet for all of American history, and this is where we're at as a result. They're supposed to simply stand by as climate change threatens to wipe us out, when they could help? Seriously, what the fuck are you even saying?
7
@4: Belatedly, I realize I might have misinterpreted your tone/intent. My apologies if that's the case.
8
I see two sides shouting, and neither one in a language understood by the other.

The Dominionists really do think it is impossible for the world to be destroyed by flooding. To them, the very thought contradicts their belief that the story of Noah is literally true. They also think that the people who oppose their point of view are possessed by the devil.

To illustrate this, a Greek Orthodox heard I am an atheist, and told me "You're not gonna like this- I'm going to pray for you." I responded that I didnt mind if she did. "No?" she said, and looked confused. I replied thatt she could go talk to her imaginary friend all she wants, it doesnt bother me one way or the other. She immediately lost her cool.

To her, it didnt matter what arguments I might produce in a serious discussion, as anything I said was going to be the devil's own utterances. She fully expected a scene out of the movie "The Excorcist", with her praying and my head spinning around three times before spitting up pea soup. What she got instead was casual dismissal, shortly before she did her own Linda Blair impersonation.

The science community isnt prepared for this. I heard Bill Nye on teh Bernie Sanders show. Bernie asked him what he would say to a climate change denialist. He went on this spiel about how 99.999 percent of scientists agree that this is caused by our carbon emissions and we can reverse it. The problem with this argument is, the only people who will listen to it already agree with him. The people he needs to convince are like my Greek Orthodox friend. They see a rainbow in the sky and they think its a symbol of their god's promise never to destroy humankind with flooding ever again. so they say, screw the scientists, my pastor/preacher/whatever says different.

If you want to reach them try appealing to clean air and water. There's nothing in their bible that says you wont die from breathing poisonous gas or drinking contaminated water. Their god never said they could guzzle gasoline and live. So tell them about how burning carbon pollutes the air and water.

Yes, I know they're delusional, but you know, theres more of them than there are of us. When the world is being run by lunatics, the sane person understands how to manage their lunacy and survive it. You just gotta learn how to talk to a crazy person.
9
@Wandering Stars: How do you talk actual sense to crazy people threatening all life and existence on Earth for their own delusional selfish gain and special interests, especially if they're known climate change deniers?
10
To #4 crimsonengineer
About this local politics....You are pretty clueless!
I have my MD-PhD from Wash U at St. Louis. We would LOVE to have a local march but we’re in the Bible Belt not too far from the Creationist museum--you know the one with dinosaurs with saddles--as they were tamed by humans about 5,000 years ago?

The governor of Georgia refuses to endorse us and has yet to approve a parade permit! His lackey Mayor Kasim Reed, the Uncle Tom of ALL Uncle Toms hasn’t got our back either. So here we are at Martin Luther Blvd, Ralph Abernathy Way and don’t know if we can march yet!

So don’t be so quick to judge. When “BlackLivesMatter tried to walk on HWY 400, the toll road down the middle of Atlanta, people called into the TV stations to “Just run over the N******!” Some people tried!

Unless you have lived in the Bible Belt you have NO idea how horrendous it is down here...all these crackers and rednecks...10% voted for Obama in 2012.

They tell you that they are born Christian and born Republican. Period! Most clueless people I have ever met. Guns are allowed, nay ENCOURAGED on campus to protect white women. (Honest! That’s what they say!)

You think I’m exaggerating? Heck no. I had a brochure about the Richard Dawkins Foundation and two “scientists” I work with asked who he was. Really? I said he was a world expert on Zoology and evolution. Then one said “He’s that guy’s who’s a heathen!”

No, he’s an atheist. The other “scientist” asked “What’s an atheist?” I explained -a person who doesn’t believe in a god. I might as well have said he was a cannibal who ate his victims alive.

The slack jawed look of shock was incredible. I’ve been forced to live here for awhile to care for a very ill relative. If I didn’t love my brother-in-law more than my own life I would be GONE! People live here because everyone thinks like they do. Most never leave the state of Georgia their ENTIRE lives--or perhaps get to Tennessee to see Dollywood.

These folks make Trump look brilliant. I wear my #ITMFA cap and t-shirt most every day. Not one PhD has figured it out yet.

Just don’t be so quick to judge.
11
@10 wow. Thanks for the story.
12
@9,

We have to. The fact is, the crazies outnumber the sanes. We live in a democracy where decisions are based on majorities. Therefore, if we want to actually do anything, we need the crazies to vote for us and not against us.

Look, in 2012, I phonebanked for R74 in Yakima. I talked to alot of crazy on the phone about why they should vote sane. It wasn't easy. I didn't enjoy it. I did it, because someone had to if we were going to win. I remember this one friend from Olympia I'd convinced to leave her safe little bubble and come door knocking in Tacoma with me. It was hard, and by the end of the shift she was cursing at me. It wasn't as easy as canvassing a city that was already on our side. I hated it too. I stood on doorsteps of people who told me I was going to hell, and I was dangerous to kids, and blah blah blah. It was tough. I did that for six months, non stop. Every night after work. sometimes of weekends too, when the campaign office was open. It kicked my ass.

That was ok, because in the end, we won.

Same thing with climate change. If all you want is to stand out in the hallway and dramatically pose as Cassansdra, what youre doing now works. If you want inside the room, where the power is, if you want to make the decisions and cause stuff to happen, then you need to do teh hard work to get in there. That means talking to people who dont like you.
13
TRUTH BEFORE MONEY.
14
People Before Profits.

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