Denying Science

The denial of scientific knowledge has become respectable in todays society, to the point that it threatens the health of the public and the stability of our society as climatic changes due to global warming occur. So the growth of science denial goes much further than just a lack of interest in learning about the world about us. Today, some people go out of their way to try to convince legislators and the general public that scientists are not doing objective, reliable work but instead are crying wolf about imagined problems. The efforts to discredit scientific studies are funded by the fossil fuel industry and are facilitated by the existence of social media, which enable anyone to say nearly anything without being asked for evidence or for their qualifications. The topics covered in this book highlight some of the differences between reputable studies and the public relations efforts of groups that reject scientific studies in order to advance their own agendas.