Science Policy Quotes
In many nations, including the United States on occasion, governments have made laws as to what is valid science and what is not. Tennessee and other Bible-Belt States have and still do on occasion. The latest being Evolution, which even in the beginning of the 21st century, Kansas determined that it was not proven science, when it is as proven as any science has ever gotten.
Despite strong efforts by the health authorities, many Americans went into an irrational panic mode regarding Ebola and States and local government were passing draconian quarantine measures that were actually counter-productive and increased the risk by pandering to public fears often instigated or whipped up by some media pundits.
Most environmentalists worried about the global warming problem have one basic solution they want the world to adopt. Reduce the carbon footprint by reducing the amount of fossil fuels that we use. However, there are other techniques that are possible and are looking increasingly cost beneficial. But those worried about climate change tend to want to steer public discourse away from other solutions. They worry that if technologists like Myhrvold propose other solutions that may be credible, that will give the politicians of the world a rationalization for stopping the progress on reducing use of fossil fuels and political momentum would be lost with no certainty that these other technologies would be effective or worse whether the politicians would ever appropriate the moneys to give them a try and we would be left with nothing changing and the world warming with all the negative consequences therefrom.
Many scientists saw this quotation as indicative of the problem of non-scientifically trained people having to make scientific judgments. This view was not typical of members of Congress. See {611678}.
