Tags
Climate Change, Climate disruption, Independent scientific information, Nature & Environment, Science & Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS/USA)
Photo Credit: Cartoon by Kevin Cannon
Everyone deserves access to independent scientific information so they can make smart, informed decisions on issues that affect their health, safety, and environment.
~ Union of Concerned Scientists
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The climate and environmental debate has been fueled (pun intended) by those who would suggest parents should also have freedom to make decisions about whether their children receive vaccinations against childhood illnesses. Ironically, even a physician, Dr. Rand Paul, would give people the freedom to endanger public health. He should know that newborns cannot be vaccinated, but can die or be permanently damaged by measles, and are at risk of contracting it from those who have the disease. The “scare” involving inoculation can be traced to a single published paper that included only a handful of subjects and was therefore not an adequate sample. The paper has long since been discredited and repudiated by the very same journal that published it. Surely, Paul’s “anti-science” position and that of Governor Christie reveals just how far politicians are willing to go for votes from people who they believe represent their base constituency.
Thanks for sharing your concern about the measles outbreak, Dr. Stein. It’s amazing how a few individuals succeed in spreading misinformation, thereby putting the vulnerable population at risk. This happens when the real culprits behind the rise in autism prevent, bury, or discredit independent scientific study of possible causes.
The same situation applies to misinformation about climate disruption.
Reblogged this on Guyanese Online.
A big thank you for the reblog, Cyril. Spreading awareness, one thought at a time.
“Everyone deserves access to independent scientific information so they can make smart, informed decisions on issues that affect their health, safety, and environment.” Scientific inquiry, integrity and systematic sharing is definitely one of the keys to solving issues of the day. 🙂
Cicorm, I agree. And when the media feeds us with half-truths and lies, it becomes difficult for us to resolve the issues we face.