Why I am Cool to Global Warming – Part 2: Celebrity Science is No Science by Larry Stout
Why I am Cool to Global Warming – Part 2: Celebrity Science is No Science by Larry Stout
My niece's husband Matt is working on his Master's degree in geology and was recently on a field trip in Iceland with two of his professors to conduct research on glacier movement. They were surprised to learn that one of their sites was closed off although it was apparent that there was something going on there. Later, they found out that Leonardo DiCaprio needed the location for a photo shoot for Vanity Fair. I saw the issue in an airport bookstore with the star on the cover standing in front of a huge glacier with the caption, "Leonardo DiCaprio: Actor and Activist."
In my opinion, this represents a microcosm of the problems with celebrity involvement in social issues. Real scientists were not able to conduct their work because a 'star' needed a nice background for a publicity photo. I do not wish to disavow all celebrity work, of course. Bono of the music group U2, for example, has certainly used his star power for many noble causes. But if tomorrow all celebrities took a vow of silence in everything not related to entertainment, the world would not be any poorer.
Science should not be like fashion, but unfortunately, this is too often the case. Objectivity gives way to emotion and the results are sometimes disastrous. On this 38th anniversary of Earth Day, it is worth remembering Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring, the 1962 book that many credit with giving birth to the environmental movement. Carson's 100th birthday will be next month, so expect to hear some homage paid to this woman that Time magazine recognized as one of the 100 most important people of the century.
Silent Spring is an almost poetic book written primarily about the destructive effects of the insecticide DDT, "as crude a weapon as the cave man's club, the chemical barrage… hurled against the fabric of life." Instead of citing any scientific evidence, Carson only used tear-jerking anecdotes. She could not cite any evidence because there had not been any studies citing inherent dangers with DDT. Like any insecticide, it needed to be used properly and in moderation.
DDT is one of the most effective pestitides ever developed at controlling insect-borne diseases, even winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Muller who discovered it in 1948. However, the merits of this wonderful discovery were buried under Carson's eloquent and passionate voice. Soon, DDT removal became a cause celebre and within ten years after the release of the book, DDT was banned in the United States. Since America determines what is right for the rest of the world, it was soon after banned in developing nations as well.
What is the harm in celebrities using their influence to remove a harmful pesticide? Only this – the World Health Organization now estimates that there are between 300 and 500 million cases of malaria annually, causing approximately one million deaths, mostly among children. Nothing ever developed has been as effective at malaria control as DDT. The alternatives must be used in much greater quantities than DDT would be needed, and still do not have as good results. Serious scientific research and testing on the harmful effects of DDT, particularly its carcinogenic qualities, were eventually conducted years after Silent Spring and have since been shown to be much less dangerous than thought during the early 1960s.
Al Gore cites the rise of the "mosquito line" carrying malaria as one of the evidences of global warming. Even if this were true (which many experts doubt), wise use of DDT could eliminate much of the threat of this deadly disease. Michael Crichton, an author but also a doctor, writes in his novel State of Fear, "The ban has caused more than fifty million needless deaths. Banning DDT killed more people than Hitler."
If Christians care about their world, they should not listen to an actor posing in front of large sheet of ice. Understanding science requires a disciplined mind – which should be the mind of a disciple.
My niece's husband Matt is working on his Master's degree in geology and was recently on a field trip in Iceland with two of his professors to conduct research on glacier movement. They were surprised to learn that one of their sites was closed off although it was apparent that there was something going on there. Later, they found out that Leonardo DiCaprio needed the location for a photo shoot for Vanity Fair. I saw the issue in an airport bookstore with the star on the cover standing in front of a huge glacier with the caption, "Leonardo DiCaprio: Actor and Activist."
In my opinion, this represents a microcosm of the problems with celebrity involvement in social issues. Real scientists were not able to conduct their work because a 'star' needed a nice background for a publicity photo. I do not wish to disavow all celebrity work, of course. Bono of the music group U2, for example, has certainly used his star power for many noble causes. But if tomorrow all celebrities took a vow of silence in everything not related to entertainment, the world would not be any poorer.
Science should not be like fashion, but unfortunately, this is too often the case. Objectivity gives way to emotion and the results are sometimes disastrous. On this 38th anniversary of Earth Day, it is worth remembering Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring, the 1962 book that many credit with giving birth to the environmental movement. Carson's 100th birthday will be next month, so expect to hear some homage paid to this woman that Time magazine recognized as one of the 100 most important people of the century.
Silent Spring is an almost poetic book written primarily about the destructive effects of the insecticide DDT, "as crude a weapon as the cave man's club, the chemical barrage… hurled against the fabric of life." Instead of citing any scientific evidence, Carson only used tear-jerking anecdotes. She could not cite any evidence because there had not been any studies citing inherent dangers with DDT. Like any insecticide, it needed to be used properly and in moderation.
DDT is one of the most effective pestitides ever developed at controlling insect-borne diseases, even winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Muller who discovered it in 1948. However, the merits of this wonderful discovery were buried under Carson's eloquent and passionate voice. Soon, DDT removal became a cause celebre and within ten years after the release of the book, DDT was banned in the United States. Since America determines what is right for the rest of the world, it was soon after banned in developing nations as well.
What is the harm in celebrities using their influence to remove a harmful pesticide? Only this – the World Health Organization now estimates that there are between 300 and 500 million cases of malaria annually, causing approximately one million deaths, mostly among children. Nothing ever developed has been as effective at malaria control as DDT. The alternatives must be used in much greater quantities than DDT would be needed, and still do not have as good results. Serious scientific research and testing on the harmful effects of DDT, particularly its carcinogenic qualities, were eventually conducted years after Silent Spring and have since been shown to be much less dangerous than thought during the early 1960s.
Al Gore cites the rise of the "mosquito line" carrying malaria as one of the evidences of global warming. Even if this were true (which many experts doubt), wise use of DDT could eliminate much of the threat of this deadly disease. Michael Crichton, an author but also a doctor, writes in his novel State of Fear, "The ban has caused more than fifty million needless deaths. Banning DDT killed more people than Hitler."
If Christians care about their world, they should not listen to an actor posing in front of large sheet of ice. Understanding science requires a disciplined mind – which should be the mind of a disciple.
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