Science and industy

[rtkp@ptialaska.net]

I feel for David Ross and his well meaning but misguided attempt at 
steering the list away from our frustrations toward rational 
scientific discourse.

He says:

>As a parting shot let me, without acrimony and just honestly for the
>record, briefly review the some of the common elements I saw in the
>messages sent in after my "Last Straw."   The list members are without
>question well meaning and too are a very suspicious lot:  people with
>advanced degrees are suspect, as is a professional corporate
>connection.  At least in the minds of some respondents science itself
>is not to be trusted.  The cause seems to be all important, almost a
>way of life, and I wondered as I read some of the messages that if at
>last real, sound solution to the problem arose, would it be met with
>only mixed reviews because then the cause would have disappeared.  

As both an activist and a scientist I have a fair amount of 
frustration over the casual acceptance that what passes for "science" 
in the process of making decisions on projects.  I have watched time 
after time as studies are submitted that are very thinly veiled 
rationalizations of an unfounded hypothesis.  To call it "science" is 
a real insult.  In most cases the so called scientific studies are 
politically engineered to give the desired results.

A good example is a recent study at Johns Hopkins of health among 
pulp mill workers. Results which support the hypothesis (pulpmills 
are harmless to workers) are published.  Results which might show that 
there are increased risks of certain types of cancers are either 
suppressed or not followed up.  The study is paid for by the Pulp and 
Paper industry.

I am sure that any scientist/activist on this list could trott out 
scores of more egregious examples than this one.

Is there any reason to call this science?  Are Dr. Bill's Chlorine 
Council or Engelbeen's reports science?  Perhaps in some cases they 
might be. But at this point the public is usually duped into 
believing that anyone with some letters behind his/her name is 
presenting "SCIENCE!!!"

 I remain sceptical and submit that if "if at last real, a sound solution
 to the problem arose",  industry would very likely be the LAST
 to embrace it.

eric hummel
rtkp@ptialaska.net