BSB 112     J. Morris Hicks     (8-24-17) 
CHOO$ING When to Believe Science

A Profound Lesson from Eclipse Day
by J. Morris Hicks

While watching the news about the total eclipse of the sun on Monday, I thought about the fact that it was the wisdom of science that enabled everyone in the USA to know exactly when and where they could best enjoy the "totality" of the experience.


It seems that we believe science when it's convenient. But it crossed my mind on Monday that it's a shame when money stands in the way of trusting the overwhelming agreement within the scientific community when it comes to the most important issue in the history of humanity--Climate Change.

Lo, I was not the only one who had that thought. An article by Justin Gillis appeared in the NY Times three days before the eclipse. It was entitled,  "Should You Trust Climate Science? Maybe the Eclipse Is a Clue." These three quotes appeared in one paragraph that resonated with my exact feelings at the time:

"Thanks to the work of scientists, people will know exactly what time to expect the eclipse." 

"In less entertaining but more important ways, we respond to scientific predictions all the time, even though we have no independent capacity to verify the calculations."

"We tend to trust scientists." (He went on to provide several examples.)


Yes, we do tend to trust scientists--except when we don't. And we don't when it is not in our financial best interest. Now, because of the huge dollars at stake for the peddlers of fossil fuels, our own government has CHO$EN not to trust science when it comes to climate change. 

History may record their incredible lack of action on this most crucial issue as the "greatest crime against humanity" ever. 

Tipping Point? Take a look at this one slide from my latest presentation about the future of humanity. It shows the extent of global sea ice in millions of square kilometers. 

This graph plots monthly numbers, with a different colored line for each year since 1978, when we first began to get satellite data--something our U.S. government has recently decided NOT to fund going forward.
 
Take a look at the red line on the right--the last half of 2016, when the combined area of sea ice at both poles shattered all records. Although the total area of sea ice has been steadily decreasing since 1978, the last half of 2016 was a terrifying departure from historical trends.

The Bottom Line. Because of power and greed, we, as a civilization, have chosen not to believe the scientists on this crucial topic. From the article:

"For years now, atmospheric scientists have been handing us a set of predictions about the likely consequences of our emissions of industrial gases."

"These forecasts are critically important, because this group of experts sees grave risks to our civilization."

"And yet, when it comes to reacting to the warnings of climate science, we have done little."

It's All About the Money!

Have Message, Will Travel.   Please contact me (by return email) if you'd like to discuss scheduling a presentation at a venue near you. I have given variations of my "big picture" sustainability talk to many types of audiences and, while it's alarming to many, the message seems to resonate with conscientious people of all ages and backgrounds.

It's a topic that every human being needs to learn about--while there is still time to do something about it.

Food. Health. Planet. Our Future as a Species .

Upcoming Presentations:  Ithaca, NY, in Sept., Ontario, Canada in Oct., Buffalo and Rochester in Nov., Fort Myers, FL ( VegFest), in Jan. 2018 and at the vsh.org in Honolulu and Maui in April. To view all 48 slides in my latest presentation,  click here.

Be well,  J. Morris (Jim) Hicks

Promoting health, hope and harmony on planet Earth

Moonglow J. Morris Hicks

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