Concerned Scientists Fight Back Against Ignorance in Washington DC

?We have a long history in this country of rational debate. That?s really been lost today.? ?Peter Frumhoff

As part of a new initiative, the Union of Concerned Scientists wants to build a Center for Science and Democracy to correct ?a troubling trend,? according to a report from KPBS.org.

The initiative focuses on how an understanding of science has had less of a role in political decision-making in recent years, to the point where politicians are completely ignoring realities presented by science.

The director of the science and policy at the organization, Peter Frumhoff, told KPBS that the center wants to ?restore that pragmatic, evidence-based dialogue where facts really matter.? Watch:

One topic of great importance is climate change. Offenders include:

North Carolina: The state senate recently passed a bill which would require the science of rising sea levels to be ignored.

James Inhofe: The senator has stated that he believes global warming is a biblical inspired hoax. In fact, only God can change the climate. Humans believing climate change is manmade, even arrogant. For more on his completely factual opinion, read his book, The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future.

Michele Bachmann: The former prez hopeful also believes climate change is a hoax and says that carbon dioxide is natural. According to Think Progress, she believes, ?It occurs in Earth. It is a part of the regular life cycle of Earth. In fact, life on planet Earth can?t even exist without carbon dioxide. So necessary is it to human life, to animal life, to plant life, to the oceans, to the vegetation that?s on the Earth, to the, to the fowl that ? that flies in the air, we need to have carbon dioxide as part of the fundamental life cycle of Earth.?

Sarah Palin: She confuses weather with global warming and thinks climate change couldn?t be man made. When asked what is true and false about climate change, she says ?Alaska feels & sees impacts of climate change more so than any other state. And we know that it?s real. I?m not one to attribute every activity of man to the changes in the climate. There is something to be said also for man?s activities, but also for the cyclical temperature changes on our planet.?

This is wholly important to the future of this nation and the world. As Dave Chappelle said in Half Baked, ?Thank you, scientist.?

[KBPS]

India Kushner is a recent graduate of Goucher College and HyperVocal staff writer. Follow her @inkus001.

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