Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
OT Bush: Fair and Balanced
On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 22:23:46 -0800, jps wrote:
Snipped Last week, a Washington-based interest group released a report detailing what it called many examples of the administration distorting the scientific process to achieve desired policy answers relating to pollution, embryo research and other topics. Some in Congress, led by Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), have also been getting vocal on the topic, as have academics, scientific organizations and science journal editors. Here's some more info on the 'concerned scientists': Ah, yes. The unbiased Union of Concerned Scientists. Here is even more information on this unbiased group with all the intellectual integrity of Harry Krause: Union of Concerned Scientists "Confused Scientists." — S. Fred Singer, George Mason University professor and president of the Science & Environmental Policy Project, in The Washington Times, August 11, 2000 "The Union of Perturbed Scientists." — Syndicated columnist Jonah Goldberg, March 9, 1999 "It’s more like the Union of Concerned Lawyers." — Steven Milloy, www.JunkScience.com, 1999 "Aptly named because they can find concerns about anything." — Bruce Boller, Virginia Military Institute Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Washington Times, July 7, 2002 Background Committed to an “open-minded search for truth,” and armed with “unrivaled scientific expertise,” the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) “doesn’t say anything [it] can’t back up with solid evidence.” At least, that’s what its fund-raising letters say. The reality is quite different. UCS embraces an environmental agenda that often stands at odds with the “rigorous scientific analysis” it claims to employ. A radical green wolf in sheep’s clothing, UCS tries to distinguish itself from the Greenpeaces of the world by convincing the media that its recommendations reflect a consensus among the scientific community. And that’s what makes it so dangerous. Whether it’s energy policy or agricultural issues, UCS’s “experts” are routinely given a free pass from newspaper reporters and television producers when they claim that mainstream science endorses their radical agenda. Here’s how it works: UCS conducts an opinion poll of scientists or organizes a petition that scientists sign. Then they manipulate or misconstrue the results in order to pronounce that science has spoken. In 1986 UCS asked 549 of the American Physical Society’s 37,000 members if Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was “a step in the wrong direction for America’s national security policy.” Despite the biased wording of the push-poll question, only 54 percent disapproved of SDI. Even so, UCS declared that the poll proved “profound and pervasive skepticism toward SDI in the scientific community.” Like many environmental activist groups, UCS uses the twin motivators of cheer and fear. A giggly Gwenyth Paltrow and a catty Cameron Diaz headlined a series of short appeals about energy conservation that UCS produced. The two mega-stars crow that they turn the water off while brushing their teeth, switch off the light when they leave their bedrooms, and keep the thermostat at 65 degrees. “Its time for us to band together and really make every effort to conserve our natural resources,” chirps Diaz. That’s the sunny side. But UCS is more adept at producing horror stories than chick flicks. They are fear-mongers of the first order -- turning the sober science of health and environmental safety into high drama for public consumption. For example, UCS recently warned that by 2100 the U.S. might suffer 50-80 million more cases of malaria every year if the Senate fails to ratify the Kyoto treaty. Such racy statistics are based on clumsy modeling of worst-case scenarios, and assume -- against all evidence of human behavior -- that no countermeasures whatsoever would be employed. “Not considering factors such as local control measures or health services,” in their own words. Of course, you won’t find those caveats in the press release. Genetically Modified Science Among UCS’s many concerns, “the food you eat” is at the top of the list. More than a million dollars went to its food program in 2001. Genetically enhanced foods -- dubbed “Frankenfoods” by opponents -- have caused worldwide hysteria even though no reputable scientific institution can find anything to be afraid of. But that doesn’t stop UCS’s “experts” from playing cheerleader to these unfounded fears. They warn that biotech foods could result in the “squandering of valuable pest susceptibility genes,” “enhancement of the environment for toxic fungi,” and the “creation of new or worse viruses.” They scream about “Poisoned wildlife” and “new allergens in the food supply.” Biotech foods, they claim, might “increase the levels of toxic substances within plants,” “reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics to fight disease,” “contaminate foods with high levels of toxic metals,” “intensify weedy properties” and cause the “rapid evolution of resistance to herbicides in weeds,” leading to “superweeds.” Rigorous scientific analysis led UCS to this list of horrors, right? Wrong. That was merely a “‘brainstorming’ of potential harms.” So how likely are any of these to occur? “Risk assessments can be complicated,” UCS says, and pretty much leaves it at that. In other words, they have absolutely no idea. In contrast, more reputable authorities have a very good grasp of the potential risks of genetically enhanced foods. The U.S. Environmental protection Agency says that genetically enhanced corn “does not pose risks to human health or to the environment.” The World Health Organization says that biotech foods “are not likely to present risks for human health” and observes that “no effects on human health have been shown as a result of the consumption of such foods by the general population.” Even the European Union, which has gone out of its way to stifle food technology for political reasons, notes: “The use of more precise technology [in genetically enhanced crops] and the greater regulatory scrutiny probably make them even safer than conventional plants and foods.” The Food and Environment Program at UCS is headed up by Margaret Mellon and her deputy Jane Rissler, both of whom hold Ph.Ds and have held positions at prestigious universities. So what do a couple of highly trained research scientists, armed with nothing but guesswork, ideology and a million dollar budget, do? They fight biotech food every step of the way. Although UCS claims that it “does not support or oppose genetic engineering per se,” Mellon and Rissler in fact have never met a GM food they didn’t mistrust. That’s because they hold biotech foods to an impossibly high standard. In 1999, UCS joined the National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and the Defenders of Wildlife, in petitioning the EPA for strict regulation of corn modified to produce large amounts of the bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin. Bt is a naturally occurring insect poison that protects plants from pests like the European corn borer. UCS’s letter was part of a major scare campaign to convince the public that Bt corn posed a risk to the Monarch Butterfly. Both the USDA and the EPA later concluded that Bt corn caused no harm to the Monarch. This reinforced the findings of federal regulators who had performed a comprehensive safety review of Bt corn before it was allowed into the marketplace. UCS remains unconvinced, even though the safest place for a Monarch larva to be is in a Bt cornfield. Rissler argued there was “insufficient data” to make such a conclusion. Precautionary Nonsense Of course, “sufficient” data can never exist for zealots like Rissler. She continued: “Do we assume the technology is safe… or do we prove it? The scientist in me wants to prove it’s safe.” It’s impossible to prove a negative, to absolutely demonstrate that there are no dangers whatsoever for any given product. The scientist in her knows that too, but she and her colleagues at UCS continue to be guided by the “Precautionary Principle.” This misguided maxim argues that, based on the fear that something harmful may possibly arise, we should opt for technological paralysis. The Wall Street Journal editorialized in 2000 that The Precautionary Principle “is an environmentalist neologism, invoked to trump scientific evidence and move directly to banning things they don’t like.” It’s a big hit among anti-technology activists because it justifies their paranoia and serves to bludgeon technological progress. Martin Teitel, who runs another misnamed activist group called the Council for Responsible Genetics, admitted as much in 2001. “Politically,” Teitel said, “it’s difficult for me to go around saying that I want to shut this science down, so it’s safer for me to say something like, ‘It needs to be done safely before releasing it.’” Requiring scientists to satisfy the Principle by proving a negative, Teitel added, means that “they don’t get to do it period.” It should come as no surprise that UCS joined Teitel’s organization and other die-hard opponents of biotech foods in an activist coalition called the Genetic Engineering Action Network. While acknowledging that “we know of no generic harms associated with genetically engineered organisms,” UCS consistently opposes their introduction to the market on the basis of purely hypothetical risk. Confronted with the real-world benefits of biotech foods, UCS simply changes the subject to its anti-corporate, socialist leanings. Rissler’s appearance on the PBS show Nova – on a program called “Harvest of Fear” -- is a case in point. When the interviewer suggested that “genetically modified crops are arguably much less harmful to the environment” Rissler responded: “It depends on where you want to compromise. There’s another issue here with corporate control of the food supply.” UCS’s knee-jerk reaction to biotech foods is matched only by its animus towards agribusiness. A 1994 press release condemning FDA approval of biotech foods complained that some of the data used by the oversight agency was provided by private enterprises. In her zeal to decry increased food production from the corporate adoption of biotechnology, Mellon has argued that it’s “not clear that more milk or pork is good.” And UCS supports a radical vision of “sustainable agriculture.” That means no pesticides or herbicides; no fertilizer (other than E.coli-rich manure); and eating only “locally grown” produce. If it’s not clear under this plan where New York City would get its rice or how Chicago would scrounge up any bananas, there’s a reason for it. They wouldn’t. Pigs, Chickens and Cows, Oh My! Hogging It, a UCS report published in 2001, argues that the use of antibiotics in farm animals could result in human diseases that are resistant to conventional treatments. The report received a great deal of press attention, and UCS is not afraid to brag about it. “We developed the numbers that everyone uses when talking about… overuse of antibiotics,” trumpets a fund-raising letter. But how did they go about developing those numbers? “Rigorous scientific analysis”? Hardly. While the livestock industry actually calculates the amounts of antibiotics administered to farm animals using hard sales figures, UCS guesses at average drug dosages and then multiplies by the total number of animals. That’s “brainstorming.” Not science. The real experts, like David Bell, coordinator of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s anti-microbial resistance programs, aren’t impressed by Hogging It. Interestingly, UCS admits the weakness of its evidence. The executive summary of Hogging It complains about a “gaping chasm” in the data. Nevertheless, the authors are proud to produce the “first transparent estimate” of livestock antibiotic use in America. Estimate? That’s right. “The numbers everyone uses” are just estimates. Moreover, UCS measures antibiotic usage in total tonnage. But is that relevant in any way? UCS concedes that it’s not. The activist group wants the FDA to track antibiotic usage by “type,” since most antibiotics used in animals are unlike those used in humans. Consumer Reports quotes Margaret Mellon saying, “We know nothing. We are flying blind.” No wonder the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Coalition for Animal Health also reject Hogging It’s findings. But none of that stops UCS from scaring the wits out of the public. Mellon warns of an “era where untreatable infectious diseases are regrettably commonplace.” That might be worth getting “Concerned” about, if only it were based on good science. Address 2 Brattle Square Cambridge, MA 02238 Phone 617-547-5552 Fax 617-864-9405 Website www.ucsusa.org www.actgreen.com www.ucsaction.org www.keepantibioticsworking.com verview otivation lack Eye inancials onnections ews Officers & Other Supporters Program Director, Food and Environment Margaret Mellon Food & Environment Director, Union of Concerned Scientists; Advisory Board member, Center for Food Safety; former program director, Environmental Law Institute; co-author, The Ecological Risks of Engineered Crops Deputy Director & Senior Staff Scientist Jane Rissler Deputy Director & Senior Staff Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists; media “expert,” Environmental Media Services; former staff scientist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; co-author, The Ecological Risks of Engineered Crops Board Member Peter A. Bradford Board member, Union of Concerned Scientists; former chair, New York Public Service Commission; former chair, Maine Public Utilities Commission; former member, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Board Member Thomas Eisner Board member, Union of Concerned Scientists; Professor of Chemical Ecology, Cornell University; former chair, Endangered Species Coalition; former board member, National Audubon Society; former scientific council member, Nature Conservancy Prog. Dir. & Sr. Scientist, Global Environment Peter C. Frumhoff Global Resources Program Director & Senior Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists; former assistant research scientist, Department of Zoology, the University of Maryland Board Member Richard L. Garwin Board member, Union of Concerned Scientists; senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; former member, the President’s Scientific Advisory Committee Chairman & co-founder Kurt Gottfried Chairman of the Board and co-founder, Union of Concerned Scientists; professor emeritus of physics, Cornell University; member, Council on Foreign Relations; author, Quantum Mechanics: Fundamentals; co-author, Concepts of Particle Physics Board Member Geoffrey Heal Board member, Union of Concerned Scientists; professor of Public Policy & Corporate Responsibility, Columbia University Graduate School of Business; author, Nature and the Marketplace; former managing editor, The Review of Economic Studies Board Member James S. Hoyte Board member, Union of Concerned Scientists; Associate Vice President for Equal Opportunity Programs, Environmental Sciences lecturer & Co- Director, Working Group on Environmental Justice, Harvard University Executive Director Kevin Knobloch Executive Director, Union of Concerned Scientists; director, CERES; former Director of Conservation Programs, Boston Appalachian Mountain Club; former Leg. Dir., U.S. Sen. Timothy Wirth (D-CO); former Leg. Asst. & Press Sec., U.S. Rep. Ted Weiss (D-NY) Director of Government Relations Alden Meyer Dir. of Government Relations, Union of Concerned Scientists; chair, US Climate Action Network; Executive Director, League of Conservation Voters; former dir., Environmental Action; former dir., Connecticut Citizens Action Group Board Member Stuart Pimm Board member, Union of Concerned Scientists; Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee; author, The Balance of Nature? Ecological Issues in the Conservation of Species and Communities President Howard Ris President & former Exec. Dir., Union of Concerned Scientists; member, (Clinton Administration’s) Council on Sustainable Dev.; former prog. dir., New England River Basins Commission; former sr. policy analyst, Massachusetts Exec. Office of Env. Affairs Vice Chair Adele Smith Simmons Vice Chair, Union of Concerned Scientists; Sr. Associate, Univ. of Chicago Ctr. for Int’l Studies; former president, John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; former president, Hampshire College; former professor & dean, Princeton & Tufts Universities Board Member Nancy Stephens Board member, Union of Concerned Scientists; CA appointee, Monica Mountains Conservancy Advisory Board; executive board member, Earth Communications Office; advisory board member, the Liberty Hill Foundation; board member, Americans for a Safe Future Board Member Thomas Stone Board member, Union of Concerned Scientists; Chairman & CEO, Stone Capital Group; board member, Ravinia Festival Association; board member, Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith; board member, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Board Member Ellyn R. Weiss Board member & former general counsel, Union of Concerned Scientists; retired partner, Foley, Hoag & Eliot; former partner, Harmon & Weiss LLP; former Assistant Massachusetts Attorney General for Environmental Protection John H On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay! |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
OT Bush: Fair and Balanced
John H wrote:
On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 22:23:46 -0800, jps wrote: Snipped Last week, a Washington-based interest group released a report detailing what it called many examples of the administration distorting the scientific process to achieve desired policy answers relating to pollution, embryo research and other topics. Some in Congress, led by Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), have also been getting vocal on the topic, as have academics, scientific organizations and science journal editors. Here's some more info on the 'concerned scientists': Ah, yes. The unbiased Union of Concerned Scientists. Here is even more information on this unbiased group with all the intellectual integrity of Harry Krause: Union of Concerned Scientists "Confused Scientists." — S. Fred Singer, George Mason University professor and president of the Science & Environmental Policy Project, in The Washington Times, August 11, 2000 You're quoting the Moonie paper, fella. Therefore, you are standing on a log rotating in the water. Is that the paper you read at home? The Moonie paper? |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
OT Bush: Fair and Balanced
On Sat, 28 Feb 2004 08:22:50 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote: John H wrote: On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 22:23:46 -0800, jps wrote: Snipped Last week, a Washington-based interest group released a report detailing what it called many examples of the administration distorting the scientific process to achieve desired policy answers relating to pollution, embryo research and other topics. Some in Congress, led by Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), have also been getting vocal on the topic, as have academics, scientific organizations and science journal editors. Here's some more info on the 'concerned scientists': Ah, yes. The unbiased Union of Concerned Scientists. Here is even more information on this unbiased group with all the intellectual integrity of Harry Krause: Union of Concerned Scientists "Confused Scientists." — S. Fred Singer, George Mason University professor and president of the Science & Environmental Policy Project, in The Washington Times, August 11, 2000 You're quoting the Moonie paper, fella. Therefore, you are standing on a log rotating in the water. Is that the paper you read at home? The Moonie paper? More friggin' mosquitoes! John H On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay! |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
OT Bush: Fair and Balanced
John H wrote in message
More friggin' mosquitoes! John H Speaking of posting mistakes, and laughs.....what is a "friggin'"? I haven't found it in ANY dictionary. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
OT Bush: Fair and Balanced
John H wrote in message . ..
On 4 Mar 2004 06:25:36 -0800, (basskisser) wrote: John H wrote in message More friggin' mosquitoes! John H Speaking of posting mistakes, and laughs.....what is a "friggin'"? I haven't found it in ANY dictionary. A shortened (thus the apostrophe) form of the word 'frigging'. If you look closely, you'll find it in the dictionary. John H Again, please show a reference showing the word friggin'. Can't?? |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
OT Bush: Fair and Balanced
Hmmmmm. My dictionary says: "what basskisser gives to his mom on her
Birthday...a real, good friggin" "basskisser" wrote in message om... John H wrote in message More friggin' mosquitoes! John H Speaking of posting mistakes, and laughs.....what is a "friggin'"? I haven't found it in ANY dictionary. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
OT Bush: Fair and Balanced
"NOYB" wrote in message hlink.net... Hmmmmm. My dictionary says: "what basskisser gives to his mom on her Birthday...a real, good friggin" "basskisser" wrote in message om... John H wrote in message More friggin' mosquitoes! John H Speaking of posting mistakes, and laughs.....what is a "friggin'"? I haven't found it in ANY dictionary. I wonder if he knows what a piecost is? ;-) |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
OT Bush: Fair and Balanced
"Jim--" wrote in message ... "NOYB" wrote in message hlink.net... Hmmmmm. My dictionary says: "what basskisser gives to his mom on her Birthday...a real, good friggin" "basskisser" wrote in message om... John H wrote in message More friggin' mosquitoes! John H Speaking of posting mistakes, and laughs.....what is a "friggin'"? I haven't found it in ANY dictionary. I wonder if he knows what a piecost is? ;-) Or a henweigh. |
Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
OT : The New York Times - Fair and Balanced LOL | General | |||
Fair and Balanced | General |