From: Russell Pearson <R.Pearson-AT-art.derby.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 16:43:56 +0100
Subject: Re: M-TH: Lemmings


Louis sends an interesting article on global warming from the enviromental
mailing list Rachel. An earlier article on Barry Commoner ---May 29,
1997---  ORIGINS OF ENVIRONMENTAL IDEAS   states:

>>>Discussing the role of scientists in controversies involving nuclear
>>>fallout, nuclear war, or "environmental contamination in general," a
>>>committee chaired by Barry Commoner wrote in 1965,
"In a number of instances, individual scientists, independentscientific
committees, and scientific advisory groups to the government have stated
that a particular hazard is 'negligible,' or 'acceptable' or
'unacceptable'--without making it clear that the conclusion is NOT A
SCIENTIFIC CONCLUSION, BUT A SOCIAL JUDGMENT.  [Original emphasis]

Nevertheless, it is natural that the public should assume that such
pronouncements are scientific conclusions. Since such conclusions, put
forward by individual scientists, or by groups of scientists, are often
contradictory, a question which commonly arises among the public is, 'How
do we know which scientists are telling the truth?'
Thus in 1965 Commoner and his colleagues warned us that risk assessments
are political in nature, not merely scientific, and that many scientists
overstep the bounds of scientific legitimacy and try to impose their (or
their employer's) political decisions and views upon the public, using
science as a screen.<<<
***********
Here we have the crux of the problem, social judgement is passed off as
unquestionable scientific truth.  But, in Louis' eyes, when the scientists
are anti-green they are paid lackeys of the capitalists, when they are
pro-green they are saviours of the world and harbourers of the Truth.
Now the warming article is certainly interesting and amasses an impressive
amount of scientific evidence. What puzzles me is how all of this is neatly
marshalled into a narrative of warm=gloom=doom. Ice melts, flora grows up
the mountain, plagues erupt and all because of one single cause. I retain
my incredulity before such metanarratives.

Off to enjoy England's green and pleasant land for the weekend- bye till
then...

Russ





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