Difference between revisions of "Environmental Science and Skeptical Challenges"

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Environmental Science and Skeptical Challenges
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In the last few years most people have accepted that Global Warming is the most important issue that we face ([http://www.livescience.com/environment/061103_climatechange_survey.html see poll)]. However, scientists have been telling us this for a decade or more. In part, our skepticism may be the result of the perception that "tree-huggers" care more about nature than jobs/people, and that their doomsday warnings in the past have been overblown (see below for examples such as ''The Population Bomb'').  But much of the doubt has been deliberately created by arguing that even scientists don't agree, so why should we worry?  How is it possible that a small number of people in industry, politics and public relations fooled so many of us for so long?  By investigating this issue, you can learn how to protect yourself from propaganda ("tune your crap detector" Tom Wolfe) and learn to make more effective arguments yourself:
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'''Examples of those who argue Global Warming is real:'''
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[http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/1Al Gore talk] at TED conference (video)
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[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Revenge_of_Gaia ''The Revenge of Gaia: Why the Earth is Fighting Back - and How we Can Still Save Humanity''] (2006) is a book by James Lovelock.
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[http://www.amazon.com/Heat-How-Stop-Planet-Burning/dp/0896087794 ''Heat: How to Stop the Planet from Burning''] by George Monbiot  <br / >
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[http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/005014.html review]
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http://www.heatisonline.org/contentserver/objecthandlers/index.cfm?ID=6032&Method=Full&PageCall=&Title=A%20Pathetic%20Attempt%20At%20Slander%20from%20Stephen%20Milloy%20&Cache=False
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http://www.heatisonline.org/main.cfm author of The Heat is On and Boiling Point Ross Gelbspan see http://www.heatisonline.org/disinformation.cfm on skeptic scams
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DEBATE:
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Dyson vs Alun http://www.edge.org/documents/archive/edge220.html#discoverjaron
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http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/dysonf07/dysonf07_index.html
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Paul Loeb argues that the corporations have merely recycled their tactics that worked so successfully for the tobacco companies for so long: create the impression that the science is in doubt:
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Loeb art'l http://www.paulloeb.org/articles/Exxon.html has link to
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68 pp report on cig co tactics in GW http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/global_warming/exxon_report.pdf
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----
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General works on corporate PR:
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Trust Us, We're Experts:
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How Industry Manipulates Science and Gambles with Your Future
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by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber
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http://www.prwatch.org/books/experts.html
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excerpts: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Public_Relations/Trust_Us_We're_Experts.html
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Toxic Sludge is Good for You
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John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton
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Common Courage Press, 1995
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excerpts: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Public_Relations/ToxicSludge.html
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video: http://www.mediaed.org/videos/CommercialismPoliticsAndMedia/ToxicSludge/
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youtube preview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaMh8KGfkTM "biosolids" sneaked into dictionary? history/ war
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Creating the Corporate Soul: The Rise of Public Relations and Corporate Imagery in American Big Business (Hardcover)
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by Roland Marchand
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http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Corporate-Soul-Relations-American/dp/0520087194
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long excerpt from Ch 1 http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/m/marchand-corporate.html
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Revision as of 04:12, 26 September 2007

Environmental Science and Skeptical Challenges


In the last few years most people have accepted that Global Warming is the most important issue that we face (see poll). However, scientists have been telling us this for a decade or more. In part, our skepticism may be the result of the perception that "tree-huggers" care more about nature than jobs/people, and that their doomsday warnings in the past have been overblown (see below for examples such as The Population Bomb). But much of the doubt has been deliberately created by arguing that even scientists don't agree, so why should we worry? How is it possible that a small number of people in industry, politics and public relations fooled so many of us for so long? By investigating this issue, you can learn how to protect yourself from propaganda ("tune your crap detector" Tom Wolfe) and learn to make more effective arguments yourself:


Examples of those who argue Global Warming is real:

Gore talk at TED conference (video)

The Revenge of Gaia: Why the Earth is Fighting Back - and How we Can Still Save Humanity (2006) is a book by James Lovelock.


Heat: How to Stop the Planet from Burning by George Monbiot
review

http://www.heatisonline.org/contentserver/objecthandlers/index.cfm?ID=6032&Method=Full&PageCall=&Title=A%20Pathetic%20Attempt%20At%20Slander%20from%20Stephen%20Milloy%20&Cache=False

http://www.heatisonline.org/main.cfm author of The Heat is On and Boiling Point Ross Gelbspan see http://www.heatisonline.org/disinformation.cfm on skeptic scams

DEBATE:

Dyson vs Alun http://www.edge.org/documents/archive/edge220.html#discoverjaron http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/dysonf07/dysonf07_index.html


Paul Loeb argues that the corporations have merely recycled their tactics that worked so successfully for the tobacco companies for so long: create the impression that the science is in doubt:

Loeb art'l http://www.paulloeb.org/articles/Exxon.html has link to 68 pp report on cig co tactics in GW http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/global_warming/exxon_report.pdf


General works on corporate PR:

Trust Us, We're Experts: How Industry Manipulates Science and Gambles with Your Future by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber http://www.prwatch.org/books/experts.html

excerpts: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Public_Relations/Trust_Us_We're_Experts.html

Toxic Sludge is Good for You John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton Common Courage Press, 1995 excerpts: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Public_Relations/ToxicSludge.html video: http://www.mediaed.org/videos/CommercialismPoliticsAndMedia/ToxicSludge/ youtube preview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaMh8KGfkTM "biosolids" sneaked into dictionary? history/ war

Creating the Corporate Soul: The Rise of Public Relations and Corporate Imagery in American Big Business (Hardcover) by Roland Marchand http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Corporate-Soul-Relations-American/dp/0520087194

long excerpt from Ch 1 http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/m/marchand-corporate.html


Course Themes
Ecological and Social Utopias
Literature, Art, and the Environment
Environmental Science and Skeptical Challenges
Activism and Entrepreneurship
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