Please read the following article from Smithsonian.com linked below. I have also linked a follow up article that may help with some background information. Questions below (a blog response).
Canadian Scientists Explain Exactly
How Their Government Silenced Science
What is the public's role in ensuring that correct and factual scientific information is available to the general public AND the governing bodies that set regulations and laws?
What is the public's role in holding governing bodies accountable in the use of current factual scientific data in making decisions?
You must be post a response/comment no later than Sunday 2/12 by 11:59 pm
The Issues of Muzzling Science
If any of you missed portions of the video, you can watch it here/link below
Super Battery Nova
The first step in promoting the free exchange of information between the scientific community and the general public begins with the establishment of a government-based entity in charge of advising legislators and regular citizens on the proper courses of action, when given a certain question regarding a certain scenario or proposed decision. These agencies might include the EPA, NASA, the DOE, and any other groups which could potentially serve as translators between scientific research and the people who employ their findings (or counterbalances to irresponsibility and ignorance, depending on who’s in charge). Through these groups, the public and the scientific community can begin to demand research-based legislation - laws which act in accordance to the truth and data of things, and which apply the information available to them to constantly alter and adjust the current course of action as needed. The goal for them is long-term sustainability in all facets of human life, whether the issue is finding enough energy to keep up with demands, protecting the environment from degradation, producing food in stable quantities, and anything in between. As is the case with the Canadian government’s actions and the recent attempt at gagging certain agencies in the United States, sometimes these scientific facts can counter some of the ideas that key groups have in mind. When this sort of censorship happens, it becomes the role of the public to protest it, and demand research-based action from not only their government, but the companies and parties they trust to keep the world running. It’s the responsibility of the people to take the initiative to educate themselves about what’s really happening in the scientific community and behind a gag, and encourage the free and fair flow of information. Social media outcries have been a key player recently when it comes to the public questioning the actions of certain entities, which is a powerful way of voicing one’s opinion and even sharing things that would otherwise violate the gags (such as the “rogue” national parks twitter accounts that have been popping up). American democracy places power into the hands of citizens, which can be utilized by voting people into office who promise to uphold and represent the core values of informed lawmaking, for instance. It is the role of the public to enforce the actions of the government, and in the exchange of information between important scientific groups and policy makers, the flow of factual information is to be demanded.
ReplyDeleteWell, I believe that the public’s role in attaining unbiased scientific information is to be actively demanding it, combing through information at hand for evidence of bias, and seeking out multiple reputable sources for the news. Also, the public being constitutionally one of the largest, if not ignored checks on the government, it is our job to openly criticize an institution that refuses to prioritize science and scientists, and removes platforms from which they can have honest discussion with the public, and share their data. Meanwhile, in Canada, the past few years before Prime Minister Trudeau gave us an era of scientific muffling, with a strict filter put in place between the scientific world and the media, who’s job is to relay findings and information to the general public. Today, in in our country, it is our job as the general public to find the quieting of our national park workers and proponents of climate change an affront. We have to protest on their behalf, or else we will find ourselves in the dark, for four years of shady environmental policy and scientific stagnation. But what can we, as a public, do?
ReplyDeleteThe power of the dollar is still in our hands-donating and spending time in our national parks, supporting and protesting for causes we believe in, and calling our state representatives. The public has a power of say in how it spends it’s time, money, and voice. If we collectively turn that voice into one of critique to the government’s muffling of our scientific community and the stifling of research, they will have to modify their behavior.
Above all, we must refuse to ignore what is happening in our country-we must make a conscious effort to stay informent, to not wallow in ignorance, at the cost of our personal comfort.
Recently, more and more people have been heavily relying on the media to be a quick and accurate resource for information, but as the media has grown to be more accessible than ever before- factual information has been harder to find than ever before. I think that in order to gain access to unbiased scientific information, the general public needs to stay skeptical and always fact-check the stories they hear, seek out reliable news sources, and actively seek justice for scientist who have been muffled by protesting and speaking out against institutions that refuse to prioritize science. To ensure that correct and unbiased scientific information is available to our governing bodies, we need to make sure that organizations have the proper funding to carry out scientific research along with protesting against institutions that don’t want to prioritize science.
ReplyDeleteThe public’s role in holding government bodies accountable in the use of current factual scientific data in making decisions is critically important- especially now. With our country’s current president (who should be THE MOST reliable source of factual information) dismissing scientific findings on global climate change as “hoaxes”- blatantly lying to the general public, (who might not be educated enough to know that climate change is indeed, not a hoax) we need to hold our governing bodies accountable in the use of scientific data more than ever before in order to keep the public well informed and to make sure our governing bodies are prioritizing environmental concerns. The public needs to fight back and address our concerns in the form of peaceful protests, letters, etc. We also need to support education systems and environmental research organizations in order to keep others well-informed.
It is the duty of every american citizen to stay informed about current enviornmental ploicy, global and local and to stay weary of the voice of the media, loud as it may be. In order to make informed euducated desisions about the health and wellfare of our planet it is our duty to do our own reserch. not fall victim to mass media information and to really read between the lines to see what is happening on a global scale. I say this not only pertaining to the envornment but to all maters of circumstance we find ourselves in. weather it be political enviornmental or social. It is our job as american citizens to come to our own conclusions about polocy and fact, not baced on our vauge aprehensions, rumors, or the diametric thinking thst sociecty so greatly upholds. I agree that third part media systems must be in place to supply the general public with information, however it is essencial that these entitys not be privitezed as they can be swayed by political backing and corporate couruption. the conection between the scientific community and the political world has become so skewd and distorted that for many people it is difficult to see the truth without doing some digging. However the fact is that american citizens vote with their dollars and really what it comes down to is what we support or endorse with out even knowing it, like burning fosssil fuels and driving to work but not taking the time to reserch just exacly where and how those fuels got here. What were the political mechanisms behind those polocys that drove our nation to the state we find ourselves in. we must be consios of what we are supporting even if we deny it. and above all we have to read between the lines. as far as enviornmental policy goes it is the publics job to suport leaders of character and to truly spend the time learning about the forces at play with these envornmental scilencing in order to make enformed educated decions in wich we use our intelect and our cognition, not smply our emotions and asumptions.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest factor in eliminating government’s filter starts with the everyday citizen, and their abilities to exercise their voting rights, to petition, to ask questions, and hold their representatives accountable. Step one is acknowledging, you aren’t receiving the whole picture, that what the people “in power” say may not be the truth.See, if everyone were to continue to go about their mery lives, never stopping to smell the fishy smells, then change couldn’t ever ensue and government would continue to feed us only what they want to feed us. However, a translation from the scientist's point of view to the everyday person’s understanding may be needed. That’s when non-government affiliated outlets can step in; journalists and news channels. Step two is letting government know you’re on to them. Alone, it’s quite a daunting task but as a movement, you can’t be ignored. In theory, the system would allow for the population to be represented by legislation in a way that accounts for all of the respecting agendas, however that’s not always the case. Alternatively, I digress back to my first statements, accountability is key and voting on statewide and federal proposals will get your foot in the door towards paths involving the information the public is missing out on.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Stop and smell the roses, and if they smell fishy, something needs calling out.
DeleteMass media is becoming a main source for people to receive information on all topics, including the environment and policies surrounding the environment. It is essential for the general public to not to assume that all information from seemingly legitimate sources is correct. Fake news however, can be seen all over the media. As well, many news sources can be biased which can dramatically change how topics and details are perceived and used. It is important that the public is constantly asking questions and to be skeptical of mass media.
ReplyDeleteIn order to ensure that governing bodies that set regulations are using correct and scientific information, the general public needs to vote for parties, and representatives that have similar beliefs and concerns over the topics they agree with. After six years with a conservative prime minister in Canada who increased bureaucracy in scientific, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was voted into position. This change in political party shows the change in opinion on relationships between scientists and the media. The public gets to decide who they want to vote for. When voting in officials, it important that the candidates environmental policies are represented and that their is a clear goal to resolve environmental issues.
The first and foremost responsibility of the public when it comes to the publication of accurate scientific information is that they must demand it. By voting representatives into office that promise to promote the exchange of scientific data between the public and government scientists, the public can become more informed about the issues facing them and the best manner of mitigating the problems in the future. The public also holds the responsibility of fact checking their information and making sure the information they acquire is not only correct, but also presents the whole story. This applies not only to science, but all other topics reported on by the press as well. The public needs to remain skeptical and always make sure the information being reported is not censored in a way that distorts the truth. In a day and age where the topic of the media is as contentious as ever, it is even more important that the public demand truthful, unbiased, and uncensored reporting. The government also needs to be held accountable for helping to provide this information. The public must demand transparency when it comes to the creation of legislation and the information used to create it. The use of scientific fact in the creation of legislation, especially environmental, is vital to a bill that hopes to be at all effective. If the legislation being written appears to be based on false or nonexistent scientific data, or the public feels that they are not being told everything they need to know, then the power of protest comes into play. Social media has been proven to be a largely effective tool in the spreading of information, and was put to good use by some of the Canadian scientist. It also enables people to communicate and organize events in which the public’s voice can be heard and they can hold the government accountable for providing fact-based legislation.
ReplyDeleteIn the face of a seemingly autocratic government it can be difficult to see the public’s role in ensuring that we have access to factual scientific information. I think that the most efficient and important thing to do is to actively call for this information. Be that through protests, or letters or what have you, it is necessary to remind those in power that this is not totalitarian state and that it is the right of the public to have access to reliable scientific information.
ReplyDeleteCurrently some examples of factual science have been deemed controversial, and are being treated as though they are a political issue. I believe that the first step to creating the necessary laws and legislature is to ensure that lawmakers and politicians are working with the scientific community and treating it as the resource that it is. Since this is apparently not how we’re headed it is the responsibility of the public to hold the government accountable, which includes the big shots in washington and the smaller state and local governments.
The public can honor this responsibility by, again, helping large scale efforts like protesting, calling a local representative, or perhaps donating to a scientific institution, but also there are small things you can do in your day to day. It is important not to underestimate the power of just having a conversation with someone and bringing these issues up. There is always the possibility that they are uniformed and can be inspired to take action themselves. When a large group of people refuse to shut their mouths about an issue, the government will take notice and will have to comply.
This is not a normal circumstance, and as long as the public doesn’t forget that and insists that facts are treated as such and are not kept hidden, the state of things will only get better.
Basically Law and activism (on a private level so gov can't control).
ReplyDelete1) In order to ensure correct and factual information/regulate government and laws, activism is required. More specifically on a private level so the government has limited control. The people need to support- nongovernmental organizations, grass root organization and join, ask questions, and find out the laws and make the government stick to/help rewrite them.
2) By making sure the public elects people that support sound science/ policies, and demanding laws that also do such things, the public could better monitor the government bodies. Law will be an important point in making sure we make everyone follow the law, including politicians however ever hard that may be. It is important that we are 100% standing up for what we believe is right or wrong, and not just saying we support it or don't and make it go away.
Interesting point on supporting non-governmental organizations. Could this in turn help keep governments in check, or do you think it would just take the responsibility off of a governments plate?
DeleteA mistake that many people make is thinking that their voice means nothing when it comes to political issues such as the silencing and monitoring of scientific research. It is our right to have a voice and take a stand on any issue. Censorship of this sort is inexcusable and should be treated as such. First and foremost would obviously be taking part in voting. Not only this, but making sure to research the candidates and what they will promote. Another way to make yourself heard would be through sending letters or calling Government offices. Currently there is a bill being proposed about this very issue that Senator Bill Nelson introduced. The goal of this legislation is to, “block attempts by political appointees to manipulate or suppress the results of research that could undermine the administration’s position on an issue.” Clearly there are people in the Government who are trying to put a stop to silencing scientists. Supporting things like this when they come up is key, as is staying informed and up to date.
ReplyDeleteThis feeds off of the first question, if people are informed then they can hold the Government accountable. I imagine this is the reason for the muzzling in the first place. This second step can only take place if the scientific information is out there, and after that it’s all about awareness. Something everyone can do is share factual information to spread awareness and urge those around you to take action. Calling the Government out on their BS becomes a lot easier if you can back it up with supported facts. Don’t believe everything you hear, check your sources.
I agree that ts is a mistake to think that a single voice means nothing.
DeleteThe people who set the laws to restrict the supply of information about the environment are elected by the people. The only reason this was a problem in Canada and could be a problem in America is because the people voted for someone who did not care about whether or not climate change exists and if accurate scientific data is available. The best way to fix this issue is to demand that the candidates for every office in the government put out their stance on access towards information with regards to science. Once the candidates put their position out in the public (and if that position is anti-science) then the people need to elect someone else or force them to change their position. The public needs to ensure that the government officials are pro-environment and pro-information. If enough public pressure is put on a person than there is a chance they might change their position, for example Clinton flipping on her position towards the TPP. But for this to work then every citizen who cares about this issue needs to get out and vote, convince the people they know to vote, and demand the people who currently oppose the position to change their position or get voted out for someone else who supports science, like Canada electing Trudeau. If the public shows that it is a necessity to have factual science available then the current government officials would have no choice but to be transparent towards science to not risk losing their job. The public also needs to call out any government employee who deliberately lies about science and make the employee wish they had never lied blatantly in the first place. The fear of losing their job or not getting a job is enough to convince most candidates that they need to support this issue rather than cover it up. Ultimately, the people choose the lawmakers so whether or not the government supports science is in the public’s hands if they pursue it.
ReplyDeleteIt is, in my opinion, the role of the public to hold all members of congress accountable for the way they treat science and scientists. It is of utmost importance for the good of the nation and the world, that a developed, economic power like the United States values the scientific community and funds research opportunities. It is the role of the public to make sure their local congressmen and women are doing their best to aide the advancement of science, specifically involving climate change and the environment, because the more we learn about our world, the better our chances of protecting it which is important if we want our descendants to prosper on our planet. It is so important that both the public and governing officials have credible scientific information so that informed decisions can be made.
ReplyDeleteThe public should feel the need to contact their officials whenever they do something against the public’s interest, for example, silencing scientists so that the people will stay uninformed. Continuing on this, when election season rolls around, people need to rally together and fight for the rights of those who are silenced unfairly by an oppressive government, which ironically, goes harshly against the ideals of those who voted for our current president. Finally, people need to understand that their votes do truly have power, and to vote for those who will truly defend the rights of those who tell us more about our world, which improves the quality of life for all.
For me personally, I feel that we need to make evidence more available, if our government is keeping this a secret we will never know. I don't realize what the real problem is with letting everyone know these scientific things. I feel as if we want to fix this planet we are going to have to get this information out there. If companies are the persuading the government with money for the information to stay private, then they are destroying the world for a couple bucks. So first we would need to start a petition and rally up a group of people to get the government to act. We would then need to make working conditions better for scientists so they can be more motivated to work. And as for the public holding the government accountable? Well, there is hard facts and key witnesses that can vouch for everyone. We would need to get facts about the case, maybe some “victims” or witnesses. Show them that what they are doing is wrong. In the article it even says that the government was purposefully stalling to get back to the scientists. And some scientists even went without permission or a grant. They even posted their findings anonymously online so people could know without the government finding out. And if that doesn't satisfy them then nothing will because the evidence doesn't lie and it shows that something is wrong here and the public needs to act and help the scientists.
ReplyDeleteThe pubic can only really do things to better their own knowledge. it is human nature to sneak, lie, and cheat the only thing someone can do is enlighten themselves. if you dont go and get the information and proof yourself then you can never truly know if its false or not. the government could tell you that the sky is green and if you dont go outside to check then sucks for you. the only thing the government should be responsible to do is ensure that your basic human rights are met and that for the most part the world keeps on spinning. if you are deceived and dont catch it its no ones job to tell you that you are being deceived but yourself. Its not like the government who lied to you in the first place is going to suddenly admit that they were and they shouldnt be expected to
ReplyDeleteAs a citizen whose freedoms and societal cohesiveness do depend on those around you and the decisions they make; if humans are inherently corrupt, do you think there should be no responsibility placed within the infrastructure that we all rely on?
DeleteBeing in a democratic society the people have a lot of power when it comes to regulations or rules on the environment. How the public can ensure that unbiased scientific information is reaching the general public is by boycotting sites and sources of media that have proven to be biased and they can promote, donate, and invest in sources that they know to be unbiased and lack a certain political agenda when it comes to releasing information about the environment & science. The public also has the ability to vote for or against legislation that could be potentially harmful to the environment. Similarly the people can protest against sources of media that are biased and also legislation that is harmful towards the environment. The people of the U.S. and Canada have a right to know what it is that is going on in our natural world & also the ramifications of what we are doing to the environment.
ReplyDeleteIt is the responsibility of the public to make sure that the government uses knowledge of the environment to affect their legislation. It is important for the people to slam the government for any oversight of current information. It is important for the people to protest any oversight as well and to demand that all the facts are on the table. That means no holding back on info or muzzling of scientists. Because we live in a democracy we have the right to tell politicians and congressmen and women that if they are not using accurate and modern scientific data to influence their decisions or we believe them to be muzzling scientists, then we have the right to remind them with the reality of their situation, that if you won’t sate our needs, we will vote for somebody else next term that will comply with them.
"Because we live in a democracy we have the right to tell politicians and congressmen and women that if they are not using accurate and modern scientific data to influence their decisions or we believe them to be muzzling scientists, then we have the right to remind them with the reality of their situation, that if you won’t sate our needs, we will vote for somebody else next term that will comply with them."
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ReplyDeleteAs goes with any other political issue I think if someone is passionate enough to act on injustices such as publishing false news, then they should take all the measures to do so. It is the duty of the people to not stand with illegitimate “facts” by speaking out and flooding media with the truth. It is also important to understand why people are publishing untruthful information. Is it because they have selfish motives? Do they feel that we should be putting the economy first and environmental issues are setbacks? Almost all media sources have bias. To reduce the bias they could create one more official news site that is run by a combination of people from different political backgrounds and opinions. If newsite were more collaborative, then we could create a checks and balance system amongst the media. Along with these ideas I truly believe that we need to start a loud uproar when the people in power are calling out fiction. We need to be diligent in the search of illegal activity that corrupt leaders are implementing and hold them accountable. Telling those in charge that the people are not happy is integral in following our duty as a check and balance in the government. Voting is also essential to make a difference.
ReplyDeleteHow we can hold the government accountable in the use of current scientific data in making decisions is responding back in disagreement and making sure we are educating ourselves. As I have stated before the citizens have a lot of power up against the government if we use it efficiently and effectively. Our role is to not silence ourselves and be active in the change we want to see. This can come out of education. Making people less ignorant about the destruction of our planet can come out of better basic science education in our curriculum. (or even better, a mandatory environmental science curriculum). Learning first hand in environments such as in programs like outdoor school can make nature not seem like a distant galaxy for kids, but something that humans are constantly interacting with. It is necessary to teach the youth why the earth is sacred and how to live sustainable lifestyles. If we can get people to become educated and passionate then we will have more success in holding high powered people who have the capacity to do damage huge damage accountable. To this, we first need to create a backing.
The general public is responsible for procuring all sides of a story. When facts are not presented in their entirety, the public is then responsible for filling in the gaps. We, the consumers of factual information, are also responsible for seeking enough knowledge to know if the “facts” that we are being told, are wrong, and calling them out when they are. The same responsibility applies to our governing officials. In a democracy, our elected officials are supposed to be for the people. So if the people demand full disclosure of the facts, then the governing bodies should comply. The laws and regulations that the governing bodies introduce should directly correspond with the collective desires of the people. The scientists themselves have an even bigger responsibility of having the courage to go against the pressures of the government to ensure that their discoveries are available for the public to find, whether it is approved by the government or not. Resistance and responsibility are required on both parts; the scientists and the general public.
ReplyDeleteFor many individuals it's very hard to tell whether information being presented is factual and unbiased. We must make sure that when things are said to be facts that they are backed up with scientific proof and also talk about both sides of the argument and come across in unbiased manner. It is the duty of the public to demand this information when it is not being given to us or when feel that it is being withheld. It is the duty of the government to give us factual information when the have it and we need to elect people who we feel will do that. If facts are being ignored in the government we need to protest with a clear outcome in mind and put the time into leading the government in the right direction. When we think the government is wrong we need to fight for what we think is right backed up with facts.
ReplyDeleteThe public plays a big role in ensuing that correct info is given to the people. The first step is being informed, because it can be very hard for people to tell if what the media is telling us is true or not, if a media base is bias or not. So scientists writing on blogs about the correct scientific info is important, and it's important that, that info is spread. If the governing bodies are making laws and setting regulations based on false information, we can end up damaging the environment or whatever by regulating the wrong things.
ReplyDeleteThe public also has a role in holding governing bodies accountable for using the correct scientific data. The public can use the power of their vote to elect representatives that will make decisions of real facts and not be biased in the laws and regulations they enforce