Science Debate: dedicated to bringing science out of the shadows

It's been a while since I have mentioned ScienceDebate.org. This is an organization dedicated to revitalizing the position of science within public awareness and the policy-making decision process. This is something I feel strongly about: the role of science is critical with regards to many of the worldwide issues facing us today. Whether it is climate change, alternative energy, conservation, or medicine - the information that we will need to make decisions and set policy will come from the research and data that science produces.

And yet society has lost touch with much of the scientific world, seeing science as obscure or irrelevant. But, especially today, that couldn't be further from the truth. And whose to blame? Well, it's a little bit between both sides. Society has lost interest in science, perhaps with the end of the space race. By reaching the moon, one of the most momentous goals was reached by man and we have perhaps been living in the letdown of that event ever since.

But the science community has also allowed that to happen. By not making mass communication a vital component of their research, by not realizing that reaching the layman with the results and implications of their research is almost as important as the research itself, they have stepped back into the academic shadows and must now fight for attention and funding.

ScienceDebate.org tries to close that gap. Here is a link to two video clips from their web site: an MSNBC interview with Chris Mooney, ScienceDebate's founder, and a portion of a speech by Vice President Al Gore to a group of scientists at a meeting of the AAAS. I found both clips very interesting.

According to Chris Mooney, a recent survey showed that 84% of scientists believe that global warming is man-made (so there is some room for healthy debate on the issue). But only 49% of the general public believe the same. That discrepancy is indicative of the problem.

Click here to watch the videos at the ScienceDebate.org web site and learn what ScienceDebate.org is all about.

Dr. Sylvia Earle: inspiring ocean explorer and advocate

I recently had the opportunity to meet and spend some time speaking with Dr. Sylvia Earle, world renowned oceanographer and a leading advocate for marine conservation. Currently, an explorer in residence with the National Geographic Society, Dr. Earle carries a distinguished list of aquatic accomplishments to her credit. Here are just a few:

• She began her oceanic studies with botany, ultimately writing one of the definitive dissertations on aquatic plant life.
• While men walked the moon, Dr. Earle led an all-women expedition team aboard Tektite II, an undersea research platform, spending two-weeks at 50 feet underwater off the Virgin Islands.
• In 1979, she set a depth record for an untethered dive of 1,250 feet wearing the Jim Suit, a pressurized deep sea suit. Brought to the bottom sea floor off Oahu by the submersible Alvin, her 2-hour excursion remains a record unbroken to this day.
• Started several companies responsible for the design and development of some of the world's most advanced deep sea submersibles used throughout the world.
• A prodigious author of books on ocean exploration and a producer of documentaries with recognized filmmakers like Al Giddings.
• In the 90's, was chief scientist for NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Currently, Dr. Earle is the driving scientific force behind the latest version of Google Earth which now includes the oceans. And, with co-author Linda Glover, she has just completed an updated Ocean Atlas for National Geographic Publications, available in bookstores now. Like an aquatic Everyready bunny, she just keeps on going.

It was an obvious honor to meet such an accomplished individual, but what struck me most was her enthusiastic support for anyone doing anything to advance the cause of ocean education and enlightenment. My efforts to date regarding shark conservation or working with groups like InMER on climate change issues are small potatoes compared to what she has done, but you would never think it while you're in her presence. She wouldn't let you think it, encouraging you instead and egging you on to "get it done." A true inspirer comes not from what they have done, but from how they make you feel about what you can get done.

I have had the opportunity to meet several celebrities and accomplished individuals throughout my career. Some have been polite but curt, some have been major disappointments, and some have been people like Sylvia Earle - who make us feel good about our hopes and our dreams for a healthier ocean, a healthier planet.

Endangered Species Act: one more shot at weakening it

From time to time, I bring up political issues that are affecting the environment but I always do so reluctantly. I have this naive need to mobilize the general populace, hoping that our leadership will respond to the will of the people. But sometimes the machinations of the political machine must be pointed out. The Endangered Species Act is one of the foundations of our national environmental policy but it is under attack from the outgoing administration. One of the key provisions of the act is the requirement that any federal agency wishing to take action that may impact a protected species must first consult with federal wildlife scientists to ensure their actions will not have any negative effects. In essence, this independent review prevents the foxes from guarding the hen house.

The current administration has proposed changing this requirement, allowing federal agencies to consult with themselves and not with the independent scientific reviewers. In 2003, the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management tried this approach and the end result, according to the departments of Interior and Commerce, was that they made the wrong call 62% of the time.

The current administration has made several attempts to undermine various environmental policies and procedures (see previous postings on July 9th and July 14th). And in this case, the executive branch can make the change without congressional approval. But . . . congress controls the purse strings to implement the changes. If you are one who is proactive enough to write or email your congressional leaders, be sure to make them aware of this potential change in the Endangered Species Act and urge them to not appropriate the funds for its implementation.