Christian Orozco, Web Editor
Science is a wonderful tool to determine, question and hypothesize different questions we have about Earth and the universe. This is why we learn about different sciences in grade school all the way up to meeting general education requirements in college.
Those who excel in this area of education go on to do wonderful things and discover facts that many of us could not. Sadly, many scientists have been scrutinized for simply doing their job and their findings have caused some of the most heated debates in politics. Now when we here the words “environmental scientists” we automatically think liberal scientist, when in reality we should be taking this information as fact, not a political stance.
At the forefront of the fight to attempt to help educate the world on things like climate change, evolution and other debated scientific topics are Bill Nye the Science Guy and Neil deGrasse Tyson, host of Fox’s “Cosmos.”
Nye was on CNN’s “Crossfire” last week to debate the recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. CNN brought on conservative economist and Heritage Foundation contributor Nick Loris to debate with the scientist.
This is the first problem. If the media wants to give an impartial debate on climate change, there should be two scientists who do not have their hands in any cookie jar from the right or left. S.E. Cupp asked the question “Isn’t it a problem when science guys try to bully other people?” It’s actually the opposite.
The problem is when the scientists go on these shows to inform the public, but their time is wasted because they are the ones getting bullied by political commentators.
Tyson has rebooted Carl Sagan’s 1980 PBS series with “Family Guy” creator Seth McFarlane. The show comes on right after “Family Guy,” the perfect time slot to reach a younger audience about science.
No surprise here, creationists have a problem with the show and are demanding equal airtime on Fox. That’s just as blasphemous as having a scientist debate climate change with a conservative economist who works for a foundation that supports the political party that reaps the benefits from fracking and oil drilling.
If creationists have not realized already, the show exists to oppose and make the thought of creationism a thing of the past.
The outspoken Tyson has responded to the creationist demands by saying: “I think the media has to sort of come out of this ethos that I think was in principle a good one, but doesn’t really apply in science. The ethos was, whatever story you give, you have to give the opposing view, and then you can be viewed as balanced,” Tyson said. “You don’t talk about the spherical earth with NASA and then say let’s give equal time to the flat-earthers.”
The White House also supports scientific research, releasing its own report saying climate change threatens every part of the United States and President Barack Obama has begun talking about the issue as a present threat. Last month’s Gallup poll showed that Americans don’t see the issue as pressing as the president does and one in four is skeptical about the issue of climate change and say the issue is exaggerated.
In the words of comedian John Oliver, “Who gives a shit? You don’t need people’s opinions on facts.”
America needs to strive for a scientific literate society for the sake of environmental legislature and for planet Earth.
Christian Orozco, a senior journalism major, is web editor of the Campus Times. He can be reached by email at christian.orozco@laverne.edu.
