Without a trace of embarrassment, a spokeswoman for the Scottish Nationalist Party leader, Nicola Sturgeon, admitted that the first minister’s science adviser had not been consulted because the decision “wasn’t based on scientific evidence.”
The scientific community is facing a new European reality. Last November, the European Commission’s president, Jean-Claude Juncker, chose not to reappoint Prof. Anne Glover as his science adviser after lobbying by Greenpeace and other environmental groups.
“We hope that you as the incoming Commission president will decide not to nominate a chief scientific adviser,” they wrote.
Never mind that Professor Glover’s advice on G.M.O. safety reflected the scientific consensus. Mr. Juncker, hoping to make his political life easier, complied with their demand. Europe now has no chief scientific adviser.
Yep, GMO foods. And again, I find myself in the awkward position. I'm not a fierce advocate, and I have my own occasional worries about possible unforeseen environmental consequences, but I hate when My Side is acting like wingnuts.
[Added] From the links at the bottom of the piece (last link above): An Ecomodernist Manifesto and "Is eco-modernism the third way on climate change? seem like good further reading.
1 comment:
Yeah, this is one of those instances where I know what side I'm supposed to be on, but some of the folks I'd be there with are a little shaky. Mostly the GMO's might be evil. Occasionally maybe there's one that has merit. Like most of the members of Congress, "I'm not a scientist." Unlike most of them, I like to think I'm sane.
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