The Republican War on Science
by Chris Mooney
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Book Summary Information
Author: Chris MooneyEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-08-30
ISBN: 0465046754
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Basic Books
Book Reviews of The Republican War on Science
Book Review: A "must read" for anyone concerned about science in America
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a well-researched, easy-to-read book that's highly informative, timely and speaks powerfully to major issues facing society today.
Mooney is a journalist who has spent years covering issues related to science, especially areas where science plays a large part in modern society. He clearly knows what science is, and nicely explains how science isn't simply a collection of data, but a way of explaining things and placing the data within the larger context of tested theories that provide added insight into how the world works.
The war on science is, naturally enough, a war on the method of science and the institutions used to advance scientific knowledge. Mooney begins his book by describing the republican war on science from an historical background. The party hasn't always been anti-science. Many early members of the party (even Richard Nixon) were actually moderates on the subject, and showed a certain deference to science, even when it didn't fit the party line.
The republican war on science began in earnest with the marriage of two key groups; business and conservative Christians (including fringe groups like the Mormons). This marriage resulted in the perfect political storm because business groups had/have plenty of money with which to corrupt the political process, while Christian groups are willing to barter economic, health, and environmental issues in return for the right to use the government as a vehicle for imposing their religious ideology on American society.
Some of the techniques used by republicans in their war on science include:
1) Over emphasize scientific uncertainty, creating the illusion of a controversy where none exists within the scientific community
2) Demand "peer review" by industry-friendly scientists who have a financial links with their political sponsors
3) Eliminate non-partisan sources for scientific advice to Congress. Replace them with a process beholden to politics and business interests (politicizing science)
4) Give the illusion of supporting science (while simultaneously degrading it) by using propaganda with phrases like "sound science," "junk science," etc.
5) Establish "think tanks" staffed by cherry-picked industry-friendly scientists. Demand that these think tanks have equal time with non-partisan scientific institutions.
The propaganda component caught my eye, harkening back to my youth as a devout Mormon where I was taught that there will never be a conflict between "true religion" and "true science." I was assured that any disagreements between science and Mormonism (like evolution and the origin of the ancient Americans) could happen only with "junk science," or the "wisdom of men," because (by definition) "true science" never disagrees with "the gospel."
With GOP propaganda sound bites like "sound science," I immediately suspected a Mormon connection. Sure enough, I found that Chris Cannon, leader of the "Sound Science Caucus" in the House, and representative from Utah, is a BYU-educated and highly regarded member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).
Most alarmingly, the Republican war on science is often linked to issues that have the capacity to greatly impact public health and the environment. A few examples touched by Mooney include:
1) Global warming
2) Salmon extinction/recovery
3) Depletion of the ozone layer
4) Teaching religion (creationism/Intelligent design) in science classes
5) Limiting access to, and misrepresenting the science of, reproductive science
6) Acid rain
7) Mercury poison in the environment
8) Risks from carcinogens such as smoking and asbestos.
9) Star wars
Recent examples of heightened hurricane strength (predicted by global warming models) are just a small taste of the future cost the world will pay as a result of the GOP war on the science of earth's climate.
Mooney points out that it's not just Republicans who are abusing science. Democrats and liberals are guilty, too. The difference is in degree and tenacity, where the GOP wins, hands down. Still, I think Mooney should have been a bit tougher on liberals. Their ideologically driven opposition to nuclear energy certainly has exacerbated the problem with global warming. And the recent falloff in gas-guzzling SUVs, as the price of gasoline has risen, illustrates the absurdity of some liberals who insist on mandating mileage standards to the exclusion of using higher energy taxes to encourage conservation by making energy more expensive.
At its root the war on science involves intellectual dishonesty and distain for scientific evidence. Because of this, I was a little surprised that Mooney didn't delve into the obvious repercussions that reach beyond issues strictly related to science. For example, intellectual dishonesty, distain for evidence, and ideology were essential tools used by the Bush administration in unilaterally misleading the nation to war in Iraq.
Another shortcoming in Mooney's book is that he doesn't give enough time to the issue of game theory. Science and policy always meet at an interface, and Mooney too often gives the impression that science doesn't give guidance on how to establish wise policy using scientific evidence. Mathematicians, though, developed the tools to do it, in the branch of mathematics called game theory. If politicians were better versed in how to logically weigh evidence and uncertainty, it would go a long way toward mitigating the damage that's being done by the ideologues currently running the government.
The issue of global warming is a good example because the consequences are immense, far exceeding the economic cost of reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases sufficient to stabilize the climate. Republicans, though, (led by George W. Bush) argue that we shouldn't take action because there is uncertainty about global warming. When in fact, using the mathematics of game theory, we see that it's precisely *because* of uncertainty that we must act at once. With so much at stake, we dare not gamble with earth's future.
With issues like the threatened bird flu pandemic, global warming and energy shortages facing the nation, we simply cannot afford to be led by religious ideologues bent on abusing science for political/religious purposes. For citizens who care about America's future, and the world, this is a book you simply can't afford not to read.
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