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Politicization of science (view source)
Revision as of 12:48, March 11, 2008
, 12:48, March 11, 200830-year ban on DDT ... politically motivated
The two best known cases in the [[history of science]] concern the church's suppression of [[Galileo]], whose findings were finally accepted by the Roman Catholic Church centuries later; and the [[Lysenko]] episode in the Soviet Union. The current top controversies are [[global warming]] and the [[theory of evolution]].
The two best known cases in the [[history of science]] concern the church's suppression of [[Galileo]], whose findings were finally accepted by the Roman Catholic Church centuries later; and the [[Lysenko]] episode in the Soviet Union. The current top controversies are [[global warming]] and the [[theory of evolution]].
Recently, in a partial victory for science over politics, the UN's [[World Health Organization]] reversed a 30-year ban on [[DDT]], but without admitting that the ban had been politically motivated.
The best documented case in American history is the banning of [[DDT]] immediately after a hearing in which it was shown to be safe when used as directed. In small quantities, it can even be eaten by human beings - it's not a poison like arsenic or cyanide but it is accumulated in bodies through the food chain effecting especially birds (see closer article [[DDT]]). The new EPA administrator disregarded the hearing results and unilaterally banned DDT. The U.S. ban put pressure on foreign governments to stop using DDT for mosquito control and ultimately led to a worldwide rise in the number of malaria cases; thwarting efforts to control the spread of the disease (see [[Malaria epidemic]]).
The best documented case in American history is the banning of [[DDT]] immediately after a hearing in which it was shown to be safe when used as directed. In small quantities, it can even be eaten by human beings - it's not a poison like arsenic or cyanide but it is accumulated in bodies through the food chain effecting especially birds (see closer article [[DDT]]). The new EPA administrator disregarded the hearing results and unilaterally banned DDT. The U.S. ban put pressure on foreign governments to stop using DDT for mosquito control and ultimately led to a worldwide rise in the number of malaria cases; thwarting efforts to control the spread of the disease (see [[Malaria epidemic]]).