Well, I don't know exactly how to respond to such a claim from a professional biologist. Could the importance of the coal industry to the endowment of Alice Lloyd and other economic entities in Kentucky have anything to do with this outrageous claim? How much credible science is needed to convince you? Does the fact that the world's leading climatologists and the National Academies of Science all disagree with you matter? Does the fact that the "conflict" you claim comes from fewer than 1% of all reports on the question, while those few reports lack credible analysis matter?
Sincerely, David McNeely ---- Robert Hamilton <roberthamil...@alc.edu> wrote: > Science works to persuade when it provides real data, not weak > hypotheticals. Consider the issue of ozone vs CO2. Lots of real data on > ozone, nothing but political hackery on CO2, so we get some action on > ozone and nothing but conflict on CO2. However, we are only as strong as > our weakest link, so the CO2 argument defines us. > > Robert Hamilton, PhD > Professor of Biology > Alice Lloyd College > Pippa Passes, KY 41844 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news > [mailto:ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of Bowles, Elizabeth Davis > Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 12:07 PM > To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] What Can I DO?? Re: [ECOLOG-L] Message from Paul > Ehrlich > > Social and environmental psychologists have known for some time now that > knowledge does not change *behavior* and that information-only campaigns > rarely are effective. This is because, as opposed to commercial > marketing campaigns, usually you are asking the public to give something > up, step out of social norms, or do something that does not reap > immediate benefits to them. This requires a completely different > approach, including removing perceived or structural barriers to > sustainable behavior. Ecologists should strongly consider collaborating > with psychologists on any outreach program in which a behavior change in > the public is the goal. > > See this paper in conservation biology: > http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01766.x/full > > and this website: > http://www.cbsm.com/pages/guide/fostering-sustainable-behavior/ > > and this report from the APA: > http://www.apa.org/science/about/publications/climate-change.aspx > > Beth Davis Bowles, Ph.D. > Research Specialist > Bull Shoals Field Station > Missouri State University > 901 S. National > Springfield, MO 65897 > phone (417) 836-3731 > fax (417) 836-8886 > ________________________________________ > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news > [ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of David L. McNeely > [mcnee...@cox.net] > Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 9:55 AM > To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] What Can I DO?? Re: [ECOLOG-L] Message from Paul > Ehrlich > > ---- Steve Young <syou...@unlnotes.unl.edu> wrote: > > Lawren et al., > > Unfortunately, I think you may be preaching to the choir. I'm not > > trying to be pessimistic, but if every ESA member were to follow > > through and commit to the 'doing something', instead of just 'talking > > more', what would that accomplish? Just going by the numbers, > > conservatively speaking, ESA membership is around 10,000 and according > > > to the Census Bureau, the current population in the US is 312,718,825 > > ( > > http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html) So, what do we > > do about the other 312,708,000? > > I'm in the education arena and it is a question that I've been trying > > to figure out how to answer for a long time. I know advocacy is one > > way and something I work on all the time. Maybe this should be part of > > > the focus of the 'doing something' approach. > > Steve > > I believe when we help to educate others we are doing something. I'm > funny that way, I guess. > > The difficulty comes when our educational efforts fail, as they seem to > be doing on this matter. So, I need help in knowing what to do that > will actually work. So far as individual effort, I already try to buy > only what I need and to use old stuff. I minimize my fuel use by > driving a Toyota Prius, walking for local transportation when I can, not > using air conditioning though I live in a very hot climate, wearing warm > clothing and keeping the house cool in winter ................ . But I > have not been able to persuade many others to engage in the same > actions. Reading and understanding the data that come in seems > unconvincing to so many. Science is only trusted when it reinforces > already held beliefs, even if less than 1% of those claiming to be > scientists provide the claims that reinforce. > > So, what can I do? > > David McNeely > > The information transmitted is intended only for the person(s) or entity to > which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged > material. If the reader of this message is not an intended recipient or an > agent responsible for delivering it to an intended recipient, you are hereby > notified that you have received this message in error, and that any review, > dissemination, distribution, or copying of this message is strictly > prohibited. If you receive this message in error, please notify the sender > immediately and delete the message and any hard copy printouts. Thank you. -- David McNeely
