Recently, ‘anti-science’ beliefs have been growing in some of
the most developed countries.
A big problem today is that many politicians are buying into
these sentiments. The very idea of science as a way to establish
common knowledge is being called into question by heavily
financed public relations campaigns. Topics based on extensive
scientific research that have become controversial subjects in
politics include climate change, vaccinations and, of course, the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“ Anti-science is the
position that rejects science
as an objective method that
can generate universal
knowledge “
Photo by Paul Hennessy
Photo by Time Malawi
Climate change denial is associated with
conservative think tanks and fossil fuel
companies who spend billions on lobbying
politicians. British political advisor, Christopher
Monkton, claimed that “a small number of
totalitarian profiteers of doom in various selfserving
national academies have issued pompous
statements about it, but a large number of papers
from reputable scientists, and a larger amount of
hard data, suggest that global warming is and will
continue to be a non-event.” Today, the president
of the US dismisses the idea that climate change
is anthropogenic and plans to formally leave the
landmark Paris agreement this year, after saying
that climate scientists “have a very big political
agenda”. These claims are made in the face of the
fact that 97% or more of active climate scientists
agree that the climate is warming due to human
activities, and that climate change is predicted to
displace 143 million people by 2050 as well as
irreversibly change ecosystems and landscapes
across the world.