A definition of the word “hobby” states that it’s an activity one enjoys doing for fun. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t keep writing these articles. The one hurdle in the process is finding something write about, a minor problem that can sometimes wrinkle the brow. After deciding on a topic, the ideas start to fuse into coherent writing. So it was this day when the mail brought a new Time magazine which featured an article that gave lots of food for thought.
Three big questions facing our society were posed in the article labelled “Put Your Faith in Science.” 1.Are genetically modified crops safe to eat? 2.Why are vaccinations necessary? 3.Is climate change an emergency? Much writing and airplay has appeared regarding each or these and conclusions should have been agreed upon by now. But as the Time article asserts, these questions have been polarizing, they haven’t seen a green light to run into the end zone.
First of all, if science says it is so, I tend to believe it. Regarding GMO crops, I don’t believe science has given much in the way of warning, but enough concerns exist among some consumers that food companies make a special point of advertising their products using non-GMO grains? What we now recognize as GMO has been around over twenty years and it will continue to exist since the seed industry has consolidated to the point that only four seed companies control 60% of the market. Furthermore, hasn’t genetic modification existed for centuries with crossbreeding efforts? I’m still at the point of eating most anything, and my waistline shows it.
Why are vaccinations necessary? I can still remember lining up in the early years of elementary school and getting vaccinated. Oh, how we carried on in fear of pain from that needle stick, but it has prevented those serious illnesses for which it was intended. There is pushback among some parents, anti-vaxers, who fear vaccinations cause undue risks. When polio vaccine stopped that cruel disease, it eased my mind because even as a young person it scared me. I continue taking shots, most recently for flu and shingles and am due to get a pneumonia booster.
Is climate change an emergency? This is a question that uncovers all kinds of “experts.” Here is where I’m in complete agreement with the vast majority of climate scientists – 97 percent, reportedly 11,000 of them – who agree that humans are causing global warming and climate change. That 97% represents thousands of researchers who for the most part applied the step by step scientific method in reaching their conclusions. Do glaciers disappear, waters rise, blizzards deepen, tornadoes increase, hurricanes intensify? It seems to be the case.
If my assessment counts, here is where I stand with these three questions. GMO foods don’t bother me much and won’t until some solid evidence comes forward saying they shouldn’t be eaten. Vaccinations are definitely appropriate and necessary. Climate change is real and a concerted world-wide effort needs to be undertaken to reverse its advancement, or, at the least, slow it.
Maybe naysayers and deniers render a good service because they make those on the other side work harder to prove their findings. There was a time people thought the earth was flat, the sun circled the earth, and coffee stunts your growth. Opposition to established beliefs brings honest answers, which leads to another question. Should opposition political parties question those in power? A democracy demands it, otherwise dictators arise. There’s the topic for next week.
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