Science is the objective, empirical pursuit of truth and knowledge. The information determined by scientific methods stands, regardless of political opinion. However, Republicans have turned science into a partisan issue.
A major part of the Republican assault on scientific thought is misinformation in the media. According to a study released by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), Fox News is the leading mainstream news network that delivers bad information to its viewers. Regarding climate change, 72 percent of the network’s coverage is misleading. CNN delivers misleading information about 33 percent of the time. MSNBC only delivers bad information about 8 percent of the time.
Another facet of the GOP’s war on science is anti-climate change propaganda funded by political dark money. Conservative dark money groups, Donor’s Trust and Donor’s Capital Fund, spent $125 million to “spread disinformation about climate science and were committed to wrecking Barack Obama’s climate change plan.” The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a Koch-funded group committed to passing laws using junk science to smother renewable energy.
When conservatives aren’t misleading or skewing scientific information to enforce their own narrative, they just outright deny science. When faced with empirical scientific evidence that conflicts with the Republican narrative, they either refuse to acknowledge it or resort to the tired trope of “I’m not a scientist.”
Republicans are the enemies of knowledge and science. Their avoidance to accept facts does a disservice to the American public and the environment.
To read more on this subject, visit AlterNet.
