Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2017/09/18/harpers-legacy-of-ignorance.html
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Title Unclear: Are more canadians becoming science/climate/vaccine deniers or are they going ‘people that don’t believe this do not exist’?
The actual article makes it depressingly clear.
For the record, Science is not a matter of opinion. Hell Science isn’t anything other than a methodology. One that has worked well for the past… oh… ever since it was codified.
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Yeah, well, that’s just, like, reality’s opinion, man.
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Part of the problem is that we’re tiny compared to our neighbor to the south, and as a result, are affected culturally by US media disproportionately. The amount of FUD being generated is going to affect Canadians as well, even if on the whole we are far more trusting of our government (and it’s health agencies) than the US tends to be.
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This is just sad. It is a reflexion of falling standards in education, and market-driven media that favours false ‘balance’ over hard reportage. Faced with conflicting information and lacking the tools to analyse what they are being told, is it any wonder people default to the Precautionary Principle in these matters?
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Oh Canada?
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I had thought we were going the other direction, though I cannot recall where I read this.
And 1500 people? Which ones? If they were from say, rural PEI, sure they’d believe just that.
Southern Ontario, or most of BC would be a very different story.
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Speaking as an American, I think it’s encouraging to see our neighbors to the north adopting our culture. But you need more guns, guys.
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Phht. You didn’t seed a survey. I could have told you half the people back home were fucking idiots who watch too much American TV.
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Maybe Canadians aren’t denying global warming, they are just rooting for it.
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Canada: Almost as Stupid as America®
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“the majority of respondents said they still trust science centres, museums, and scientists when they talk about science.”
Perhaps there’s a reason mainstream news sources, not known as much for science literacy as they are for corporate-friendly journalism aren’t trusted so much. I’d sooner read and trust science centres, scientists, and peer-reviewed medical and research journal abstracts than some mainstream news item stretching and distorting findings to be corporation-friendly and as mentioned above market-driven media. The science centres and scientists better understand the material they’re explaining to the public, why shouldn’t they be trusted more?
I’m not at the “I trust mainstream media to reliably and fully explain science, climate and vaccines” point, but that doesn’t make me a denier of science nor of climate change.
“explansion” – I don’t know this word.
I am not in favour of a pipeline, and side with the BC Greens and New Democrat parties in the belief that it’s destructive to the environment, but I don’t agree at all that “The only conceivable basis for pumping more filthy tar-sands oil is if denial of climate-science.”
From The Economist:
“Among the signature policies of Justin Trudeau, the Liberal prime minister, is an effort to meet Canada’s commitments under the Paris accord by requiring its provinces to impose a price on carbon. In exchange for the assent of provincial premiers, he approved three big energy projects, including a pipeline that would ship oil from Alberta to BC’s Pacific coast. By tripling exports to overseas markets, this would reduce Canada’s economic dependence on the United States.”
I don’t accept the “you either accept my opinion or belief without question, which means not looking beyond for more accurate and nuanced sources” garbage lazy-minded bloggers and contrarian-just-for-the-sake-of-it and true believers try to throw at me, regardless of political viewpoint. Reducing Canada’s economic dependence on the US has trade-offs and perhaps some sacrifices, but recognizing the direction the US chose to take (downward, regressive, reactionary, crisis capitalism), I can understand support for the pipeline is not 100% climate denial. Maybe mainstream media would provide a better, more responsible service writing promotion pieces about energy alternatives to tar sands that would also reduce Canada’s economic dependence on the US AND slow environmental devastation.
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Whither Canada?
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What, you’re asking about methodology? Obviously you’re one of them thar intellectual elites who thinks this is about more than the survey company’s opinion.
Seriously, I’m sure it’s a mix. There are knuckleheads everywhere, and sadly it’s not just rural conservatives. Some progressives also seem to fall for anti-vax woo and automatically believe that GMO = “inauthentic/unnatural.” It’s clear that the media (esp. the U.S. outlets seeping over the border) are dropping the ball, so it’s a good thing that Canada still has some respect for museums, science centres and public education and funds them accordingly.
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I get my science from the only trusted source in the interblog: Boing Boing. All Canadians should do the same.
(…a moment of silence for all the Harper-dumpstered data…)
That is all.
(P.S. How can that shit live with himself…?!)
Edited 1 hr later to add this link to Tom’s blog on Canada science-muzzling.
http://tomduck.ca/science-policy-politics.html
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Satire noted, but as I learned when I lived in Canada for a few years, long guns (for hunting) actually are relatively common there which makes sense given the amount of wilderness they have.
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Owl stretching time.
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Yup, I knew that, somehow, the blame for this would somehow be deflected to the United States. Sad!!!
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And now… the Larch.
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Hey, Canada!
STOP DRINKING OUR WATER!
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