>> Joanne: SOMETIMES IN POLITICAL DEBATE THE FACTS GET
IN THE WAY.
THAT'S PRECISELY THE PROBLEM MY NEXT GUEST PLANS TO ADDRESS.
DR.
PETER FROMHOFF IS HERE TO EXPLAIN A NEW INITIATIVE
LAUNCHING IN SAN DIEGO.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> Joanne: WHO ARE THE CONCERNED SCIENTISTS.
WHAT IS THIS ABOUT.
>> THE UNION OF CONCERNS SCIENTISTS WAS FOUNDED BY
PHYSICISTS ORIGINALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE MISUSE OF FUNDING FOR
PHYSICS RESEARCH IN THE DEFENSE COMMUNITY DURING THE VIETNAM
WAR.
EXPANDED TO LOOK FOR WAYS FOR SCIENTISTS TO PUT THEIR VOICES
INTO MAKING SURE SCIENCE IS HEARD IN POLICY DEBATES FROM
CLIMATE CHANGE TO ENERGY TO AGRICULTURE, NUCLEAR POWER,
NUCLEAR SAFETY AND MILITARY ISSUES.
WE'RE INVOLVED IN POLICY DEBATES AND WE'RE CONCERNED TODAY FOR
BUILDING A CENTER OF SCIENCE AND DEMOCRACY.
IT'S FOR THE PRAGMATIC EVIDENCE BASED DIALOGUE WHERE FACTS
MATTER, WHERE PEOPLE ARE MAYBE ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN OPINIONS
BUT NOT THEIR OWN FACTS ON A RANGE OF ISSUES.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY AT SCRIPPS OCEANGRAPHY.
>> Joanne: WE HAVE THESE EMOTIONAL ARGUMENTS AND WE LOSE
SIGHT OF WHAT THE FACTS ARE, DON'T WE.
>> WE DO.
JUST YESTERDAY THE GOOD STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.
THE SENATE IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA PASSED A BILL BASICALLY
TELLING ALL OF THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF THE STATE TO IGNORE
THE SIGNS OF SEA LEVEL RISE.
SEA LEVEL RISE IS PROJECTED TO INCREASE ABOUT 3 FEET THIS
CENTURY IN COASTAL PLANNING.
THEY DON'T WANT THE SCIENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THIS TO BE
PART OF THE DECISION MAKING APPARATUS IN THE STATE.
DESPITE WHAT THE SCIENTISTS ARE TELLING THEM AND THE NATIONAL
ACADEMY OF SCIENCE IS TELLING THEM.
THAT'S NO WAY TO RUN A GOVERNMENT IN MY VIEW.
THAT REJECTION OF GOOD SCIENCE IS DANGEROUS.
WE SHOULD BE MOVING BACK TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN VIGOROUSLY
DEBATE A ISSUE WHETHER IT'S CLOY MAT CHANGE, NUCLEAR SAFE SAFETY
OR WHATEVER ISSUE THAT HAS A SCIENCE COMPONENT.
WE SHOULD START WITH THE FACTS.
>> Joanne: YOU SAY MOVING BACK.
IT WASN'T ALWAYS THIS WAY.
WHAT CHANGED SO WE ARE NOW LOSING SIGHT 6 OF SCIENCE.
>> WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY AND TRADITION OF RATIONAL DEBATE IN
THIS COUNTRY.
OUR FOUNDERS WERE NOT JUST BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
THE ARTS TYPE OF OUR FOUNDERS SCIENCE.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN FOUNDED THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE CIVIL WAR TO INSURE WE HAD GOOD SCIENCE FOR
GOOD DECISION MAKING.
PRESIDENT NIXON PUT A SCIENCE BASED ACT IN FOR POE LICE ANT
CONTROL AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE HAD A LONG HISTORY OF BIPARTISAN DECISION MAKING,
PRAGMATICALLY.
THAT HAS BEEN LOST TODAY.
WE HAVE A PARTISAN CLIMATE AND DISAPPEARING MIDDLING IN
POLITICS.
PEOPLE FEEL THEY'RE ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN FACTS.
THE GOAL OF THE CENTER IS TO REAWAKEN PUBLIC DIALOGUE OF THE
VALUES OF SCIENCE AND OUR DEMOCRACY AND WHAT WE BELIEVE IS
A DORMANT PRAGMATISM THAT CAN OVERCOME A PARTISAN RANKER THAT
PURSUES PEOPLE TO REJECT INFORMATION.
>> Joanne: SHOULD WE BLAME THE MEDIA A LITTLE BIT?
SOMETIMES THE TRUTH IS COMPLICATED.
IF IT DOESN'T FIT INTO A 15 SECOND SOUND BITE YOU DON'T GET
HEARD.
HOW DOES THE MEDIA PLAY A ROLL IN IT?
>> WE SEE A DECLINE IN GOOD SCIENCE JOURNALISM.
PRINT MEDIA.
WE HAVE A DIVERSIFICATION OF THE MEDIA.
THERE IS A BROAD RANGE WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET A SOURCE OF
INFORMATION, MISINFORMATION AND DIGITAL MEDIA TEND TO GO TO
PLACE THAT'S REINFORCE THEIR VALUES.
RIGHT.
SO, WHETHER IT'S MSNBC OR FOX NEWS OR PUBLIC TELEVISION IT'S
HARD FOR FOLKS TO FIGURE OUT TO DISTINGUISH FACTS FROM
TOOTHINESS.
KNOW WHAT THE BASIC FACTS ARE.
IT IS A CHALLENGE.
THE MEDIA HAS A RESPONSIBILITIES BUT SCIENTISTS HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY TO GET OUT OF OUR LABS AND BE MORE OUTSPOKEN WITH
THE PUBLIC.
ENGAGE IN PUBLIC CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WE KNOW AND LISTEN TO
THE PUBLIC ABOUT OUR CONCERNS SO WE HAVE MORE THAN A 2-BAY
DIALOGUE.
>> Joanne: WE ARE OUT OF TIME.
WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR INITIATIVE ON OUR WEBSITE.
A NUMBER OF LINKS.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR, FOR BEING HERE.
>> MY PLEASURE.