Government ≠ scientist…

Dear Editor,

I read with interest the article “The Threat of a Warmer Tomorrow.”

In fact it always seems interesting to me that there is so much argument not only on that subject but many others among scientists.

Typical of this is the latest fuss by the FDA over trans fat a.k.a partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. A few years ago these were considered far healthier than saturated fats naturally found in dairy and meat products. Now the FDA is banning them.

Neither scientists nor the government can make up their mind, which is why the people should be able to do so themselves.

Now a brief story that may seem off topic but the connection will become obvious.

One day I received a letter with a complete clipping from a large “reputable” newspaper about the mill in the small town in which I lived. It was fascinating, but did not line up with what I knew about the town. So, I wandered around town showing the clipping everywhere.

I stopped at the bar where part of the story allegedly happened and asked the long term locals about it as I was still “wet behind the ears.” Each person that read the article got a confused look on their face, and informed me that they had never heard such a story.

I am making two points here:

1. If scientists disagree and both sets are using the scientific method how is one is chosen above the other? It seems that the winner would be the one(s) with the most money and/or political clout who have the most to gain from believing one point of view over another.

2. The above also includes the media. Do not believe what you read, hear or see without question.  Many times I have done serious research on a subject and only to be jaw-dropping surprised at what I found.  I can assure you that what is often stated as fact in a “reputable” newspaper or on TV is partially true at best.  This is not new and began with the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

In the 1990’s, I was paid to do some private research on airborne poisons. Because of this, I am firmly convinced that climate change is caused by things that people steadfastly refuse to believe because it seems so out of the mainstream. In Nazi Germany, many Jews refused to believe that Germany could be anything other than a civilized society.  So rather than try to tell you about it, I say look for yourself. Search the internet for a declassified military report entitled Air Force 2025. Unless it has been tampered with in the last 20 years or so, you will find a section in there on using weather as a weapon. If you are so innocent as to believe that the military and others would not use a study like this, then you, like I was, are still wet behind the ears and need to educate yourself.
Shelley B.

Sandpoint