Stratfor: Changing the Scientific Climate in the United States

Throughout history, experimentation and science have delivered comfort and prosperity – electricity, road and air transportation, cures for disease, satellites and weather forecasting, communication technologies and more. US scientists are alarmed by political leaders who reject policy recommendations based on evidence – notably the near unanimous agreement among climate scientists that reliance on fossil fuels is spurring climate change. The trends may signal a decline in US education, with elected leaders failing to understand the studies and the implications. “The success of research and development initiatives depends in part on social acceptance, which in turn, relies on the public's understanding — of technology, the research behind it and the underlying scientific method,” notes Stratfor. Research into alternative fuels, adaptation to climate change and other innovations will continue regardless of government policies, but nations and communities where denial persists could lose their competitive edge. As evidence piles up that fossil fuels are contributing to treacherous weather patterns, flooding and food shortages, disagreements over climate change could expand into a security issue. – YaleGlobal