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45minfrom6:15pm-7pmFridayJanuary27,2017
CornellUniversity,KlarmanHall,TAOffice1
Title:CanScienceSpeakTruthtoPower?
Shortdescription:Thisworkshopwillexaminesomeofthedomainswherethescientificestablishmentfailstospeaktruthtopower—ortous.Weexamine
reasonsforthisfailureandresponses.
AllisonWilson
https://bioscienceresource.org/https://www.independentsciencenews.org/
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WhatdoesthePublicWant?
• Healthyfood• Cleanair,soil,water• Connectionwithfamily,friends,nature• Meaningfulwork• Asayintheirlives–choice
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WhatDoesSpeakingTruthtoPowerLookLike?
• Speakingoutagainstcorporationsorindustriespollutingpoorcommunities
• Publishingresearchthatsuggestsapowerfulindustryneedsmoreregulationorthattheirproductsareunsafe(e.g.OilandGasindustries,GMOs,Chemicals,meatanddairyindustries)
• Governmentwhistleblowerswhoseresearchsuggestsindustryregulationisneeded(e.g.toxicityofsewagesludge)
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SpeakingTruthtoPower
Carryingoutindependentresearchonimportantbutcontentioussubjectsandpublishingresultsthatdonotfavorindustryorgovernmentpositions.Speakingoutinthepublic’sinterestinoppositiontopowerfulGovernmentorCorporateentities.
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WhatAreSomeScientificQuestionsWhereAnswersImpactthePublicandIndustry?
• Environmental–Isthischemicaltoxic?Whatisthebestwaytomitigateclimatechange?Canclimatechangebereversed?Howcanwegrowfoodwithoutdegradingsoil,air,waterquality?DoBtcropsharmmonarchs?WhataretheimplicationsofClimatechange?
• Healthrelated–Whatishealthiestdiet?Doeshowfoodisgrownimpactnutrition?Doherbicide-resistantcropsleadtohigherresiduesinfood?Iseatingmeatgoodforyou?Canaplant-baseddietgiveyouenoughprotein?Doesthefluvaccinedecreasethenumberofflucases?DodeadlybirdflustrainsariseinCAFOsorinwildbirdpopulations?IsdrugXormedicalprocedureYsafeoreffective?
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WhatHappensWhenYourResearchThreatensaCorporateInterest?
• PersonalAttacks–e.g.calledunethical• Scienceattackedorundulyscrutinized–biasedassessmentofmethodsordata
• Researchfromindustryassociatedscientistsproducedthat“debunks”yourstudy
• Youmaylosefundingorcareeropportunitiesorevenyourjob
Eg:SuppressionofdissentinsciencebyBrianMartin:https://www.uow.edu.au/~bmartin/pubs/99rsppp.html
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WhatIsIndustryPlaybookforControllingScientificMessage?
• FundAcademicstodoresearchorconsultorpromotetheirproductsoractasexpertwitnesses
• EnlistAcademicstoattackdissentingscientistsinscientificjournals,inthemedia,withintheUniversity
• Replaceconceptofcost/benefitanalysiswithriskassessment• ChangeCOIinto‘perceived’COI• Enlistsciencemainstreammediatorunstoriesthatpushtheirmessage:
“Foodcrisis–worldneedsGMOsandindustrialagriculturetogrowenoughfood”;“Genesareresponsiblefordiseasenotfood,toxinsorenvironment”
• Labelthosewhoopposetheirproduct“anti-science”.Examples:
a. TrustUsWe'reExperts:HowIndustryManipulatesScienceandGambleswithYourFuture(2002)BookbySheldonRamptonandJohnStauber
b. “TheNeoliberalUniversity”byWihelmPeekhaus(2010)athttps://works.bepress.com/wilhelm_peekhaus/5/c. “MonsantoDiscoversNewSocialMedia”byW.Peekhaus(2010)athttp://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/download/901/468d. “Monsanto’sMind-Meld;SpinMachineinHighGear.”(2017)CareyGillamat
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carey-gillam/monsantos-mind-meld-spin_b_14528692.html
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WhatistheCorporatePlaybookforBigFood?
• Focusonpersonalresponsibilityasthecauseofthenation’sun-healthydiet.
• Raisefearsthatgovernmentactionusurpspersonalfreedom.• Vilifycriticswithtotalitarianlanguage,characterizingthemasthefood
police,leadersofanannystate,andeven“foodfascists,”andaccusethemofdesiringtostrippeopleoftheircivilliberties.
• Criticizestudiesthathurtindustryas“junkscience.”• Emphasizephysicalactivityoverdiet.• Statetherearenogoodorbadfoods;hencenofoodorfoodtype(animal
products,softdrinks,fastfoods,etc.)shouldbetargetedforchange.• Plantdoubtwhenconcernsareraisedabouttheindustry.
From:Brownell,KellyD.,andKennethE.Warner."Theperilsofignoringhistory:BigTobaccoplayeddirtyandmillionsdied.HowsimilarisBigFood?."MilbankQuarterly87.1(2009):259-294.
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ResultsofScientificSuppression
• Onlyonevoiceisheard(thepro-technologyvoice--vaccinesaresafe,GMOsaresafe,chemicalsaresafe)
• Manyacademicsself-censor(don’tdocertaintypesofresearch,don’tcritiquecertainscientificallyunfoundedclaims)
• Publicinterestresearchisunderfunded
• Legitimatescientificquestionsgountested
• Difficulttopublishdissentingpapers• Publicismisled• Negativehealthandenvironmental
consequences
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HowDoesSciencePolicyWork?
From:McGarity,ThomasO.,andWendyElizabethWagner.Bendingscience:Howspecialinterestscorruptpublichealthresearch.HarvardUniversityPress,2008.
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WhatPromotesCorporateBiasandScientificSuppression?
• Universitiessolicitingandacceptingmoneyfromindustryorprivatefoundations(Cornellexamples:GatesBuilding25M+5.6MAllianceforSciencetopromoteGMOs,PepsicoauditoriuminFoodScience,1.5MfromChobaniYogurt).
• UniversityTrusteeswithtiestoFinancialandotherIndustries.• RevolvingdoorbetweenIndustryandUniversities.• FacultyPromotionbasedonPatents,Industryfundingandconnections.• ScientistswithCOIonresearchpanels,grantingbodies,Editorialboardof
Journals,choosingconferencespeakers.• Corporateadvertisinginscientificjournals(forjobsorproductsorservices
or“specialsections”).• ScientistswithCOIinprestigiousscientificorganizationswithadvisory
roles(eg.NationalAcademyofSciences)• Corporateinfluenceovermainstreammediaincludingsciencemedia
Eg:http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/news/under-influence-national-research-council-and-gmosandhttps://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/27/business/national-academies-biotechnology-conflicts.html?_r=0
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IsIndustryFundedResearchReallyResearch?
• Researchshowsthatindustrytiesandfundingcorrelatewithfindingsthatarepositiveforindustry
• Researchshowsthattieswithoneindustrybiasresearchersinfavorofotherindustries
• ResearchshowsthatdisclosureofaCOIdoesnotnecessarilyresultinreadersgivingexperimentsextrascrutinyorshowingextracautioninacceptingresults
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HowDoesIndustryBiasScientificResults?
Examples:• Useasmallsamplesizesothatdifferenceswillneverbestatisticallysignificant
• Dotestson20ratsbutonlyreporttheresultsofthe10mostfavorablerats
• TestGMOcropsin20locationsandonlypublishtheresultsfromtheexperimentsthatgavethe“right”result
• Usethewrongcontrolsornocontrols,sothatresultsareinconclusive
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HowCanScientistsRespondtoScientificSuppression?
• AmasstheDataandGopublic[Writeabook,makeadocumentary,speakout.(e.g.SilentSpring;LivingDownstream;TheChinaStudy;TheRealCostsofFracking;AlteredGenes,TwistedTruth;TheCAFOReader)]
• CreateDataBasesofRelevantScientificLiterature(e.g.ConcernedHealthProfessionalsofNewYork:4theditionoftheCompendiumofscientific,medicalandmediafindingsdemonstratingrisksandharmsoffracking(unconventionalgasandoilextraction);PlantBasedResearchdatabase://www.plantbasedresearch.org/)
• CreateaDatabaseofExamplesorCaseStudies(e.g.UnintendedEffectsofGeneticManipulation-AProjectofTheNatureInstitute;ThereusedtobeadatabaseofsewagessludgehealthincidentscompiledonCornellWasteManagementWebsite)
• CarryoutCommunitySciencetoCollectData(e.g.CommunityScienceInstituteIthacatestswaterforfrackingcompounds;BucketBrigadestestairquality)
• UnitewithScientistsinotherfields,DoctorsorotherProfessionals,BusinessesandthePublicwhosharesimilarconcernstodoresearchorputpressureonpoliticians(e.g.Preventingherbicide-resistantwheatapprovalinCanadaseeAndree,Peter."CivilsocietyandthepoliticaleconomyofGMOfailuresinCanada:aneo-Gramsciananalysis."EnvironmentalPolitics20.2(2011):173-191.;FrackingNYState)
• StartorWriteforIndependentScienceJournalsorIndependentScienceMedia(eg:www.independentsciencenews.org)
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HowCanNon-ScientistsCounterScientificSuppression?
• Startlocalorganizationstofightforpublicorenvironmentalhealth
• Workwithpublicinterestscientists• Holdconferences,publicforums• Becomeanexpertyourselfbyreadingscientificstudies,
talkingtoscientists• Gatheryourowndata–aloneorworkingwithscientists,
doctorsandotherprofessionals• Startindependentmedia(eg.NoFrackAlmanac,listservs,
discussiongroups)• Politicalactiontochangepolicy(e.g.organizeandrunfor
office)