Dance of Life

Dance of Life

Sometimes it is hard to know

Who to follow, who to oppose

Which side of a conflict is correct

Most right, or at least less wrong

Each has another side, and another after that one

In the relatively distant future

Things are even more difficult

To understand how to choose

What is right, missing a hundred years

Context — Progress of history, change

Of ideas and ideologies, factions and organizations

Of power and authority — Leaving aside questions

Of how I am where I am now, at this time

More importantly, when I am — This new world

Offers almost undreamed of possibilities

Yet unknown dangers as well, but I cannot say

I regret waking up here and now, though I do miss

The people I left behind — As far as I can tell they are gone

But perhaps there is a way for me to see them again

If I can find out how I came to be here and now

One hundred years distant from everyone I once loved

Organizations of darkness, banal evil in service to horrible goals

And ideals — Extra-dimensional creatures without compassion or ethics

Or at least from a human perspective, except in the peculiar culture

Of the darkness beyond — Our Universe of Light and Darkness

Mingle together — Forms of life completely alien to us

Except perhaps in some of our nightmares, hells — Giant insects

Communities of organization without joy or art or love

At least from our perspective — Some form of love exists there no doubt

And the swirling chaos of apparently infinite darkness, with only a little

Light — And there are some figures of light and wisdom that have dealings

With the dark powers, for their own inscrutable goals, reasons beyond

Our understanding, for now — Out of darkness comes the light

Yet within the darkness continues in its almost infinite varieties

Forms of diversity — Doorways exist between our two worlds

Universes — Guarded by agents of order and chaos, light and darkness

Sometimes close to doorways between the higher realms of pure consciousness

And our Universe — Life and love have transcended all material barriers

Deep darkness of the void beyond our dimension of mixed light and darkness

Combines in the Dance of Life with Light, the five worlds of Eternal Love

The darkness frightens us and yet exhilarates us, providing a source

And destination for all that we do not like about ourselves, others

Our world and cosmos working out the complexity and simplicity of life

In the Universe we call home, in the perhaps infinite expanse of space

Material World — Where beauty in the spiral and circle of time plays out

Evolution Growth Change

Evolution Growth Change

 

Looking back at my past life

Mistakes that seemed unforgivable

Crises that threatened to destroy everything

Or so I thought — My place in the world

And Universe — Now seem small and inconsequential

In retrospect — Except in how they shaped my evolution

And development as a human being

Small and large — Sometimes in ways that I only now

Understand and only partially grasp

 

I can’t blame anyone else but myself

Yet I can explain by describing how others

Might have been wrong, at least in regards

To what would be best for me — Yet who can say

How even the smallest changes in one life

Might positively or negatively affect the future

Present, now — A trillion trillion combinations

Of moments and choices over the course of human

History — And my own — Even if I have only lived

Once, my soul — There is almost an infinity of alternatives

Parallel courses of history, all existing simultaneously

Until the present moment — And choice — Love and life

Time — In my own life and the life of the world — Universe

 

Who can tell if I am not in fact better for all my mistakes

My parents, grandparents, ancestors from all over the world

The ambiguity and uncertainty in my own life and mind today, tonight

Might not be such a terrible thing after all — As long as it does not

Cripple, the door to the void open too much, more than just a crack

Some evolution along with the involution, meeting in the present moment

Future present for every living being sharing the world of possibilities

Growth and change, spiral life, and the arrow and circle of time

The maps in my head can be useful but discovery and exploration

Landscape of my mind and environment, greater and more wondrous

Than even my dreams — The maps help me when I get lost

Sometimes even helping me find the right path, or at least realize

I was on the wrong one in the past, and I can choose a different one

Perhaps even one from a long time ago, in the future past

That is yet new to me now — As long as I am moving forward

With an open heart and mind, in balance with my true self and the cosmos

Nature, love — The forces of order, chaos, and balance between the two

The Universe of Universes and the world we all inhabit, one of many

I am content and maybe even happy, for now — I must train myself

To be alright with the uncertainty and productive chaos of the world

That can be a blessing and not just a curse — As long as I keep

Trying to find some kind of order here, there — Truth within

Myself, if I have the right keys to understanding the all in all

The world and my place in it — Life continues ever onwards

 

As long as life continues on — And we learn from our mistakes

Become better stewards of the Earth and Air and Water — Soul

Of nature, fire of spirit — Humanity — We are only at the beginning

Of our history as a species, only limited by our imagination as a species

Imaginations or lack thereof — Our petty rivalries, ancient quarrels

Among groups of people, desire for power over others, outdated ideas

Ideologies of rigid control or complete freedom without consequences

No order at all — Out of balance with ourselves and nature

Yet we are learning — The old ways that no longer work fade away

With time and evolution of the human mind and spirit towards the source

Giving consciousness, room to new ways of organizing life and spirit

Some so old that they are completely foreign to us, some completely new

Ancient and future paradigms that can allow us to live in harmony

With ourselves and the Universe as one entity experiencing itself, ourself

Becoming aware of all aspects of existence and reality — Life and love

No greed or lust for power over one another and the planet

Belonging to the land, water, air, and sky, more than the other way around

 

Using our intelligence and wisdom to perform a sacred duty of helping

Life to flourish in ever more diverse and beautiful forms on Earth

And when we are ready, planets beyond our own solar system

Stars and galaxies far out in the infinite darkness, blue and white

Calling to us and keeping us company at night — Giving our sun a break

Dimensions and worlds within the deepest parts of our souls, of stars

And in the vast emptiness of space and time, yet almost bursting with light

Meaning and light even in the deepest darkness, the spark of life

Uniting and bringing together disparate individual souls

Throughout the Cosmic Ocean — Binding and bridging our Universe

With each part of itself, realities beyond this physical realm

Dimension, parallel universe — Doorways of consciousness

We can access with the right keys, and the knowledge of where they are

Awareness of the multiple forms of life, light, love everywhere

Inside us and outside our souls, all around us — Beyond

There is always more to discover and explore, always more

Beyond and within our own mind, body, and spirit — Our souls

Connected to the universal cosmic consciousness and awareness

Sailing Through Time on a Cosmic Ocean of Eternal Love

Sailing Through Time on a Cosmic Ocean of Eternal Love

 

Time travel, inhabiting my future self

Learning about alien species visiting Earth

Changing history by following along with myself

Leaving clues and signs for me to find later, earlier

Creating a small army of freedom fighters

Anarchists, socialists, communists united by vision

Of a world free from hunger, injustice, oppression

Taking the best of what the aliens have to offer for humanity

Replacing the old order and hierarchies of power

In the shared goal of making humanity a galactic citizen

Universal belonging, working for peace, justice, stability

And innovation — A bright future of light, life, love for all

Here, and beyond in the vast emptiness of space, other worlds

Transforming humanity’s basest instincts into higher callings

Dedication to truth, perfection, understanding of complexity

Instead of war, violent conflict, extreme competition beyond play

Shared resources, knowledge, wisdom — An Utopia — Life without fear

Problems we take for granted now, in the past, before

The Others come, who are yet to come, yet always here

Bringing new knowledge and wisdom that is yet old

Kept safe by elders of ancient cultures, carried on by future generations

Waiting for the day when they could share with all

Humanity suddenly confronted with the reality

That we are not ever truly alone in the Universe

For better or worse, and there are new, better ways of doing things

Organizing ourselves not only to survive

But thrive, and become full members of the community

Of the Universe of Universes — All times and places linked

By the knowledge and wisdom of the Elder Races

Guides and sometimes exploiters of the younger ones

Humanity — We must evolve and transform ourselves

Into something greater and more beautiful than we can imagine

Undreamed of, except by a few — The ones with love and peace

In their hearts and minds, those who are the storytellers

Artists, poets, philosophers — Leaders of thought and feeling

Those of gentle soul and also fierce passion for change and progress

Changes

Changes

Looking out my window at the treeline, from past to future

What once was diminished by imbalance and progress

Now lives free and true, a century of uninhibited growth

And flowering — All of the people I loved are gone

Taken by time and circumstance and the promise

Of a better life far away, in the Mega Cities and even beyond Earth

The mistakes of the 20th century have been fixed

Balance between humanity and nature has been restored

My home is a paradise on Earth, and most every change has been good

Yet I can’t help but wish that I could see some of my old friends

Earth Family — Soul mates, especially the ones I dream about

The World of the Future

The World of the Future

 

Advanced technology and more wisdom to go with

The ever changing human spirit, that yet remains

The same essential nature, better than it used to be

Better than things once were overall — The Hero

And Heroine — Come into the world to save us all

Yet we are all heroes, literally and figuratively

 

I awake and it is the future — One hundred years have passed

While I slept — Now I am in a world I barely recognize

Though the landscape remains essentially unchanged

Everything else is different: people, buildings, transportation

Not just in the Mega Cities, but also where I live at the edge

Of the misty mountains and its temperate rainforest

What once was a national park and is now a global one

Still the most diverse collection of communities of life

In the world — An ecosystem held in trust for the future

Generations to come, that have already come, for me

A traveler from the distant past unaware of how I came to be

Here now in the 22nd century of the common era

 

And outside the global park, as well as inside the borders

Free, plentiful, and clean energy available for everyone

The Sun, Wind, Earth, Water, and Cosmic forces of Sky

Harnessed for the benefit of all, with no cost or restriction

For those who use energy for heating, traveling, growing food

Essentially a paradise compared to the past, yet with some problems

Even in Utopia — But no hunger, poverty, or institutional injustice

A global government with local control through democratic means

And different styles of living in the hundreds of Mega Cities

Spread out over Planet Earth, unique yet unified by common interest

Peace and stability, order within the chaos of life and ever-increasing

Knowledge and wisdom about life, the universe, and the cosmos beyond

 

And in our space-time ship that I am lucky enough to have access to

Our first priority is to our home planet, and the stars and planets in our galaxy

And the stars and planets in galaxies beyond our own

Home — In all dimensions, universes, worlds connected

Parallel, alternate, pocket within and yet outside

The physical universe we call home

Even though I can go back to the world I once knew

The time of great transition at the beginning of the 21st century

I am not ready yet — There are so many beautiful and amazing things

Left to see, learn, and do in this new world of the future, yet now present

Between Earth and the Universe of Magic

Between Earth and the Universe of Magic

 

Castle at the edge of Sky — A gateway

To a world with castles floating in Sky

Faery, magical possibility and source

For many strange and wondrous things on Earth

 

And people of the moon and stars

Sharing our Sun, yet in a different dimension

Parallel universe — Connecting to many versions

Of Earth, alternate timelines — Infinite possibilities

 

Peace, Love, and Understanding — Ideals for an optimal real time future

A world that we all share without poverty, hunger, or injustice

An example for the Earth and the World of Faery

Balance and peace in both realms, dimensions bridged by the centers of power

 

Half influenced by Earth, and half by the magical land beyond yet near

The sources of material nature and magic, and the human world’s mythologies

People Everywhere Connect the Dots on Climate Change

via youtube.com

Democracy Now! – The Lost Decade: Bolivian Pablo Solón Decries Climate Deal Postponing New Emissions Cuts Until 2020

via democracynow.org

‘In 2010, then-Ambassador Pablo Solón headed Bolivia’s climate negotiating team for the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Cancún, Mexico. However, for this year’s climate summit he joined climate justice activists outside the official conference in the streets of Durban demanding the United States, and other historically large greenhouse gas emitters, agree to legally binding emissions cuts. “Developed countries, like the U.S., Europe, Japan, Russia, are just trying to avoid their responsibility when it comes to greenhouse emissions cuts,” says Solón. “So, that is the real outcome out of Durban, and that is why there is so much concern around the world, because, especially the developing countries, the poor nations, and the poor people around the world, even in the United States, are going to be those ones that are going to suffer the consequences of this. That is why we call it a climate apartheid.”‘

Environment Petition: Stop the Tar Sands!

Change.org is an online activism platform for social change that raises awareness about important causes and connects people to opportunities for powerful action. We work with more than 1000 of the largest organizations in the world, have a team of hundreds of journalists and organizers that span the globe, and empower millions of people each month to make a difference.

Change.org is organized around more than a dozen leading cause-based communities, ranging from gay rights to women’s rights to animal welfare. Within each community anyone can start an online petition, sign petitions related to their interests, and magnify their impact by sharing each petition with friends. Put online activism to work, create social change through an online petition today.

via change.org

http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-tar-sands

People Under 35 Have Never Seen Normal Global Temperatures | ThinkProgress

via thinkprogress.org

“If you’re younger than 26, you have never seen a month where the global mean was as cold as the 161 year average,” observes Robert Grumbine. In contrast, “there are no periods as long as even 20 years of continual below reference temperatures.” He finds that the period 1880-1940 seems to best represent a stable long-term average for global temperatures. If that’s the case, then the “last time the global mean was below the climate normal was March, 1976. If you’re 35 or younger, you have never seen a global mean below climate’s real normal.”

Chart: Defense Cuts in Debt Deal Are Not the Security Threat We Should Be Worrying About | ThinkProgress

via thinkprogress.org

The bottom line is that the United States continues to run 2+ wars and be policemen to the world while conservatives insist that we must not have millionaires spend a dollar more in taxes to pay for any of that. At the same time, the real long-term threat to US security – global warming and peak oil — get eviscerated in the debt deal while conservatives insist we must not have uber-profitable oil companies give of one dollar of their lush subsidies. Ah, but that is news, is it?

‪Carl Sagan – God, the Universe, & Everything Else‬‏

‪Carl Sagan – God, the Universe, & Everything Else‬‏ – YouTube.

‪One of Carl Sagan’s most pertinent messages for humanity‬‏

‪One of Carl Sagan’s most pertinent messages for humanity‬‏ – YouTube.

Those worlds in space are as countless as all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the Earth. Each of those worlds is as real as ours. In every one of them, there’s a sucsession of incidence, events, occurences which influence its future. Countless worlds, numberless moments, an immensity of space and time. And our small planet, at this moment, here we face a critical branch-point in the history. What we do with our world, right now, will propagate down through the centuries and powerfully affect the destiny of our descendants. It is well within our power to destroy our civilization, and perhaps our species as well. If we capitulate to superstition, or greed, or stupidty we can plunge our world into a darkness deeper than time between the collapse of classical civilization and the Italian Renaissaince. But, we are also capable of using our compassion and our intelligence, our technology and our wealth, to make an abundant and meaningful life for every inhabitant of this planet. To enhance enormously our understanding of the Universe, and to carry us to the stars.

SpongeBob SquarePants Makes An Enemy | Media Matters for America

Fox Blasts Nickelodeon For “Pushing A Global Warming Agenda”

CNS News Reported That Education Department Offered Free Books, Including SpongeBob Global Warming Tale. In an August 2 article, CNSNews.com reported that during a July Department of Education event promoting reading, children “were treated to free books,” including a SpongeBob SquarePants book that “promotes the idea that global warming is manmade.” [CNSNews, 8/2/11]

• Glenn Beck’s Website Asked If Ed. Dept. Is “Indoctrinating Children.” On August 2, Glenn Beck’s The Blaze promoted the CNSNews story and asked: “Is the U.S. Department of Education indoctrinating children to accept man-made global warming as fact?” The Blaze also embedded a 2005 SpongeBob video with the same storyline as the book. [The Blaze, 8/2/11]

Fox’s Steve Doocy: “Clearly Nickelodeon Is Pushing A Global Warming Agenda.” On the August 3 edition of Fox & Friends, co-host Steve Doocy said:

DOOCY: The Department of Education invited a bunch of DC kids in and they had this festivity and they handed out these particular Nickelodeon books where clearly Nickelodeon is pushing a global warming agenda. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 8/3/11]

Fox’s Gretchen Carlson: SpongeBob “Blamed Man For Global Warming” But “Did Not Tell Kids That That Is A Disputed Fact.” Fox & Friends aired clips from the SpongeBob video and co-host Gretchen Carlson said:

CARLSON: The Department of Education using SpongeBob SquarePants now to teach kids about global warming. The government agency showed kids this cartoon and handed out books that blamed man for global warming, but they did not tell kids that that is actually a disputed fact. Oops! [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 8/3/11]

• Department of Education: “We’ve Never Shown Any Videos” At The Reading Events. Contrary to Carlson’s claim, Tim Tuten of the Department of Education said that the SpongeBob video was not shown at the reading events. “We’ve never shown any videos ever, so I have no idea where that is coming from,” he said. Tuten added that participants were permitted to choose one of dozens of diverse books to take home with them and the SpongeBob book was one of those options. [Phone conversation, 8/3/11]

Doocy Claims Unnamed “Parents” Think SpongeBob Book Pushes “Over-The-Top Green Agenda.” On Fox & Friends, Doocy said:

DOOCY: The Department of Education giving kids free books about SpongeBob. Seems like a good idea right? Well some parents don’t think so. They say the books are being used to push an over-the-top green agenda regarding global warming. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 8/3/11]

Carlson On SpongeBob: “He Is Only Looking At It From One Point Of View.” On Fox & Friends Carlson also said of the Nickelodeon show:

CARLSON: We all know that SpongeBob is popular with the kids and for the life of me I still keep trying to figure out why it is. My kids watch limited TV but every time they chose that show, I’m like, ‘Why?’  Anyway — it’s hard to even follow sometimes. Anyway now maybe that will be a good thing because SpongeBob is talking a lot about global warming, and he’s only looking at it from one point of view. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 8/3/11]

Fox’s Dave Briggs: Global Warming Is “Unproven Science.” On Fox & Friends, guest co-host Dave Briggs added:

BRIGGS: It’s unproven science. And again, this is public education system that we all pay our tax dollars for and the SpongeBob book says that it’s a manmade problem that requires human intervention.

DOOCY: Right. They’re presenting it as fact.

BRIGGS:  As fact. Meanwhile, the schools there — I mean, we’re talking about 14th in the world in reading, 17th in the world in science, 25th in math. So we’re forcing an issue that is not yet proven — we can’t even teach our kids the adequate math, reading and science at this point. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 8/3/11]

Fox: SpongeBob Shows “Bias” By Blaming Humans For Global Warming. The following on-screen text aired on Fox & Friends:

[Fox News, Fox & Friends, 8/3/11]

Notion That Humans Are Changing Climate Is Not Controversial Among Mainstream Scientists

National Research Council: “Preponderance Of Scientific Evidence” Indicates That Humans Are Changing The Climate. In a recent report, the National Research Council stated: “[T]he preponderance of scientific evidence points to human activities — especially the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere — as the most likely cause for most of the global warming that has occurred over the last several decades.” [National Research Council, 5/12/11]

American Chemical Society: Climate Change Is “Largely Attributable To Emissions From Human Activities.” According to the American Chemical Society: “[C]omprehensive scientific assessments of our current and potential future climates clearly indicate that climate change is real, largely attributable to emissions from human activities, and potentially a very serious problem.” [American Chemical Society, accessed 8/3/11]

AAAS: “Global Climate Change Is Real” And “Is Caused Largely By Human Activities.” The American Association for the Advancement of Science said in a 2009 statement: “The vast preponderance of evidence, based on years of research conducted by a wide array of different investigators at many institutions, clearly indicates that global climate change is real, it is caused largely by human activities, and the need to take action is urgent.” [American Association For The Advancement of Science, 12/4/09]

American Meteorological Society: “Humans Have Significantly Contributed” To Climate Change. In a February 2007 statement, the American Meteorological Society said “there is adequate evidence” to conclude “that humans have significantly contributed” to climate change and that “further climate change will continue to have important impacts on human societies, on economies, on ecosystems, and on wildlife through the 21st century and beyond.” [American Meteorological Society, 2/1/07]

Geological Society Of America: “Human Activities … Account For Most Of The Warming Since The Middle 1900s.” From an April 2010 position statement of the Geological Society of America:

The Geological Society of America (GSA) concurs with assessments by the National Academies of Science (2005), the National Research Council (2006), and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007) that global climate has warmed and that human activities (mainly greenhouse gas emissions) account for most of the warming since the middle 1900s. If current trends continue, the projected increase in global temperature by the end of the twentyfirst century will result in large impacts on humans and other species. [Geological Society of America, April 2010]

Fox Cites Scientists “On Both Sides” To Claim There Is A “Big Question” About Global Warming

Doocy On Manmade Global Warming: “There’s A Lot Of Scientists That Say It’s This. Others Say It’s That.” Suggesting that kids should not be taught that humans are changing the climate, Doocy said:

DOOCY: While there is no disputing the fact that the earth is getting a little warmer, the big question is, is it manmade or is it just one of those gigantic climactic, you know, phases that we’re going – for a while we’re cold and then we get warmer and then we get colder and warmer. Is it – which one is it? The science on both sides – there are a lot of scientists who say it’s this. Others say it’s that. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 8/3/11]

Vocal Minority Of “Experts” Also Denies Second-Hand Smoke Risks, HIV-AIDS Link

Tobacco Industry Recruited Scientists To Obscure Health Effects Of Second-Hand Smoke. From a 2009 article in the European Journal of Public Health:

Denialism is a process that employs some or all of five characteristic elements in a concerted way. The first is the identification of conspiracies. When the overwhelming body of scientific opinion believes that something is true, it is argued that this is not because those scientists have independently studied the evidence and reached the same conclusion. It is because they have engaged in a complex and secretive conspiracy. The peer review process is seen as a tool by which the conspirators suppress dissent, rather than as a means of weeding out papers and grant applications unsupported by evidence or lacking logical thought.

[...]

The second is the use of fake experts. These are individuals who purport to be experts in a particular area but whose views are entirely inconsistent with established knowledge. They have been used extensively by the tobacco industry since 1974, when a senior executive with R J Reynolds devised a system to score scientists working on tobacco in relation to the extent to which they were supportive of the industry’s position. The industry embraced this concept enthusiastically in the 1980s when a senior executive from Philip Morris developed a strategy to recruit such scientists (referring to them as ‘Whitecoats’) to help counteract the growing evidence on the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. This activity was largely undertaken through front organizations whose links with the tobacco industry were concealed, but under the direction of law firms acting on behalf of the tobacco industry. In some countries, such as Germany, the industry created complex and influential networks, allowing it to delay the implementation of tobacco control policies for many years. [European Journal of Public Health, January 2009]

Those Who Deny Link Between HIV And AIDS Also Claim To Have Scientists On Their Side. From a July 2009 New Scientist report:

The origins of the AIDS denialism movement can be traced back to 1987, four years after the discovery of HIV. Peter Duesberg was then a renowned researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, who had shown that some cancers were triggered by retroviruses. In March that year, Duesberg performed an about-face, publishing an article in which he questioned his original finding that retroviruses caused cancer, and also whether HIV (another retrovirus, although not one that he had studied) caused AIDS.

At the time, HIV science was in its infancy, and Duesberg was not the only mainstream scientist to speculate whether AIDS was actually caused by lifestyle factors such as taking drugs, for example. Indeed, New Scientist published Duesberg’s manifesto of dissent in 1988.

“Duesberg did get laypeople’s attention, and they, in turn, got him scientific attention,” says University of California sociologist, Steven Epstein, author of Impure Science, a book on AIDS research. “Credibility was cycled back and forth.”

As the clinical and epidemiological evidence linking HIV with AIDS accrued, however, support for denialism among mainstream scientists fell away. In the mid-1990s came the clincher. Cocktails of ART [antiretroviral therapy] were found to halt the replication of HIV and reverse and prevent the development of AIDS. By the end of 1996, doctors in the west were witnessing the “Lazarus effect”: AIDS patients who had been mortally ill were rising from their beds, putting on jackets and ties, and reporting for work.

[...]

Denialism in the west continued to limp along, attracting a following of conspiracy theorists, attention seekers, peddlers of pseudoscience and HIV patients in denial. The movement’s leaders vary in their credibility. Duesberg’s most vocal supporter is David Rasnick, a former biochemist who makes much of his research background, as he once studied a group of enzymes called proteases. HIV possesses a protease enzyme, and protease inhibitors represent a key class of ART drugs. However Rasnick only worked on rat proteases, never on HIV’s.

Then there is Henry Bauer, a retired chemistry and life sciences professor at Virginia State University in Petersburg, who edits the Journal of Scientific Exploration. This publishes research on such topics as alien abductions and telepathy. Before dabbling in virology, Bauer was a leading authority on the existence of the Loch Ness monster. [New Scientist, 7/31/09]

Anti-Vaccine Movement Also Supported By “‘Contrary’ Expertise.” From a May 2009 article in PLoS Biology:

Until the summer of 2005, Sharon Kaufman had never paid much attention to the shifting theories blaming vaccines for a surge in reported cases of autism. Kaufman, a medical anthropologist at the University of California, San Francisco, knew that the leading health institutions in the United States had reviewed the body of evidence, and that they found no reason to think vaccines had anything to do with autism. But when she read that scientists and public officials who commented on the studies routinely endured malevolent emails, abusive phone calls, and even death threats, she took notice.

[...]

Kaufman thinks the problem is more immediate than bridging the gap between lay and expert understanding of risk. Parents treated theoretical risk as fact even as scientists tested, and ultimately rejected, the possibility that thimerosal might harm children. Thinking the institutions that were supposed to protect them from risk failed, Kaufman says, people now do their own research. But instead of leading to more certainty, she explains, “collecting more information actually increases doubt.”

With the explosion of “contrary” expertise online, Kaufman says, “many parents see even the most respected vaccine experts’ perspective on the issue as just one more opinion.” The bulk of antivaccination Web sites present themselves as legitimate sources of scientific information, using pseudoscientific claims and emotional appeals, according to a 2002 study in Archives of Disease in Childhood. Making matters worse, the study found, nearly all sites adopted an “us versus them” approach, casting doctors and scientists as either “willing conspirators cashing in on the vaccine ‘fraud’ or pawns of a shadowy vaccine combine.” Parents’ intuitive views about vaccines were elevated above “cold, analytical science.” Accounts of children “maimed or killed by vaccines” were common–a finding that may help explain why those who advocate immunization receive death threats. [Public Library of Science, May 2009]

via mediamatters.org

Heaven forbid children should actually learn about the environment, according to Fox News and Rupert Murdoch.