45minfrom6:15pm-7pmFridayJanuary27,2017

CornellUniversity,KlarmanHall,TAOffice1

Title:CanScienceSpeakTruthtoPower?

Shortdescription:Thisworkshopwillexaminesomeofthedomainswherethescientificestablishmentfailstospeaktruthtopower—ortous.Weexamine

reasonsforthisfailureandresponses.

AllisonWilson

https://bioscienceresource.org/https://www.independentsciencenews.org/

WhatdoesthePublicWant?

•  Healthyfood•  Cleanair,soil,water•  Connectionwithfamily,friends,nature•  Meaningfulwork•  Asayintheirlives–choice

WhatDoesSpeakingTruthtoPowerLookLike?

•  Speakingoutagainstcorporationsorindustriespollutingpoorcommunities

•  Publishingresearchthatsuggestsapowerfulindustryneedsmoreregulationorthattheirproductsareunsafe(e.g.OilandGasindustries,GMOs,Chemicals,meatanddairyindustries)

•  Governmentwhistleblowerswhoseresearchsuggestsindustryregulationisneeded(e.g.toxicityofsewagesludge)

SpeakingTruthtoPower

Carryingoutindependentresearchonimportantbutcontentioussubjectsandpublishingresultsthatdonotfavorindustryorgovernmentpositions.Speakingoutinthepublic’sinterestinoppositiontopowerfulGovernmentorCorporateentities.

WhatAreSomeScientificQuestionsWhereAnswersImpactthePublicandIndustry?

•  Environmental–Isthischemicaltoxic?Whatisthebestwaytomitigateclimatechange?Canclimatechangebereversed?Howcanwegrowfoodwithoutdegradingsoil,air,waterquality?DoBtcropsharmmonarchs?WhataretheimplicationsofClimatechange?

•  Healthrelated–Whatishealthiestdiet?Doeshowfoodisgrownimpactnutrition?Doherbicide-resistantcropsleadtohigherresiduesinfood?Iseatingmeatgoodforyou?Canaplant-baseddietgiveyouenoughprotein?Doesthefluvaccinedecreasethenumberofflucases?DodeadlybirdflustrainsariseinCAFOsorinwildbirdpopulations?IsdrugXormedicalprocedureYsafeoreffective?

WhatHappensWhenYourResearchThreatensaCorporateInterest?

•  PersonalAttacks–e.g.calledunethical•  Scienceattackedorundulyscrutinized–biasedassessmentofmethodsordata

•  Researchfromindustryassociatedscientistsproducedthat“debunks”yourstudy

•  Youmaylosefundingorcareeropportunitiesorevenyourjob

Eg:SuppressionofdissentinsciencebyBrianMartin:https://www.uow.edu.au/~bmartin/pubs/99rsppp.html

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

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.

ResultsofScientificSuppression

•  Onlyonevoiceisheard(thepro-technologyvoice--vaccinesaresafe,GMOsaresafe,chemicalsaresafe)

•  Manyacademicsself-censor(don’tdocertaintypesofresearch,don’tcritiquecertainscientificallyunfoundedclaims)

•  Publicinterestresearchisunderfunded

•  Legitimatescientificquestionsgountested

•  Difficulttopublishdissentingpapers•  Publicismisled•  Negativehealthandenvironmental

consequences

HowDoesSciencePolicyWork?

From:McGarity,ThomasO.,andWendyElizabethWagner.Bendingscience:Howspecialinterestscorruptpublichealthresearch.HarvardUniversityPress,2008.

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

IsIndustryFundedResearchReallyResearch?

•  Researchshowsthatindustrytiesandfundingcorrelatewithfindingsthatarepositiveforindustry

•  Researchshowsthattieswithoneindustrybiasresearchersinfavorofotherindustries

•  ResearchshowsthatdisclosureofaCOIdoesnotnecessarilyresultinreadersgivingexperimentsextrascrutinyorshowingextracautioninacceptingresults

HowDoesIndustryBiasScientificResults?

Examples:•  Useasmallsamplesizesothatdifferenceswillneverbestatisticallysignificant

•  Dotestson20ratsbutonlyreporttheresultsofthe10mostfavorablerats

•  TestGMOcropsin20locationsandonlypublishtheresultsfromtheexperimentsthatgavethe“right”result

•  Usethewrongcontrolsornocontrols,sothatresultsareinconclusive

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)

HowCanNon-ScientistsCounterScientificSuppression?

•  Startlocalorganizationstofightforpublicorenvironmentalhealth

•  Workwithpublicinterestscientists•  Holdconferences,publicforums•  Becomeanexpertyourselfbyreadingscientificstudies,

talkingtoscientists•  Gatheryourowndata–aloneorworkingwithscientists,

doctorsandotherprofessionals•  Startindependentmedia(eg.NoFrackAlmanac,listservs,

discussiongroups)•  Politicalactiontochangepolicy(e.g.organizeandrunfor

office)