Academic vs. Capitalist Science

Academic science is currently suffering from a major, self-inflicted credibility problem.

by Patrick Cox
June 6, 2017

Until this year, April 22 was celebrated by many as Earth Day. The focus of Earth Day events was support for environmental protection, particularly climate accords. The image of Earth Day has been compared to a renaissance fair, complete with references to Gaia and other quasi-mystical earth-mother notions.

This year, the movement did an about-face, explicitly embracing “science.” Earth Day was eclipsed by the “March for Science.”

The rebranding may have been an effort to counter the perception that Earth Day is anti-technology and anti-industrial. That image complicated the movement’s efforts to promote its views of climate science. Moreover, Americans show little interest in giving give up smartphones, air-conditioning or modern medicine.