IRB Media Summary of Michael E. Mann's The New Climate War

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Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 The origins of the climate wars lie in the past climate wars, when the findings of science began to conflict with the agendas of powerful vested interests. These campaigns were aimed at obscuring public understanding of the underlying science and discrediting the scientific message.#2 The late nineteenth century saw the birth of the science-denier-for-hire, in the form of Thomas Stockmann, an amateur scientist in a small Norwegian town. He was attacked by the townspeople when he tried to warn the town's residents about the dangers of its medicinal hot springs being polluted by chemicals.#3 The environmental movement was sparked by Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring, which exposed the dangers of DDT. The pesticide was eventually banned, but not before causing irreparable damage to bird populations.#4 The work of Carson and other scientists studying the effects of industrial toxins on humans and the environment led to awareness of other threats, such as lead pollution.