A curious phenomenon: nowhere is the disconnect between
scientific evidence and public opinion more stark than around the topics of
climate change and genetic engineering (GE). It is so odd that a large body of
people rally around and support the scientific consensus on human caused
climate change while at the same time ignoring, discounting and disparaging the
even stronger scientific consensus that GE foods are as safe to eat as non-GE
foods. The converse is true too: a large body of people ignore, discount and
disparage the scientific consensus on climate change, while at the same time rallying
around and supporting the scientific consensus on GE foods. We really can’t
have it both ways; emotion and ideology (with hefty doses of confirmation bias)
beat out scientific evidence for both groups of people. Curious and frustrating.
