Science conflicts with revealed truth. The history of science is littered with discarded theories. Phlogiston disappears with the discovery of oxygen. Newton’s laws of motion no longer apply in the space-time continuum of Einstein’s cosmos. Revealed truth is independent of evidence.

Democratic Australia harbors science deniers. Two deniers of science in democratic Australia are the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) and the Australian Greens. CRC maintains the earth was created in six literal days and is around 6,000 years old. What can we do about the denial of science by the CRC? In my view we have to live with it. The creation of an informed and well-educated citizenry and the elimination of restrictions on scientific investigations will deal with the denial of science.

In the Greens platform is the following:

Stop the extinction crisis through setting a goal of Zero extinction by 2030 and investing in a mass greening and restoration program, to ensure we are protecting habitats for our native animals and plants.

Extinction is as much part of the process of evolution as the generation of new species. The extinction of the dinosaurs led to the rise of the mammals and the existence of our species. Some species will become extinct without humans even knowing of their existence. To set a goal of zero extinction assumes that all species play some positive part in the web of life, and we know when a species becomes extinct. Positive part means more than being useful to humans although that can play a part.

We depend on bees to pollinate many crops. Without honey bees our food production would precipitously drop. Honey bees are affected by varroa mite, Tropilaelaps mite, Tracheal mite, Braula fly, American foulbrood, European foulbrood, Leafcutter bee chalkbrood, small hive beetle, Stonebrood and A. fumigatus.If any of the foregoing species have no other part in the web of life than being parasitic on honeybees and we can eliminate them it seems worthwhile to do it.

Fundamentalist Christianity and the Australian Greens are bedfellows in the promotion of scientific ignorance.

Dear David,

I'm not familiar with the policies of the Greens. I have
never voted for them. From the little I know is that they
are concerned about the need to protect Australia's
threatened species.

Australia's record is not good - we're know for habitat
destruction, changes to traditional land management,
our introduced species - (rabbits, cats, foxes) are doing
harm, and all are threatening the environment. The
concern by the Greens is understandable as once our eco-systems
are gone, they're gone.

CSIRO tells us that our planet is currently experiencing
the worst wave of species die-off since the loss of the
dinosaur 65 million years ago. And here in Australia with
more than 86 of our native flora and fauna now critically
endangered we run a real risk of losing some of our most
iconic species forever.

It is a reasonable goal to cut down the rate of extinction. It is a reasonable goal to live longer in good health. It is denying reality to get rid of extinction or death.

And the problem continues to grow. Take the Flat-earth Society.
They now claim to have adherents all around the globe.

Hi David,

I would like to see research into fertilising oceans for the potential purposes of developing fisheries, reducing atmospheric CO2, and influencing rainfall on adjoining land masses. Such research is banned on the basis that no one knows what effect it might have.

Putting sulphur particles in the atmosphere over the poles has been suggested as a means of reversing polar warming. The Greens are opposed to that idea as well. The Greens are also largely opposed to nuclear power.

I don't see the sense in having solutions satisfy an ideology when it is being claimed that the world is on the verge of catastrophe.

Dear David,

Who is denying the reality of extinction
or for that matter - death? As far as I'm aware
scientists are trying to improve things. Both of
the real risks of losing some of our
most iconic species, and human health. We can do
with help in both areas