Science is Not a Topic for Debate

ERIK JONASSON II | Photo Courtesy
Science is based on facts and not up for debate.

Today we live in a world that is governed by the exact same science that it has always had.

For instance, gravity still works. The scale that you step on is still registering your weight.

I am feeling the added mass of a few too many cookies and potato chips, personally. Rest assured, though, this scale is still working on its principles. Weight equals mass multiplied by the acceleration due to the fact gravity works rain or shine.

Similarly, the climate is still the same.

For decades now, we have known there is something not normal. There is something wrong with the balance of CO2 (carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas) in our atmosphere. This is something a vast majority of scientists, climatologists and big-brained people who get paid to know what they are talking about have confirmed.

This isn’t really up for debate.

Humans are causing warming on the globe at an alarming rate.

Where it became acceptable to argue facts, I don’t know. It is hard to me to fathom it.

It would be like going to the doctor with a headache and stomach ache. After the doctor had seen you, they would tell you what you have. A bad case of midsemesteritis, the worst they’d seen all week.

You, being firm in your beliefs, would promptly say, “Well, I don’t really agree with that diagnosis.”

You would continue to say, “I have found another doctorwho tells me I am actually fine. I am going to do what they say.”

This is what climate change deniers are essentially doing. They aren’t fixing the problem. They are ignoring it.

This is quite possibly the worst course of action as well. We are at a crossroads. Environmentally friendly options exist. We have electric cars, solar power and a ton of other green technologies just waiting to be developed.

For someone in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) field it is truly an exciting prospect. We have so much to create for tomorrow.

Think about flying cars, perhaps driven by alternative fuels, maybe it would use an electric motor?

What about continued work on batteries? This is a crucial ingredient to power tomorrow.

Where these dreams cease to be a reality is in the world where we deny climate change.

If you deny climate change, you are ignoring science. You are ignoring common sense.

Don’t be fooled by people trying to debate scientific facts. They have no merit. They have no argument that will make something that is science go away.

It is like yelling at the scale because you gained five pounds. You can’t debate weight away, but you can go to the gym, you can eat better. These are the options you have.

This continued attack on facts based in science is nothing short of nightmare fuel. It is a way to divide us. It is a way for people who profit on the fossil fuel industry to trick us.

Trust me, these tactics don’t just fool people who go to colleges like the University of North Dakota (Go Bison). They affect people here on campus. They affect our friends and family.

This saddens me because we need everyone. This is a global effort that needs all the smart people it can get. No matter where you are from, or your beliefs, we need you on our team. In order to make a better tomorrow, we need you.

This is scientific fact.

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