Dixy Lee Ray wants to know who's to blame when the public misunderstands science. I think people who write misleading articles such as hers are in part to blame. She contrasts "doomsay-ers" and "alarmists" on one hand with "scientists" on the other, without acknowledging that many scientists are very worried about the health of the planet. She pooh-poohs concerns about the buildup of greenhouse gases without mentioning the fact that most scientists who have studied the problem agree that it is quite likely that the temperature of the earth will rise during the next century.
Another example of misleading statements is in her discussion of how small one part per billion is - one drop of vermouth in five railroad cars of gin. OK, that is a very small amount. But her implication is that this is so small it could not possibly do any harm. It truly is remarkable ...
