Science – Blog From A Hermit Dot Com

“Political” Science

March 9, 2010

Much of the hoopla over the global warming controversy seems to be the “shocking revelation” that science is being used by (and thus ostensibly soiled and manipulated) by politicians. So? Science has always had a strong thread in and of politics, just like all other human endeavors, including religion. The only non-political human endeavor is probably solitude – and it’s only apolitical to the solitaire. As soon as one other wonders about or tries to find the hermit, his solitude becomes part of a political debate. All human interaction includes politics. The more people, the more complicated the politics.

Science as the ultimate objectivity has always been an ideal not a fact. Scientists are human, too – with mortgages and egos and tuition debt, too. Most research is at some level politically funded – whether the funder is the Catholic Church, the Exxon Corporation, or government. (We all know how apolitical government is. Right?) Who gets the money for what research – in our culture often a variable of potential profit in the research product – is part of the process. Unfortunately, money as the engine of research comes with a built-in corruptibility factor – sometimes very subtle, sometimes openly controversial, but rarely completely out of the picture. Which is worse good science with bad intentions or bad science with good intentions? Add to that debate “whose science” and “whose morality” then define “good” and “bad.” Yeah, I know.

Still there’s good scientists (and some not-so-good) working hard in their labs zealously pursuing “truth.” There probably is even such a thing as “pure” science happening somewhere in some labs. But even the most ardent and disciplined objectivists among us are still subjective human beings. The process leading up to who gets a lab, how they design the experiment and who does what with any discoveries will always be a function of politics. The “science” that reaches the masses will always have spin. Most of the “masses” wouldn’t understand the science if you spoon fed it to them straight from the scientist’s mouth. I have great respect for Al Gore’s intentions. I voted for him when he ran for President partially because of his environmental stance. I have warmist leanings. I am not, however, blind to the inconvenient truth that Al Gore is not a scientist – he “just plays one in a movie.” But science without politics wouldn’t get very far.

And with well-established criteria for peer review and reproducible results, science tends to self-regulate. The global warming controversy really emphasizes the stability of the scientific ideal not its erosion. It’s the old torpedo effect of all human progress – we launch out of the tube in the general direction of our target, we stray off course, we make corrections.

Challenge and controversy have always been a part of scientific progress, whether the battle is between scientists and institutions, or scientists and other scientists. Today’s unavoidable transparency just makes the noise a lot louder and faster – out where we all get to watch and comment. And after all, it is science that brought us the internet – the vehicle of its own exposure.

By Trish | Posted in Hermit's Rants, Psychology, Science, Solitude | Tagged Al Gore, climate change, global warming controversy, politics and science, politics of science | Comments (0)

Global Warming Humming

March 4, 2010

Global warming (anthropogenic or otherwise) is a hard sell to anyone who’s freezing his butt off fighting the hardest winter he can remember. And though repackaging global warming as climate change is probably a wise move, it’s just human nature to let broader perspectives and scientific conjectures rest completely while coping with the immediacy of “what’s happening to me right now.” (If you haven’t seen Stephen Colbert’s recent comedy sketch about this, I highly recommend it. I particularly liked Colbert’s professor of peekaboo-ology.)

Climate change is almost a non-term here in Western Washington where the weather is so variable year to year, climate change seems almost normal. Unlike the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, we’ve just had our warmest winter on record. Last winter we had our taste of the ice age.

But in spite of recent controversies which expose some extremely-careless or just-plain-bad science, there’s some good science behind global warming, too. Weather extremes are integral to the theory, so discounting the whole idea because your butt’s cold today is definitely throwing the baby out with the bath water.

On the other hand, there’s some very smart people countering the theory and some very good science behind their counter claims. Ironically, the very reason we find global warming so hard to believe when our butts are cold mirrors the reason why global warming has rational skeptics. It really is difficult for us humans (including scientists) to stand far enough back from our tiny little lives to get accurate, objective perceptions. From a geological perspective, the global warming theory itself is just a report on what’s happening right now. Several decades of climate statistics do not necessarily make an arguable trend. Well, obviously it is arguable, but that’s not the same as provable.

But it’s the furor of this discourse that deserves applause. It means awareness of environmental degradation (whatever the cause) has whole-heartedly entered our public consciousness. A recent New York Times article pointed out that therapists are even seeing a trend in environmental issues as a significant cause for family discord. And as much I hate to see families in stress, the environmental dialog matters; and the things that matter most to us should be discussed (and sometimes argued about) in our homes. An integral environmental consciousness – public and private – represents true progress.

I have warmist leanings. There’s much more to the theory than whether you should be driving a Prius or a Hummer. But selling global warming as yet another variety of armageddonism is counterproductive and unnecessary. Extremes always create backlash. Most of the noise between warmists and their skeptics is not about whether humans are negatively impacting the environment, it’s about how, what’s the timeline and what’s the fix.

Anyone completely devoid of environmental awareness at this point is either under-educated, living in impoverished desperation, or choosing to remain intentionally blind. Lack of education and impoverished desperation are both forgivable, and illiteracy and poverty must be addressed as part a holistic environmental dialog. But intentional blindness, whether motivated by greed or just laziness, is no excuse at all.

But that’s another human foible, isn’t it – it often takes the noise of controversy to force our eyes open. It’s called awakening.

“When people generally are aware of a problem, it can be said to have entered the public consciousness. When people get on their hind legs and holler, the problem has not only entered the public consciousness — it has also become a part of the public conscience. At that point, things in our democracy begin to hum.”

- Hubert Humphrey

By Trish | Posted in Education, Family, Hermit's Rants, Nature, Psychology, Science, Weather | Tagged AGW, climate change, global warming controversy, Hubert Humphrey quotations, Pacific Northwest weather and climate, Psychology, Stephen Colbert | Comments (0)

Tree Power Up: Tall Inspiration

January 30, 2010

I’ve admitted here before that I love big trees. When we first moved here, I actually considered affectionately naming some of our big evergreens – but I changed my mind. Naming them would be insulting, I think – it would imply a level of intimacy we may not deserve. After all, part of my love is for their wildness. Naming things always implies dominion or control. We own these trees in paper legality only – control of them is illusory. It would diminish them to attach names. You never really own any other living thing – you just borrow it – to look at, to cherish or befriend, to use as a resource when necessary.

I’d also hate to get too attached. Big trees fall. Some have to be cut down.

And most of our trees grew to their glory before we arrived here – without the need for words or names. They just are, surviving tough conditions right where they stand, beyond analysis or judgments – and they’re mighty nonetheless. Passive endurance resulting in magnificent splendor. Unintentional artistry. (Though some would say it’s intentional.)

Look upward while standing quietly beneath a big tree. You cannot avoid feeling the power. Imagine what it takes to oppose gravity to that extent, processing sunlight, circulating nutrients and water to such great heights?

Big trees demonstrate the great wisdom of nature – they bend to buffeting winds, lean toward sunlight or bow to obstacles as necessary. When partially knocked down, they slowly redirect themselves back skyward, fortifying themselves even more at the bending point. They shed the unnecessary to better endure and prosper. I admire them.

Hard to believe such giants start out smaller than this volunteer western red cedar struggling for a foothold in our driveway gravel. This 3″ youngster was a seed last summer. I pot and replant more of these little buggers than is practical, but it’s hard for me to think of them as weeds.

The great tree symbology in James Cameron’s Avatar pleased me. Avatar’s popularity demonstrates a positive direction in our collective consciousness. As little as twenty-five years ago, I doubt if Avatar (with or without 3D) would have captured such a large audience. Twenty-five years ago, only us die hard sci-fi types would have gone. Sure, there are probably more sci-fi enthusiasts now than ever before, but Avatar goes beyond sci-fi – it touches our growing ecological and spiritual awareness – our acknowledgment of an immutable connectedness.

A serendipitious tree article showed up in Griz’ Nuts & Volts Magazine last month. An Idaho company, Voltree manufactures a bioenergy harvester which attaches to a living tree and uses the tree’s metabolic processes to create electricity. The small electrical generators do not harm the tree. (At least we don’t believe they harm the tree.) Of course, the amount of energy you can generate this way is limited – these generators are used to power passive surveillance and scientific monitoring equipment. Still, it’s a kind of symbiosis that tickles me.

Voltree’s products are the kind of green technology we’re heading toward (very slowly) – ways to use our resources without depleting or harming them. We are starting to make those critical connections – artistically, figuratively, literally.

Of course, you get a lot more energy (quicker) from a tree if you chop it down and burn it to heat the shelter you’ve built with it’s carcass. (Intentional shock value.) See my next post Tree Power Down: Timber!

By Trish | Posted in Art, Hermit's Rants, Home, Movies, Nature, Philosophy, Science, Spirituality | Tagged 50 year old evergreens, large trees, motion picture Avatar, tree power, tree symbology, Voltree | Comments (0)

Hermit Psychology: Introverts Spinning Donuts In the Cave

April 29, 2009

It’s a fair assumption that most intentional hermits are introverts – like Griz and me. There may be a few extrovert hermits about, but they are likely unintentional hermits – living in solitude by accident or sacrificial choice – hiding from the law, castaways on uncharted islands, last-man-on-earth characters like Will Smith in I Am Legend.
Introverts as a whole (not just hermits) [...]

Short Bursts of Ice and Snow – We're So Spoiled

December 13, 2008

For 48 degrees North latitude, we are really very lucky here in Western Washington when it comes to cold weather. Yeah, we have to put up with a lot of precipitation, but down here in the lowlands (we’re at 500′), we don’t get a lot of snow and sustained below-freezing temperatures. What snow and ice arrives usually doesn’t last more than a couple of days – it just always warms up again.

The primary reason for our benign winters is, of course, that big, salty heat sink – the Pacific Ocean. The Alaskan Peninsula helps, too – it prevents the cold Arctic Ocean water from mingling much with the (relatively) warm Pacific water. Pacific marine climate is considered one of the best working climates in the world – benign winters and coolish summers mean there are very few days when you can’t be outside, working comfortably in the weather (although good rain gear sure helps).

One of the problems with this it-never-snows-much-and-always-goes-away-fast set-up is the natives don’t get very skilled at snow and ice driving; AND, snow removal dollars are very small line items on most government budgets. Traffic can be a nightmare when snow and ice arrive with zeal and stick around – which happens every once in awhile.

lightsnow Forecasters are predicting our current Arctic blast (sub-freezing temps with no daytime thaw) will last through this entire week. (So far we only have about an inch of snow, though, so that might make it tolerable.) They say the last time this happened was 1990, although I think we came pretty close in 2006, which included record snowfall (30 inches here) and lengthy power outages (10 days for some people – 4 days for us).

In 1990, we were still living aboard s/v WaterBrother at Seattle’s Shilshole Bay Marina. I remember our on-the-boat Arctic blast. Griz was in Phoenix on business for most of the week (the dog). I got to do arctic boat bunny by myself. Fortunately, my job was close – a very short drive. I was also driving a dependable little 20-year-old Toyota beater at the time and it had vicious studded tires. There is great vehicular power and psychological freedom in driving a beater in ice and snow.

snowaboard2 When you live aboard in a large marina, you get used to the sound of wind in the rigging as background noise. But the 50 knot northerly that brought in that 1990 Arctic blast was an unusual, high-pitched howler – and it howled for days. WaterBrother was moored with her bow facing north and we slept in the V-berth. Although WaterBrother had an insulated hull, insulation is pretty minimalist on a 37′ sailboat. Our Dickinson diesel heater - which generally kept us toasty through Seattle winters – did a fine job on most of the cabin, but that strong northerly wind cooling the bow made the V-berth frigid. Before Griz got home, I had rigged a cocoon for myself with extra sleeping bags and space blankets. I’d also revitalized my appreciation of polypropylene long underwear.

And Griz didn’t get off the hook completely. Although the cold wind had subsided by the time he got home, there was still ice and snow on the ground. He didn’t want me to pick him up at the airport (25 miles from the marina), so he took a cab from Sea-Tac. Considering the road conditions – that was probably the greatest danger to either of us all week.

And there was a gift in that chilly week aboard. Made me re-evaluate whether I was really interested in over-wintering aboard in Alaska. Glad we never did.