The title sounds menacing, but I’ve learned that words like strategy and plot in a title are good for SEO. While our primary focus should have been science, search engine optimization and keyword positioning rank high on the subjects we’ve researched over this first full year. This post was intended to outline where we were headed and what we learned to apply to the upcoming year.
2021 begins just as strange
On Wednesday afternoon I was about 2/3 of the way through writing the post to upload this morning, when one of the most unthinkably jarring events to happen to my country in almost 20 years occurred.
By now everyone in the US and most everyone across the world is aware of the mob that breached the US capital in Washington DC. The capital is only about a 40-minute drive south of where I sit writing a drab “housekeeping” type of post about what our plans are for the upcoming year.
My anger boiled over watching the scenes online. This cult that collectively thinks they are audacious enough to waltz into the seat of the longest existing democracy and demand their fascist leader be recognized as the one true head of state, are the same people who have been derailing the basic tenants of science.
Science that they can’t understand is untrue. Medical reasoning that interrupts their lives is fake and unnecessary. And now, government that doesn’t recognize them as the superior breed is unfair and must be toppled over.
The war on Science
(Huh, so I can actually tie this into our plans for the year.)
Shawn Lawrence Otto wrote The war on science in 2015 before theDonald took office. Otto details the way special interest groups and political figures manipulated the public distrust in science. As far back as the 40’sand 50’s tobacco companies and energy interests were using marketing strategies to sow seeds of doubt with the public.
It’s disheartening to read how the propaganda behind climate denial five or ten years ago closely parallels the misinformation spread about COVID-19, social unrest, and free and fair elections in 2020.
Last summer as I read that book, a more clear idea came to me about what this site was about. I took this idea to the DLP crew (of 2 for now), and we agreed our message holds a deeper purpose than just the appreciation of nature. We can be resource for Science Truth.
The year ahead
When I see scenes like we saw on Jan 6, 2021, I begin to doubt there is a place for a spot like ours. People don’t want truth. Truth is boring, truth carries no self-importance, and truth is too uncomfortable. Truth doesn’t favor one group over another.
We’ll press on though. The idea that germinated a year and a half ago will continue to grow-very slowly. I intend to post more content on a more regular basis. The content won’t focus on exclusively nature. There will be posts spanning all realms of science. Also, nature related photos and art, along with happy tiny buddhas. Stay tuned for twitter link.
The take home
We still are working on the idea of Science Activism. Aside from beating deniers over the head with a metaphorical “Truth Brick” we don’t know what else to do. This has to stop. People have to stop opposing and ignoring ideas because some of those ideas are uncomfortable and lead to hurt feelings.
The people who need to hear our message the most won’t listen, but they seem to have a disproportionately higher number of resources at their disposal. This site may be just another face in the crowd, but the crowd is too small. “Science truthers” have to drown out the shouting.
We invite you to join us!
