At my table we spent considerable time discussing why Americans we so slow to react to scientific evidence. For example, the Center for Disease Control had convincing evidence nearly 30 years ago that second hand smoke was a real killer. Yet, the tobacco industry was able to keep that information silent. I remember doing a funeral for a non-smoker who died 3 years ago from second hand smoke (all 5 of her adult kids were chain smokers). This was the first I had heard of how serious a hazard second hand smoke presented.

We like to brag about our freedoms in America. What we do not like to acknowledge is how powerful and well financed corporate interests (and their political supporters in Congress and the White House) influence scientific research and how it is reported. The stunning statistic from the movie is telling. There has not been a single scientific study that denies the danger of global warming that has been accepted by a respected "juried" professional journal. Zero. The reality is that if even the most far reaching plans to combat climatic change were adopted, the concentration of greenhouse gases will continue to rise. Global warming is already baked into the Earth's future. Yet, 53% of the news articles on the topic "raise doubts" about the danger. These dubious articles quote "scientific evidence" (always underwritten by large oil companies like Exxon, which earned $40 Billion last year alone) to support their claims. With this well funded and carefully orchestrated misinformation campaign it is not surprising that the public expresses doubts about something the scientific community is in unanimous agreement.

Last Tuesday I visited a close pastor friend in Philadelphia. We attended a movie and a religious lecture on the faith of George Washington. We took in the Philadelphia Auto Show during the mid- day break. On the entire main floor of the convention center, there were only 2 cars that had EPA rated highway mileage of over 37 MPG. There were monster trunks, huge Sport Utility Vehicles, and mid-sized cars with 260 horsepower engines-all getting about 18 MPG. My friend asked the Auto Show staff "where are the Mini's and the smaller cars?" The answer was,"they are in the basement. It is pretty hard to find them here." "Why?," my friend asked. The staff member replied, "the automakers insisted it be that way."

It is scandalous that we are not weaning ourselves off fossil fuels. But to be fair, we are not getting a lot of help from well funded corporate interests. I remember the line from the movie "Wall Street" where Michael Douglas', playing greedy corporate raider, Gordon Gecko, is being arrested for illegal activities. Gecko is asked why he never tells anyone the truth? He yells back, "because you couldn't handle the truth!"

Without the "truth" people cannot be expected to change behaviors. The "Truth" might be Inconvenient, but it is also life saving.

James Brassard