This is the site for the Union of Concerned Scientists:
https://www.ucsusa.org/about-us
A couple of days ago I published this:
https://auntyuta.com/2019/03/07/merck-manipulated-the-science-about-the-drug-vioxx/
And here is a blogger friend’s response to it. Debra wrote:
“It should be scandalous, but I don’t think most people are even surprised any more. Very troubling, however. Thank you, Uta.”
After reading Debra’s response I made the following comment:
I am very concerned that politicians with some knowlege of science are often not capable of evidence-based decision making.
I hate it, when powerful corporations or special interest groups mislead us on science. And can we not be educated to see that we ought to aim that our food, power and transport are being produced in a sustainable way? I mean these things should be obvious to any government by now. And governments should show us the way how these things can become achievable.
I am not a very educated person. But I was able to find the above information (about the Union of Concerned Scientists!) on the internet. I would imagine anybody that gets voted into a parliament for sure has similar information at hand and ought to think about it what can be done about it.
I guess the problem so far is that powerful corporations and special interest groups have the power to overrule anything sensible that politicians might aim for in achieving in the interest of humankind. I wonder whether there is any chance that corporations might change their thinking drastically and maybe start acting more like the Union of Concerned Scientists might want them to act. And then maybe there would be a chance that governments also would be able to act accordingly. Sustainability does not have to mean that all of us have to live like paupers. We can still have a good life, without too much stress and not the constant threat of wars!
Please have a look, here is a link to some blogs I find very interesting:
AuntyUta 
Put yourself in my shoes. I’m a U.S. citizen who has a president who doesn’t believe in global warming. Can you think of a political position that’s more pleasing to corporate types who want to stick with “legacy” approaches to fuel/energy production?
I’m in a constant state of being appalled at our American President, Uta. It’s disheartening to me, and I can only imagine the frustration and I’d assume rage that most scientists are confronted with when corporate greed is praised and true science is not just ignored, but denigrated. I feel like the United States needs to apologize to the rest of the world, but just to be clear, most of us didn’t vote for him!
You say, Debra, that corporate greed is praised and true science is not just ignored, but denigrated. I wonder if ‘most’ scientists are frustrated and enraged about this, why then can we not notice more change in the way the system works? All right, your present president maybe just wants to support big business. And what was it like with President Obama? Didn’t big business thrive while he was in power, and was he at all able to stop wars? Some people did get a lot richer and a lot of people did get a lot poorer. This is how the system works!
Our political system here in Australia works like this, that whatever party is in power, Australia does anything the USA wants us to do. And we do not have a vote in your elections!
I certainly don’t have any answers to your questions, Uta, but I think about the issues quite a bit. It will always come down to personal responsibility and I also think in choosing elected officials it could be said we need to make “the better of the bad choices.” I am not going to get into a debate defending Obama, as there is plenty to say that is reason to be cynical. But when Congress and the Senate became full-time obstructionists, we lost the opportunity to see what might have been different. I’m really surprised to hear your say that Australia does what the USA wants–I wonder if that is going to change. I would say that we are leading people in the wrong direction most of the time. I repeat what I said at the beginning…I sure don’t have the answers!!
Thank you so much for your answer, dear Debra.
Of course I too do not have any answers, just a bit of wishful thinking as for instance what I said in the above post:
” . . . . powerful corporations and special interest groups have the power to overrule anything sensible that politicians might aim for in achieving in the interest of humankind. I wonder whether there is any chance that corporations might change their thinking drastically and maybe start acting more like the Union of Concerned Scientists might want them to act. And then maybe there would be a chance that governments also would be able to act accordingly. Sustainability does not have to mean that all of us have to live like paupers. We can still have a good life, without too much stress and not the constant threat of wars!
I only know, sooner or later some changes may come anyway for somehow every power structure is undergoing some natural changes or disappearing altogether. I feel very fortunate that I can still enjoy life in lots of ways. For the time being we try to do the best we can possibly do, even though at the back of our minds we feel the threat that mankind might face immense disasters.”
Yes, I wish that all of us may aim for sustainability in the interest of all mankind and that as much as possible powerful corporations and interest groups start working for peace rather than war so that everyone on this planet has the chance to live life without any threat of war!
I really do like Obama. He is a brilliant orator. He gave us hope for peace in this world. Sadly what he was able to achieve as president was not enough.