Well said Greg.
Ms Divine is entitled to her opinions and they apparently sell copy, which
is all Fairfax cares about. The days of responsible media are long gone.
They are commercial organisations pursuing profits and the consequences be
damned.
All I can do personally is not read what I perceive to be utterly ill
informed copy intended to do nothing but inflame and get a reaction. The
same person who said the people of New Orleans deserved what they got for
building in a cyclone prone area now says that greenies are murderers and
should be hanged from lamp posts and that it's greenies and not arsonists
who should be blamed for the fires.
Well, she is entitled to that and we are just as entitled to take issue with
it.
By the way, the Bolt/Divine comment I made was supposed to be humorous -
sorry if it came off the wrong way.
Alistair
2009/2/19 Greg & Val Clancy <>
> Hi Bob,
>
> You have made some good points about free speech etc. but the biggest
> frustration for scientists is that we have to have some sound basis or
> evidence for our views but non-scientists, including journalists, can make
> the most outrageous claims that are accepted by many as 'facts'. The
> problem with this misinformation is that it affects politicians and
> bureaucrats in their decision making. This sort of irrational ranting will,
> potentially, result in a large amount of ecological damage being done in the
> name of fire prevention.
>
> But I accept that, unfortunately, we have to live with the vitriol and
> irrationality of these uninformed people as we live in a democracy. But I
> can't help getting frustrated and cranky with them.
>
> Regards
>
> Greg Clancy
>
>
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