In case you’re living under a rock and reading this, the United States will choose either pro-science Joe Biden or science-denying Donald Trump to be our next president. There are a lot of reasons to support former Vice President Biden over Trump, but the biggest one for me is that he’s pro-science.
Science matters. And it matters more than just climate change, vaccines, COVID-19 pandemic, and many other issues that are critical to the world these days. It is also relevant to healthcare, women’s health, abortion, and competitiveness in today’s world.
I know that none of you who read this blog will be surprised that I give my strongest endorsement of the pro-science Joe Biden over that Nazi Republican Donald Trump. But let me show where Biden and science are sympatico with mine. And hopefully, yours.
Joe Biden and science
I don’t want to write my usual 2000 words, so I’m just going to give a quick list of the things that matter to me, at least with Joe Biden and his pro-science views. There are great many other issues in which I agree with Biden – racial issues, equality (racial, LBGTQ, and women especially), our relation with other countries, healthcare, and many others.
However, my expertise is science, so I’ll stick with that.
In the USA, trust in science has become a political issue – more people on the left of the political scale support science than on the right. And only about 6% of US scientists are Republicans
Now, I don’t know if this correlation is causation (in either directIon), but here’s the thing about science – it is apolitical, and only relies upon evidence. Either there is evidence to support or reject a hypothesis or there isn’t.
Of course, we all know about those on the right who reject evolution, climate change, COVID-19, and many other issues. But, in case you were wondering, the left can annoyingly reject good science too – GMOs, nuclear power, and vaccines.
Many times, those on the left use the same logical fallacies, pseudoscience, bias to deny science as do those on the right. And many of us have the impression that those who buy into junk medicine, like chiropractic, homeopathy, and acupuncture are more on the left than right.
However, in general, liberals are much more pro-science than conservatives. So let’s take a look at some of Joe Biden’s pro-science views.
COVID-19
With over 230,000 Americans dead (probably a lot more because we’re undercounting) from the novel coronavirus pandemic, the USA has hit new records for COVID-19 infections and deaths keep rising.
Trump keeps telling us that we’ve “rounded the corner” and other nonsense about the disease. He has threatened the firingof Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is the face of the leadership against this disease. He hates masks. He is part of the COVID-19 denier world.
Pro-science Joe Biden does none of that. He wears a mask. He supports the science of the pandemic. He wants to hear from the experts.
Biden’s pandemic plans — which his team has been preparing since March — promise to ramp up the country’s test-and-trace programs; address racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infection rates and outcomes; and rebuild pandemic-readiness programs cut by the Trump administration.
Biden wins.
Vaccines
Donald Trump tries to paint Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as “anti-vaxxer.” This is because Biden wants to make sure that a new coronavirus vaccine is safe and effect according to scientists, not political expediency.
I happen to strongly agree.
And if there’s anyone who is anti-vaccine, it’s Trump.
Pro-science Biden wins.
Climate change
This isn’t even close. Donald Trump is a climate change denier, blaming wildfires in California on “not cleaning your floors,” rather than on the actual cause – global warming.
But there’s so much more:
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- He pulled us out of the Paris climate accords.
- He has ordered the EPA to roll back regulations on coal-fired power plants.
- He has rolled back over 80 regulations that cover environmental regulations that help reduce carbon emissions.
- He has sought to open nearly all U.S. waters and protected lands to oil and gas drilling, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, though many of his executive orders are still being challenged in federal court.
- He has tried to block automobile emission standards like the tough ones that California has.
This isn’t even close. Pro-science Joe Biden has a powerful, though not what every single progressive wants, doable climate plan.
Investing in science
One of the things that always confuses me about Republicans in general, and Trump specifically, science pays enormous economic dividends. Huge industries, that employ millions of people, rely upon scientific research. Pharmaceuticals, medical devices, computer software, and so much more rely upon scientists and engineers to drive those industries.
America is the leader in medical medical research. The USA leads the world in overall investment in scientific research.
Yet, Trump is attempting to slash science investment except for NASA because he likes their toys.
Once again, pro-science Joe Biden wins with a knockout. Biden wants to invest in science education, to improve immigration for scientists and engineers, invest in R&D, and many other strategies to grow the USA’s leadership in science.
Dogs love Joe Biden!
Vote for pro-science Joe Biden
Again, there’s so much more than science to make me support Joe Biden for president. He cares about equality. He cares about our world. He cares about the country over his own wealth.
But on science – COVID-19, climate change, and investment – Joe Biden is the clear winner.
Get out and vote, if you haven’t already. Let’s fix our country.
