Recently, Donald Trump nominated a new chief scientist for the United States Department of Agriculture, also known as the USDA. There is one small problem; he isn’t an actual scientist. Sam Clovis is a conservative radio talk show host who thinks that marriage equality leads to pedophilia, and doesn’t believe in climate change. Although he does have experience in the military and politics, Clovis has a lack of experience in agriculture and science. In an interview with Iowa Public Radio, Clovis stated, “I am extremely skeptical… A lot of the science is junk science. It’s not proven; I don’t think there’s any substantive information available to me that doesn’t raise as many questions as it does answers. So I am a skeptic.” This is very concerning when there is substantial evidence pointing that climate change does exist. There are loads of information about climate change and the way it harms the Earth, coming from real scientists.
In the past, Clovis has said that homosexuality is a choice and is a believer of the birther conspiracy: “For over a decade, Obama allowed his publisher to carry a biography that had him born in Kenya. Only after beginning his pursuit of did he ‘correct’ the entry.” On his views on homosexuality, he claims, “I don’t know what the science is on this, I think it’s still outㄧbut as far as we know, LGBT behavior is a choice they make.”
Sam Clovis does not base his claims on any substantial evidence nor does he present any facts to back those claims up, but he still states them as if they are real. This is similar to what Trump does and this tactic is very dangerous. The reason being is that when some one of a higher standard is saying anything that aligns with what a general audience believes, they will tend to automatically believe them just because it’s what they want to hear and not necessarily because it is actually correct. This is exactly how Trump won the presidency and had a strong cult following. During the Obama era, there was a resurgence of progressivism in media, and the conservatives felt as if they were outcasts and felt unheard. When Donald Trump started saying things that aligned with their beliefs, the audience became so strong and very loud as well as very adamant in Trump winning the presidency.
Radio show hosts with no experience in science cannot work in science, just as businessmen with no experience in public policy cannot decide what’s best for healthcare or what’s best for immigration.
When it comes to science and agriculture, real agriculturists and real scientists are necessary to figure out how to make the world a better and more environmentally friendly place, so that the Earth is becoming healthier instead of being destroyed. Radio show hosts with no experience in science cannot work in science, just as businessmen with no experience in public policy cannot decide what’s best for healthcare or what’s best for immigration. It is essential to have people with experience when it comes to deciding what is best for the Earth and what is best for the environment.
