Science à la Carte 9In 7 , under the direction of its administrator, Scott Pruitt (who
has subsequently resigned in disgrace), the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) began purging scientists from its Scientific Board.^ In
their place would be representatives from chemical and fossil fuel com-
panies. The role of EPA’s Science Board is to review the scientific merits
of research findings in fulfilling the agency’s mission. EPA’s mission
is to protect the health of people and the environment. For food and
agriculture, EPA regulates pollutants flowing into waterways, pesti-
cides applied to crops, and contaminants released into the atmosphere.
Retaining the appearance of a Scientific Board—while introducing con-
flicts of interest—is a blatant repudiation of the platform for science.
A beautiful afternoon overlooking the shores of Lake Michigan was
the perfect backdrop for a summer barbecue and a chance to meet new
friends. One was a physician, the other an automotive designer. The
conversation flowed naturally, meandering through life experiences
before turning to questions of what kinds of footprints we were leaving
behind.
Readily acknowledging that our generation had irrevocably
changed the world, we pondered what awaited our children and future
generations to follow. Two of us were particularly concerned with issues
like global warming, the availability of fresh water, our reliance on liquid
fossil energy, and growing resistance of pathogens. In our minds, these
issues represented weighty, complex problems that defied easy solutions.
Perhaps hoping to jump-start our thinking, the third person declared
his optimism, saying, “Science has always solved problems in the past.
If future problems are important enough, science will find solutions.”
Indeed, living in a world transformed by science, we are seduced into
believing that science will save us from whatever perils are lurking on the
horizon. By wishing it were so, we rest easier, assured that science is far
ahead of us, pioneering new opportunities, neatly arranging everything
to our liking, and cleaning up after us. Like a dessert tray the waiter
wheels up to our table at the end of a delectable meal, we can choose à la
carte the science that serves us best while ignoring the rest.
“We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and tech-
nology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and tech-