an unearthly day

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) first purposed the theory that the earth was not the center of the universe in his monumental work, De Revolutionibus, Orbium Coelestium (On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres). Being lucky enough to die almost on the date of its publication, he did not suffer any punishment from the Catholic church, but his followers certainly did. Galileo Galilei (1546-1642) strongly supported the Copernican theory. Having the aid of telescope, Galileo managed to have visual support of the Copernican theory, in 1616 the Church condemned the Copernican theory and this almost forced Galileo into submission, the Church then put him under house arrest. (answer.com) Fox News has been known for their extensive climate change denial.A new study has found that the more time viewers spend consuming conservative media, the more skeptical they become of climate science. The paper, published in the journal "Public Understanding of Science," found that the key link between climate change denial and conservative outlets like Fox News and Rush Limbaugh was an inherent distrust of scientists. "Conservative media use decreases trust in scientists which, in turn, decreases certainty that global warming is happening," the study says. (Huff Post)

For many facts are too difficult to sort out and figure out for themselves. The why things happen are, for some, better left to those deemed the authority. If an Institution regales in their ability to speak for God and and promises fire and brimstone if you are not in agreement then perhaps it is better to let sleeping dogs lie. If an Institution pretends to be the interpreter of the Bible or the Constitution and bombards you with horror stories based on a flimsy bit of fact, then perhaps it is more American or even more Christian to go with the flow. Be it the Church of the 15th and 16th centuries or the current crop of Conservative head bangers of the 21st century it seems a large amount of the public is content to let false idols play God. We were told by the Church that God created Earth and Earth was his gift to mankind and we are lectured to by FOX and the Conservative pundents that Earth is Gods gift to mankind, yet then and now neither Institution seems to care how this gift is being treated. Fearful that Gods power might be questioned the ancient Church pretended that science was the work of the Devil. Even more fearful that the wealthy corporations and families of today may lose some earning power Fox and the Conservative Puppets refute any scientific claim claiming decline and decay of the Earth.  Facts are foolish, fiction is fabulous.

Today is Earth Day. The deniers are in full pretend mode. Science has been an enemy of the deniers. The same people who want to bring Creationism back as the study of science, the same people who prefer corporate profits over quality of life for the average person, the same people who say the Earth was created by God and bury their heads in the sand at the destruction of climate and environment are having a hissy fit today. Truth it seems in this modern day suddenly is subjective and not objective. As the Church refused to seek the facts for fear it might be considered less relevant so do the Conservative head bangers for fear that Capitalism might bring in less capital if we only stop doing business as usual. I often wonder if the Koch Brothers, Limbaugh, Hannity, the T-Publicans think that when the water dries up, the crops die, the Ice Caps melt that they somehow will survive while everyone else suffers? What have we learned from the deniers of the past, anything at all?