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Brown Bag - Green Book: A Lunch & Learn Series from Knox County Public Library and the City of Knoxville
When a handful of scientists carefully planted seeds of doubt about climate change, the harmful effects of smoking, and a host of other critical issues, the American public was led dangerously astray. Dr. Louis Gross, UT Professor of Mathematics and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, will open our eyes to the truth as he reviews Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M.M. Conway, in this month's Brown Bag, Green Book program, Wednesday, July 18, 12 pm in the East Tennessee History Center, 601 South Gay Street.
Publishers Weekly gave Merchants of Doubt a Starred Review: "Oreskes and Conway tell an important story about the misuse of science to mislead the public on matters ranging from the risks of smoking to the reality of global warming. The people the authors accuse in this carefully documented book are themselves scientists—mostly physicists, former cold warriors who now serve a conservative agenda, and vested interests like the tobacco industry. "
"This book emphasizes how science provides a rational method to build the weight of evidence that as a society we rely upon to understand how the world works and how it came to be as it is," Gross says. "Through careful scholarship, the authors point out how public perceptions can be misled by supposed experts."
As Director of the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, Gross brings in the worlds' leading researchers on hosts of biological topics to Knoxville. His own research has included Everglades restoration planning, invasive species control, infectious disease management, and risk assessment of environmental contaminants. He is past President of the Faculty Senate at UTK, a long-time volunteer for Jubilee Community Arts and Community Shares, and serves as House Sound Engineer for concerts at the Laurel Theatre.
"Tennesseans who care deeply about the benefits of science education, to offer better opportunities for our community," Gross says, "will benefit from the understanding this book provides about how media coverage of science can be manipulated by those with political agendas."
The public is invited to join the conversation and bring a lunch or pick up something from a downtown restaurant. Copies of the books are available at the Library if you'd like to read one before the program.
On August 15, Gina Hancock, State Director of Nature Conservancy of Tennessee, will talk about Conservancy: The Land Trust Movement in America by Richard Brewer
On September 19, Stephanie Welch, Community Development and Planning Director, Knox County Health Department, will talk about Toward the Healthy City: People, Places, and the Politics of Urban Planning by Jason Coburn.
On October 17, Madeline Rogero, Mayor of the City of Knoxville, will discuss Emerald Cities: Urban Sustainability and Economic Development by Joan Fitzgerald.
Knoxville Summer Book Reads and Leads
Published July 2, 2012
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