CNN har nu hoppat på tåget av FOX-esque bashing av vetenskaplig finansiering. Reportern Erin Burnett “rapporter” på federal finansiering av $5.7 miljoner dollar för att hjälpa till att bekämpa invasiva Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha Halys). Burnetts sarkasm är nästan tillräckligt tjock för att bryta sig in i SNL nivåer NARRAKTIGHET, but she seems genuine in her distain for this story. It’s clear that in her mind the $5.7mil has been wasted on methods to keep these bugs away from overly sensitive suburbanites and out of your hair. A quick Google search for this insect yields a very informative page from PennState as result #1, and it even has great images of the damage these bugs can cause to crops. Back in reality, it is not surprising that the government would fund research on a potentially critical new invasive species, one that has already proven to be highly destructive to some of our nations most important (och lukrativ) crops.
Go, Skeptical Moth, GO! Thanks for posting that and nicely said.
It’s impossible not to wish a plague of stinkbugs on Ms. Burnett.