Hello To preface this e-mail I am a PhD student working on the urban ecology and the ecophysiology of bats and in principle I agree with the point your trying to make. However don’t you think that the incredible level of self important, smug, adolescent and culturally insensitive wiseass tone of your web site totally voided an otherwise good point? I realise of course that I am only encouraging it but sending an e-mail but I felt compelled to as web sites like yours only make it harder to bring science to the general public.
In my work I aim to help people live more sustainable and allow for wildlife in cities I do heaps of community education and I rely on support from people of all walks of life. It doesn’t matter to me what they believe. We need to work together not antagonise each other and I feel your web site with its mocking tone will only reinforce the idea that scientists believe they know all and have no respect for anything but themselves. While your original idea was fine you opened it up to abuse by every ignoramus on the internet and it is now not about what they teach in schools but about how Americans can jump on a band wagon they don’t even understand. Sorry but we already knew they were good at that. Please do feel free to post this, though I dont think you will, as I am sure there are others like me who are disappointed at the way your point has been made.
Regards Andrea
Andrea Dekrout Ph.D. Student University of Auckland