Michael Rosenthal

(12/2020) As we all know, the current federal administration has shown no interest whatsoever in protecting the earth from climate change. Global warming is indeed real; it touches many aspects of life in this world, and it bodes poorly for the future of the planet if action is not taken to combat it. Either President Trump didn’t believe in it, or he just didn’t care. We will probably never know which is true.

All responsible scientists now believe without doubt that carbon dioxide, CO2, methane, CH4, and other greenhouse gases released from the burning of fossil fuels are making strong contributions to the warming of the earth. President-elect Biden has already discussed the issue of climate change with many European heads of state. He believes that this is an urgent issue that requires immediate action, and I absolutely agree. There is already a 300-page plan for a holistic approach to climate issues prepared by a team of former government officials, entitled the Climate 21 Project.

The report specifies dozens of ways greenhouse gases can be reduced. The Trump administration has ignored this report, increasing oil and gas drilling and eliminating, reducing, and ignoring laws that support pollution control. This is of particular interest to me. In previous articles I have described my journey from my education as a traditional physical inorganic laboratory chemist to also an environmental scientist, during my 19 years at Bard College in the Hudson Valley of New York state.

Recommendations in the Climate 21 Project report include establishing a "Carbon Bank" that could pay farmers and forest owners to store carbon in their soils and lands, to continue to electrify car and truck production through the federal Transportation Department to reduce pollution from the burning of gasoline, and developing financial incentives that encourage carbon reductions through tax, budget and regulatory policies.

Many of these initiatives can be started by presidential action, while congressional action can hopefully follow. I certainly understand the importance of promoting successful business ventures, but one has to use some sense, I feel, to consider the damage to the environment and the long-term health of the only planet we have to live on. We must seek a balance between the two.

Ten percent of the earth has warmed 2 degrees Celsius, almost 4 degrees Fahrenheit, and though these numbers seem small to the average reader, climate scientists tell us that we are on the path to severe and irreversible damage to our planet. President-elect Biden has already expressed a plan that can face these issues and slow the temperature rise.

We need to develop policies that do not get remade every time we change presidents. The Obama era was supportive of auto tailpipe emission standards. President Trump did all he could to weaken that effort. The auto industry is split on the issue, facing a conflict between profit and environmental protection. We need a policy that works to protect the earth and that lives on from administration to administration. It comes down to the conflict between the present and future of life on Earth, our only planet.

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On a somewhat more entertaining subject, let’s talk about paranormal powers. There are two kinds of magic. The magic which we know is show business and entertainment, and the magic we believe is real. I named this column Real Science to call attention to the work of those individuals who have set out to distinguish between pseudoscience, which is fine for entertainment purposes, and real science, that is consistent and follows the laws of nature without exception. The laws of nature cannot be modified by legislation (or by imagination or for profit!)!

When I was very young in Youngstown, Ohio, I attended a theatre magic show where Blackstone The Magician, the most famous theater magician of the time, pulled a rabbit from a hat. Good entertainment indeed, but still he obeyed nature’s laws. Oh yes, I was the 9 year-old called to the stage and awarded the rabbit! (I never have figured out why I was chosen). But my parents did not let me keep the rabbit. It did go to a good home, and we had a great dog at home. I don’t to this day know how Blackstone did it, but it was illusion, not magic, I’m sure of that!

Toothpaste: a product so deeply ingrained in American culture that we take it for granted. There are many varieties of toothpaste on the market. When we leave our dentist’s office for a checkup, we are always handed a packet containing a new toothbrush, and toothpaste. I’ve often wondered how our dentist chooses the toothpaste. Like all chemical products, toothpaste can be good for you or bad for you. In 2019 a chemical named triclosan was found in many types of toothpaste. Triclosan is an antibacterial chemical that helps prevent dental gingivitis. Research however found that triclosan may disrupt some thyroid hormones and immunity, and may also disrupt the effectiveness of antibiotics. It has been banned from hand soaps and body washes.

I have previously suggested to readers that you not take supplements unless they have FDA approval. The general worry with commercial products is that they may contain dangerous chemicals. It is one thing not be as effective as claimed, but for a chemical to be dangerous to your health is another story. The FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, is not immune for misjudgment or error, but your chances are much better that a product is safe and effective if it is FDA approved. Of course, you need to listen to the advice of your physician as well.

I was the health professions advisor in my first college teaching position, 19 years of service at Bard College in New York, and I can assure you that though many of my students who went to medical school were honest and capable of good advice, I couldn’t say it was 100%. So now, I suggest that you take the advice of a board-certified physician, and do an online search for material about the drug. I also have a lot of faith in Consumer Reports and their findings, which tend to be solidly scientifically based.

P.S. Keep an eye on the Space X Launch which took place on November 15. We’ll write more about it as events develop.

Read other articles by Michael Rosenthal