Here’s a link to an article in The Citizen Scientist about a guy named Dr. Pianka. The guy gave a speech about the need to exterminate over two-thirds of humanity… because we’re wrecking the environment and running out of oil. OIL!
Worse, the reporter claims he got a standing ovation after saying we could achieve this with purposeful depoyment of airborne Ebola.
The nutcase’s website is here. I can’t believe he was allowed to speak, or that people clapped for him.
Report via Blogcritics.
UPDATE: I stand happily, though ever so slightly sheepishly, corrected by Adam (see comments section below). Dr. Pianka’s very sensible thesis — that if we’re not careful we’ll have a nasty disease outbreak — is certainly not indisputable, but certainly isnt what this nutjob Mims alleged. I shall have to google names more carefully from now on. Whew.
I can’t believe I fell for the old “Mad Scientist” routine. I think it’s because I once did know a scientist whose thinking was, well, not quite as sick as this, but rather maddeningly nutjobby. Not any excuse, of course — it’s as dumb as saying I once knew a blonde who was stupid, and then believing claims that such-and-such a blonde is incredibly stupid without checking them out carefully. Ah well, live and learn.
And no, Adam, you didn’t seem particularly mad at me, and I’m not in the least offended. Correction is good for a person. :)
Forrest Mims, the “reporter” cited, is a frickin’ creationist nutjob with an axe to grind.
Pianka was not, in fact, calling for germ warfare. Here’s the real story. I’m happy to say that a local TV station has also debunked the story.
My most profuse apologies if I seem pissed off at you, Gord – I’ve wasted hours arguing about this with idiot wingnut co-workers already this week.
Glad to hear that, Gord. Ghod knows I’ve fallen for enough stuff in my time. (cf: Spears, Britney [statue of], Iraq, war in [reasons for])
Uh, yeah, thanks for the correction.
There was an article in the local paper about this.
Glad we’ve got Adam around. :)
Yes indeedy. I was a little shocked about it, myself. Which was why I posted about it. But I was too tired to ccross-check it. One thing about blogs — they’re right, sometimes we don’t fact-check enough; but we can actually retract statements much more effectively, too. The retraction can happen at the site of the post itself, instead of on some page in a much later newspaper.