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RE: [RC] weed free - David LeBlanc

Barbara said:

I can also tell you firsthand that doing a lot research and 
presenting facts doesn't always work, either.  The 
anti-(whatever) people often will NOT accept facts as proven 
by research.  

Sure, but you've got better odds if you do have the research. Plus, there's
the factor of who did the research, what their agenda was, and who funded
it. So here's what you do - you fund real research done by respected people
in a good university. Best case is that you find someone to take on the
research who your opponents have used previously and respect. Get it
published in a respected peer-review journal. Then others, who may have the
opposite agenda, will try and replicate the research. If the first research
is solid, even the people who don't like you have to agree. If not, then we
learn more.

They have an agenda, they make their living off 
that agenda, because there is a lot of federal and private 
money put into being "anti-" and they don't want to lose 
their money.  I am not being cynical when I say this; this is 
based on personal and family experience.

That's just the way the world works. Always someone with an entrenched
interest, whether it's just they've made their minds up, so no use bothering
them with facts, or they're interested in their wallet. So we have to plan
on that, counter it, and not believe that merely being right is enough.
Remember that the people who would like to keep us off trails will say the
same things about us.

That said, we may as well at least try to present our facts 
based on research.  But if we are up against people who 
believe that a man on foot should be the only one to enter an 
area, you may do all the research you want because that is 
what they believe (or say they believe) and please...don't 
confuse them with facts.

You're right - but there's a lot of people who are willing to listen to
reason. First we win those over, then we can work on the rest. If indeed the
facts are on our side, then we're in a lot better shape. So right now, we're
having a debate along the lines of:

"Keep horses out because they cause erosion and spread weeds."
"No they don't."
"Do so, too"

This obviously isn't going to get us anywhere. The conversation I'd much
rather have is:

"It's a myth that horses significantly spread weeds. Here's what really
happens [fill in blank]. Erosion can be a problem if the trails aren't well
built, but we'll help out with that and make sure we're not damaging
things."

While there are elements of the environmental movement who are completely
beyond reason, the people who really get things accomplished in terms of
really improving our environment (as opposed to making noise and theatrical
stunts) are driven by science. They have to be, because they're up against
entrenched interests funded by multi-national companies with billions of
dollars in revenue. We can and should use the same techniques to forward our
cause, and we need to find and build on common ground with these groups
instead of insulting them and calling them 'greenies' and such.

I do know something about this from real experience. My own research led to
changes that stopped millions of tons of air pollutants per year, improved
fuel efficiency, and the solution was reached with the EPA and the US auto
manufacturers cooperating to find a solution. The EPA news release is here:

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/8df5e230d6ef12248525701c005e0d28/8f
e4d7d91eafa23d8525646b006991da!OpenDocument

No amount of emotional arguments could have accomplished this - it took real
research and a lot of hard work.




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Replies
Re: [RC] weed free, Barbara McCrary