I just can’t resist science and music.
Archive for February, 2010
FYB: Lecture-Greenwashing and Corporate Moral Motivation
Posted in Feed Your Brain, lecture with tags Greenwashing, lecture on February 26, 2010 by saskskeptic
There is a lecture today Friday, Feb. 26 at 3:30 by:
Chris MacDonald
(St. Mary’s University, Halifax)“Greenwashing and Corporate Moral Motivation“3:30 PM
Goodspeed Theatre (Room 18), Edwards School of Business
This is sponsored by the Department of Philosophy.
More about the topic:
TITLE OF PROJECT: “Greenwashing” and Corporate Moral Motivation
AUTHOR: Dr. Chris MacDonald Saint Mary’s UniversityABSTRACT: This project seeks to examine the moral category of “greenwashing”, and to enquire into normative issues related to the motives that corporations have for highlighting their environmental accomplishments. “Greenwashing” is the term applied to what is perceived to be dishonest representation of corporate environmental records. Corporate communications are typically labeled “greenwashing” when observers are skeptical about what is motivating either a) the environmental project or policy being publicized, or b) the corporation’s decision to publicize it. The current project seeks to apply the tools of Rational Choice Theory to illuminate the motivational structures behind a) corporate communications about environmental practices, and b) consumer and activist responses to such communications.
Bridge City Boogie
Posted in news with tags Bridge City Boogie, Charity, running, Saskatoon, Saskatoon Freethinkers on February 26, 2010 by saskskepticRegistration for the Bridge City Boogie has opened up. Come join the Saskatoon Freethinker’s team.
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Overheard last year—”I think they are atheists!”.
Go here to register. You have to register through active.com. When you register, they ask you what team you want to be on.
Date
Sunday, June 13, 2010 @ 8:00 AM local time
Course Maps
2km Course
5km Course
10km CourseTeam Members
Select Register Now from above and pick the Team category that pertains to you. Then select your Team Name from the drop down box on the registration form. Continue through the registration process.
Additional Information
All participants must pick up race packages, timing chips, race number, and t-shirt during the Package Pick-up Saturday June 12 between 10am-3pm. Visit our website for more information. http://www.bridgecityboogie.ca
Boogie on Saskatoon!
Individual Rates
Event until APRIL 14 until May 14 until June 11 2k $15 $15 $20 5k $25 $30 $35 10k $35 $40 $50 Team – Student Rates (18 years or younger)
Event until APRIL 14 until May 14 until May 21 2k $5 $10 $15 5k $15 $20 $25 10k $25 $35 $45 Team – Adult Rates
Event until APRIL 14 until May 14 until May 21 2k $15 $15 $20 5k $25 $30 $35 10k $35 $40 $50
Secular Parenting meeting
Posted in Event on February 25, 2010 by saskskepticThe next Secular Parenting Meeting is:
Mindfulness Parenting, Friday March 5th
7-10pm, Mayfair Library branch (602 – 33rd Street West)
As a parent, how do we survive the daily-ness of it all? How do we get past the guilt of our “bad mother” or “bad father” moments, and focus on the positives of parenting? This month we’ll discuss this post on mindfulness parenting from the Greater Good Institute, and we’ll swap stories about the good and ugly moments of parenting we’ve all been through.
As always, feel free to bring your kids, spouse, or anyone interested in the issues of secular parenting.
UofS Freethought In the Pub
Posted in Event with tags U of S Freethought on February 25, 2010 by saskskepticThe U of S Freethought campus group is having a pub night Tuesday, Mar. 2
At Louis’ Pub. Come anytime after 7:00. Beer is $1.
Who can argue with the price of beer.
Andrew Wakefield’s Legacy
Posted in Skeptic on February 24, 2010 by koinosukeMost scientists toll in obscurity – checking, rechecking, and ever-so-slowly pushing scientific understanding forward. Few lucky individuals will make the big breakthrough and live on forever in the history books, with such luminaries as Albert Einstein, Louis Pasteur, or Edwin Hubble. History also preserves the infamous as well: Pons and Fleischmann, Franz Mesmer, and now Andrew Wakefield. These are the ones who – well intentioned or not – were not content to wait for their work to be vetted; they took their discoveries directly to the public and to our detriment.
In February, 1998, Andrew Wakefield called a press conference to announce he had found a cause of autism. After placing a scope into the intestines of a handful of autistic children, he had found inflammation which he said was the result of the measles virus. This virus, he claimed, came from the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. Just like Mesmer, Pons and Fleichmann, Wakefield’s claim was about to crumble under scientific scrutiny, but he had already opened the Pandora’s box: he had falsely implicated the greatest life-saving intervention ever invented, and worse, told the public before his claim was verified. Public confidence in the MMR vaccine was shattered, and even Wakefield’s solution of separating the MMR vaccine in to three shots did not prevent vaccination rates from falling. Hundreds of children were hospitalised, and dozens died from what should have been a preventable disease.
Other scientists tried to repeat Wakefield’s findings but were not successful. More and more of Wakefield’s results were found to be anomalous. Eventually, disturbing news about the original Lancet trial began to emerge due to the investigations of Brian Deer. Andrew Wakefield’s funding was provided by a lawyer who was trying to build a case on the behalf of parents who believed their children suffered complications after receiving a vaccine. Wakefield also had a patent on a separated MMR vaccine, and stood to make a lot of money if the public lost confidence in the combined vaccine. The lab that found the measles virus in the children’s intestines has serious methodological issues, to the point of incompetence. The children’s medical records did not match Wakefield’s records, and therefore raising the spectre of outright scientific fraud. The Lancet, after far too long, finally retracted the Wakefield paper, and Wakefield was found guilty of grossly unethical behaviour by the Britain’s General Medical Council.
Over a decade has passed since the original study, and where are we now? We are certain – as certain that the earth revolves around the sun – that vaccines do not cause autism. Yet the fear the Wakefield spawned remains with us and the return of vaccine-preventable diseases remains a constant threat. The anti-vaccine movement given wings by Wakefield’s study is still going strong despite study after study refuting Wakefield’s original claims. There are also the children, now numbering in the hundreds, who suffered and died from diseases that should have been a distant memory of a time before vaccines. This is Andrew Wakefield’s legacy, and he has left it to us to pick up the pieces.
More Reading:
Nate Phelps in Calgary [Update]
Posted in news, Skeptic with tags CFI Calgary, Nate Phelps on February 24, 2010 by saskskeptic
Nate Phelps will be in Calgary to give a talk on Sunday March 14th from 2-4:30 pm.
Nate is the atheist son of Fred Phelps. Fred is the head of the Westboro Baptist Church (hate group). You know that God hates Canada (NSFW, or children).
There is likely a group of people from Saskatoon going to Calgary for the talk. Leave a comment if you are interested.
From the facebook page for this CFI Calgary event
Nate Phelps: An Atheist looks back on growing up in Westboro Baptist Church
“The Uncomfortable Grayness of Life”
Date: Time: Location: Street: City/Town: Nate Phelps is one of the estranged children of Pastor Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church. Since Pastor Phelps began his latest assault on various segments of the world in 1991, Nate has been providing his perspective on the dark (or perhaps darker) side of Pastor Phelps.
Centre For Inquiry has invited Nate to Calgary to share his insights with the Calgary community. Knowing how groups like Westboro Baptist work is not only fascinating, but helpful in countering their message.
Westboro Baptist is famous for their “God Hates Fags” campaign and protesting of high profile funerals. Though based in the United States, WBC still attempts to influence Canadians, but they have been blocked at the border while traveling to protest funerals in our country.
Cost: $5, or free with CFI membership.
Vancouver Skepticamp
Posted in news with tags skepticamp, Vancouver Skepticamp on February 24, 2010 by saskskepticThe third Vancouver Skepticamp is going to be help March 20. Skepticamps grew out the computer industry Barcamp concept. An alternative to going to expensive conferences, participants in the camps contribute in some way. Some become presenters, some help organize, some help cleanup. Everyone shares and everybody learns.
Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Location: UBC’s Victoria Learning Theatre (Room 182) at Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, 1961 East Mall, Vancouver [map]
Speakers: Anyone can volunteer to give a talk, but space is limited. Talks can be as short as 5 minutes, or as long as 20 minutes, but there’s always an opportunity for questions and audience interaction during and after each presentation. Register now and indicate your desire to give a presentation and your intended topic. Do you know an interesting speaker? Get them to register!
Admission: Free, but space is limited. Register now to guarantee your spot. Invite your skepti-curious friends and help promote skepticism.
via Terahertz blog
Feed Your Brain: Philosophy In the Community – “Olympic Sport: An Oxymoron?”
Posted in Feed Your Brain on February 22, 2010 by saskskepticProfessor Leslie Howe
Department of Philosophy, University of Saskatchewan“Olympic Sport: An Oxymoron?”
Wednesday, March 10th @ 7 pm
The Refinery (in the basement of St. James’s Church), 609 Dufferin Ave., at 12th St.Sponsored by the Department of Philosophy & the College of Arts and Science
More information at: http://www.usask.ca/philosophy/
Don’t Feed “Feed the Children”
Posted in news, Skeptic with tags CBS, CBS News, Charity, Feed the Children on February 22, 2010 by saskskepticCBS News recently did a report on the American Christian charity Feed the Children. If only a few of the allegations are true they are very disturbing.
They include:
In a lawsuit, Larry Jones accuses the Board of serious financial neglect, claims his daughter misused charity funds including living in a $1.2 million dollar Los Angeles home on the charity’s dime, and that she engaged in illegal schemes to cover up unpaid taxes.
Larri Sue denies any wrongdoing. The board claims it’s her father who got caught taking bribes and kickbacks, awarded himself and his wife unauthorized pay raises and went so far as to bug the executive offices.
“Only 21-23 percent of your cash donations that people give actually go to program services,” Attkisson said.
“Fifty-four percent of cash is spent on TV, radio ads and direct mail,” Attkisson said.
Regarding efforts in Haiti, which is prominent on Feed the Children’s website:
Which brings us to Haiti. In online e-mail messages and on its Web site, “Feed the Children”, the chairty claimed it set up a base and was running a huge camp “providing medical relief for 12,000 people.”
CBS News decided to send a camera to the camp in Carrefour, west of Port-au-Prince, to see for ourselves.
And:
We found the camp was set up by local monks and nuns, not “Feed the Children.”
Rachel Zelon, the “Feed the Children” worker we first saw at the camp in Carrefour, later contacted us to explain why the charity wasn’t feeding anyone there. She told us not one donation from “Feed the Children” ever reached her in Haiti.
It should be noted that the Canadian Feed The Children charity is not affiliated with the US charity. From the Canadian Feed the Children FAQ
What’s in a name? Our organizational name is similar to that of other charities, which sometimes causes confusion. We are an independent Canadian organization, overseen by a dedicated board of directors and are not affiliated with Feed The Children Inc., headquartered in Oklahoma USA, or its Canadian affiliate, FTC Canada, which recently began operations out of Guelph, ON.
