How to Spot “Green Talk”

I am hardly alone in this and a friend of mine, Rich Kozlovich, has actually made a list of favorite phrases he identifies as the weasel-words and phrases Greens favor. With his permission, I will share some of it. In no particular order, if you read or hear any of the following, it is a warning sign that there is little proof to support whatever is being claimed:

• Might cause
• Could cause
• Studies suggest
• Linked to
• Voiced concerns about
• Expressed some concern
• Experts fear
• The long term effects are unknown
• Negligible concern is still expressed about X
• Minimal concerns
• Still leaves doubts
• Some scientists were critical
• Researchers hypothesize
• Suspected hormonal imbalance
• Many scientists say
• Still, some environmental substances remain suspicious
• May make women more likely to
• Probably to blame
• Ecologists are worried that
• Has the potential to significantly promote
• Factors suggest
• There is a serious connection to
• Mounting evidence that these chemicals "may trigger hormonal changes"
• Contrary to the overwhelming impression conveyed by scientists and politicians
• Scientists say or science says

Phrases that are commonly used to arouse fear include the following:

• Could be causing neurological and behavior effects in unborn babies and young children
• Data is yet inadequate to make a judgment, however the weight of the evidence says we have a problem
• Government scientists cautioned that their finding is highly preliminary because of the small number of women and children involved and lack of evidence from other studies.
• We've used a new research technology to generate hypotheses and possible associations
• While further study is needed to understand the impact, it is unlikely (or likely) that
• While voicing caution on the link to (X), concerns were widespread that, if left unregulated, (X) could hurt the environment.
• The simple truth is that the way we allow chemicals to be used in society today means we are performing a vast experiment, not in the lab, but in the real world, not just on wildlife but on people

Hogwash! You can read Kozlovich’s entire commentary here. In 1990 I founded The National Anxiety Center as a clearinghouse for information about “scare campaigns” designed to influence public opinion and policy. Its website is an archive of some of my writings over the years. The sheer volume of bogus claims has required me to blog daily to debunk the many manifestations of Green talk to advance nutty and dangerous campaigns such as a “global warming” that involves destroying our economy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Much of what passes for environmentalism is entirely fear-based and, as such, exists to hide a political agenda to use government at all levels from the federal to the local to enact laws and regulations that require people to take actions that, as often as not, lack any scientific, economic, or civic justification. To make matters worse, they often come with unnecessary and wasteful costs. It is a deception to distract you from the actual purpose; to control over your life and your choices. It is snake oil. Don’t buy it. © Alan Caruba, 2010