Chris Mooney

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Chris Mooney

Born September 20, 1977(1977-09-20)
Occupation journalist

Christopher Cole Mooney (born September 20, 1977) is a U.S. journalist who focuses on science in politics.

He is a senior correspondent for The American Prospect and a contributing editor for Science Progress.[1] Additionally, he maintains a weblog, The Intersection, with Sheril Kirshenbaum and writes an online column named Doubt and About for the magazine Skeptical Inquirer, where he serves as a contributing editor.[2] He is the author of The Republican War on Science (2005). His second book, Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle Over Global Warming was released in 2007.

In recent years, he has contributed to a variety of other publications, including Slate, Salon.com, Mother Jones, Legal Affairs, Reason, The American Scholar, The Washington Monthly, the Utne Reader, Columbia Journalism Review, The Washington Post, the Washington City Paper and The Boston Globe.[2]

Recurring topics in Mooney's writing include climate change, the evolution-creation controversy, bioethics, alternative medicine, pollution, separation of church and state, and the government funding of education, research, and environmental protection.


[edit] Criticism and Reviews

Writing in the New York Times, John Horgan reviews The Republican War on Science saying "As the title indicates, Mooney's book is a diatribe, from start to finish. The prose is often clunky and clichéd, and it suffers from smug, preaching-to-the-choir self-righteousness. But Mooney deserves a hearing in spite of these flaws, because he addresses a vitally important topic and gets it basically right."[1] Lisa Margonelli, reviewing Mooney's second book, Storm World, for the New York Times, describes it as "a well-researched, nuanced book that suffers from poor organization and a lack of pizazz."[2].

Stuart Derbyshire, a senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham School of Psychology, praises Mooney when he states that he "...explains how Republicans have manipulated the inherent uncertainty in science to ensure that Congress rarely hears any consensus opinion that may damage a Bush policy. Using methods and strategies pioneered by the tobacco industry, Republicans put forward contrarian scientists who say what the Republicans want to hear. The body of scientific evidence can be sidestepped... Mooney rightly comments that this 'flagrant twisting of research findings to humour a particular political view violates the integrity of science by treating its conclusions as mere political fodder, rather than useful information to be considered in its full context'." However, Derbyshire also notes that Mooney's work "neglects to mention the sins of Democrats and even scientists themselves."[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Science Network: Biographical note
  2. ^ a b Committee for Skeptical Inquiry: Doubt and About
  3. ^ Spiked: Bush isn't the only one who's anti-science. 28 November 2005

[edit] External links

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