Global Warming

Global warming is a topic that has been floating around in the media for a few years now and is still just as controversial as the day it was conceived. This conspiracy states that the evidence that supports the allegations of global warming have been severely distorted or invented in the hopes of aiding certain unknown political or ideological reasons. The accusers have stated various reasons as to why global warming was invented. These range from trying to achieve a single government for the world to promoting nuclear power. Global warming doesn’t seem like it could be the cause of a global government because global warming should have nothing to do with politics. Global warming is about the earth’s climate and how it is changing and so I can’t even imagine how it could lead to a global government. Another accusation is that global warming was created to increase funding for climate sciences. Whether or not global warming exists or not I think that these researchers would receive more funding anyway because of the increasingly powerful storms that keep arising. 

Typhoon Haiyan superimposed over North America.

Just look to Typhoon Haiyan, an incredibly powerful storm that struck the coast of the Philippines. With more and more powerful storms like Haiyan I would suspect that more funding would follow to find out how to minimize casualties. I have even noticed that the weather isn’t the same as it used to be in the past. My grandmother would tell me stories of how the Detroit River would freeze over so thick that a car could drive on the ice. My parents would tell stories of how much snow they got when they were kids. Through my childhood there have been less and less snowfalls to the point where there is usually a light dusting of snow on the streets.

Average snowfall in my region.

This is not normal in my opinion and can only be associated with global warming. I think people are just afraid of facing the truth and would pretend like nothing is wrong instead of solving the problem. They say ignorance is bliss and those who believe global warming is a myth seem to follow these lines. I see it the same way as when Cornelius Fudge refused to believe that Voldemort had returned. Fudge launched many efforts to show how bad Harry and Dumbledore were to hide the truth that he so adamantly denied. Global warming is not a conspiracy theory in my eyes. It is a serious problem that needs to be addressed and cannot be ignored.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory

Disease

There are some people out in the world that would say that disease is not a creation of Mother Nature but instead a man made disease.  The accusers say that the human immunodefiency virus (HIV) was a manmade virus created by a secret agency. It was said that it was created as a tool of genocide or population control. Others believe it was created as an experiment in biological warfare and that the virus escaped into the public. Some will claim that the virus was giving to African American and homosexuals through hepatitis vaccinations. The last two ideas were that it was part of a diabolical plan to exterminate the black race and that it was released in Africa to slow its development.   

The HIV virus.

However incredible these accusations sound, I believe none of them are right and here’s why. I believe that a secret agency has more important things to worry about than making a genocidal virus such as finding criminals or protecting classified information and gathering data. If Edward Snowden hasn’t said anything on the topic, it’s more than likely that it isn’t a man made disease. As for a tool for population control it doesn’t seem very likely to me that the government would use a method this inefficient. Contraception and abstinence are much more effective and much less gruesome strategies in my opinion. The idea that it escaped from a lab is a bit ridiculous because of all the safety precautions that would be put in place to prevent such an event.   The idea that it was administered to African Americans and homosexuals through infected needles isn’t crazy, but the idea that the disease was only created for that purpose is simply preposterous. If HIV was created simply to exterminate the black race it would never complete that goal. 

A boy with higher levels of melanin, natures sunscreen.

Those who live in warmer climates have darker skin for a reason, to protect them from the sun. As long as there are people that live in warm climates there skin will begin to darken throughout their future generations. So in the big picture it wouldn’t matter how much one tries to eliminate the race because it will survive, because life always finds a way. Finally the development of Africa wasn’t slowed by a disease, was slowed by external forces taking Africa’s natural resource and not sharing them with the public, it was shared with only a select few who became dictators and brought pain and suffering to these regions. These are the reasons I believe HIV isn’t man made; I believe the way it came to be was that someone attempted to have intercourse with the hypothesized source, chimpanzees. 

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracy_theories#Creation_of_diseases

              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanin

Water Fluoridation

Water fluoridation is the controlled addition of the halogen gas fluoride into the public water supply. It is intended to promote better oral health and reduce tooth decay. However this well-intended act has spawned certain doubt among the public and with doubt come theories. These conspiracies began in the 1940s and developed during the following twenty years. Those who introduced these theories believed their government wanted to create a socialist or communist regime. In their minds, fluoridation was only the first step in a plot to control the American people.

 It was said that this was to weaken the brainpower of an American generation. These views began to subside within the next few decades and by the 1990s most public water contained fluoride. Fluoride was recently removed from the public water supply in my area, but considering I grew up with it all my life, I don’t really think it causes any health problems. Even though I don’t think it causes any problems, it was ironically removed due to health concerns. I’m not too sure of the long term consequences of fluoridation but I wouldn’t want to find out with me as the guinea pig. Now the other reason people were against the fluoridation I don’t agree with. I don’t really think that making the population drink water containing fluoride ions is best way to control them. Fluoride ions just aren’t a very convincing way to control people; however a complex chemical seems more likely to influence the mind. 

The acceptable concentrations levels are around 0.5 to 1.0 mg/L.

The conspiracies associated with fluoridation have mostly declined since the 1960s but safety concerns have filled that void. As I mentioned earlier fluoride was removed from the public water supply in my area due to safety concerns such as dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, and weakened bones. These only occur with extremely elevated concentrations of fluoride exposure during tooth development but seeing as water fluoridation is “controlled” I don’t see it as a concern. Basically I don’t really see any problem with fluoridation and I’m indifferent on it being a part of my water supply.