Remembering The Alar Scare; NYT Should Stop Targeting Scientists

30 years ago, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) launched a PR campaign against a plant-growth regulator called Alar, effectively eliminating use of the chemical in agriculture. What's the legacy of this infamous anti-chemical scare? The New York Times continues to attack good scientists on the say-so of environmental groups. The paper is trashing its credibility.  Join our directors of bio-sciences and medicine, Cameron English and Dr. Chuck Dinerstein, as they break down these stories on episode 27 of the Science Dispatch podcast. From the Archives: Apples, Alar, NRDC and Meryl Streep Meryl Streep, a proud Vassar grad, recently received a Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater. But rather than stress her stellar career as an actor, she discussed an earlier moment as a citizen-scientist. “Once you know how to search out and credit the facts around certain problems, you are called on by your conscience to act on them. The Vassar conscience rings a bell in your head; it’s a call to action in your heart.” The problem? Alar. NYT Attacks Great Scientist, Further Tanks Its Credibility The New York Times has again attacked an upstanding scientist based on claims made by duplicitous activist groups. This episode illustrates why the public's trust in media is plummeting.