I have always loved science. The logic of its foundations, the research rigour, the philosophy of science and above all, the fact that scientific theories need to be able to be disproved has always somehow meshed with the way my mind works.
Lately however the rise of the so called religious pseudo science has been troubling me. It is the ingrained belief that no matter what the problem is or how dire a situation has come to be, science will save the day. In a way this is almost a religious replacement but, even more troublesome, it is an abdication of one’s responsibilities and the adoption of a life philosophy of ‘it doesn’t matter what I do, somebody will clean up after me’, and therefore I can pollute and consume resources with impunity.
Many of our Stage 6 students have completed the Earth and Environmental Science course. Hopefully they have enjoyed the work and will go on to complete a successful HSC exam. More importantly however they would have come to the realisation that our living planet is not in the best shape and it is incumbent upon all of us to do something about it, no matter how small that action may seem.
If a number of students has reached this realisation and adopts a more ethical and environmental conscious way of looking at their actions and their consequences it would have been a very successful course indeed.
And finally I would like to wish all our Stage 6 students a successful and tranquil exam time.
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