Includes bibliographical references (p. 251-320) and index.

A personal odyssey -- "Wise use" and environmental anti-science -- In defense of science -- The good news-- in perspective -- Fables about population and food -- Fables about non-living resources -- Biological diversity and the Endangered Species Act -- Fables about the atmosphere and climate -- Fables about toxic substances -- Fables about economics and the environment -- Faulty transmissions -- How can good science become good policy? -- One planet, one experiment -- Appendix A. Brownlash literature -- Appendix B. The scientific consensus. In this hard-hitting and timely book, Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich challenge those who downplay the reality and importance of global environmental problems with appealing but misleading rhetoric. Such efforts to undermine and misinterpret environmental data, labeled the "brownlash" by the Ehrlichs, prolong an already difficult search for solutions and are deeply disturbing to environmental scientists. In Betrayal of Science and Reason, the Ehrlichs contrast anti-environmental rhetoric with the consensus view of the scientific community, tackling head-on such issues as population growth, desertification, food production, global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain, and biodiversity loss. They also offer a unique glimpse into how science works, and they discuss how scientists can speak out on matters of societal urgency yet retain the support of the scientific community. This book provides an eye-opening look at current environmental problems and the fundamental importance of the scientific process in solving them. It presents unique insight into the sources and implications of anti-environmental rhetoric, and it provides readers with a valuable means of understanding and refuting the feel-good fables that constitute the brownlash.