As a high school math teacher, I often hand out worksheets and instruc my students to show their work on a separate sheet of paper. The class will
then erupt with moans and groans and complaints that I’m wasting trees. I usually respond that trees are cheap or that I don’t want any tree farmers to starve to death. One year this bad attitude of mine was reported to a science teacher down the hall and he decided to arm the students with some facts.
The next day I was informed by my students that if we continue to clear cut at the present rate, the rainforest would be gone within seven years. I said that I didn’t believe it, that it was a lie. Riot in the classroom. Do the math I said. You are gonna end up believing a lot of stupid things if you don’t do the math. The next day I got a note from the science teacher accusing me of listening to Rush Limbaugh.
Several years later the science teacher admitted he was lying- for all the good reasons you mention in your article.