Don't mention the e-word

About a mont ago I participated at a "science meets policy making" summit at UCLA, called "Evolutionary Change in human-altered environments". All the scientists that were there probably agreed that it is time that both the general public as well as policy makers realize that human impact on ecosystems may have huge effects on evolutionary rates and that populations, species and ecosystems may change because of evolutionary forces, not only as a passive response to changing environmental conditions.

Some bright minded person (no irony) came with the remark that we actually need to consider the fact that a very large proportion of the human population in the country that hosted this summit do not believe in or object to the facts of evolution. Whereafter someone said that instead just say that animals and plants adapt to changing conditions. People usually accept that as long as they don't hear the word evolution. Well, that is sorted out then. Don't mention the e-word. Rolling eyes from a secularized Europe that unfortunately seems to head in the wrong direction in that respect. But that's for another post.