I huess you need to add the amount of false science to things as an excuse.

Exxon for example spent millions on climate research. And were the first to discover global warming evidence.

But after a change of leadership spent billions on false or questionable science to argue against man made and every other excuse about the evidence.

Plastics is another that did a huge amount of damage to the laymans intrepretation of science.

Plus many many more over the last 4 or 5 decades.

Hard to blame lay men for thinking science is often about the highest bidder rather then formal methods.