<As for your concerns about funding, I agree to a large extent, but IMHO I believe the real scientists need to do a better job of selling their cases than the snake oil salesmen.

The snake oil salesmen are in it strictly for the bucks. Their bread and butter is their patter. To beguile the public with lies and half-truths is their vocation, and a good con will always equal a good payday.

Not so with the diligent lab techs and field researchers. They are doing what they do out of curiosity, with a true want to aid and make a difference, to be known for a real discovery. It is not the scientists job to shake the pockets of supporters. That's not what they came in for.

That a change is needed has been true for decades. An excellent example is the PR you find associated with NASA. They say "Space sells itself," and this may even be true, but until NASA starts showing 3D space to the 2D public, space will sell nothing.

Just a short rant,
Dan