That’s the mentality behind a letter calling on public relations and advertising firms to drop clients whose messaging displeases scientists upset that the whole world hasn’t yet embraced their views on global warming.

The letter, signed by over 450 “scientists who study and communicate the realities of climate change,” complains that some fossil fuel firms “seek to obfuscate or downplay our data and the risks posed by the climate crisis.”

“In fact,” the letter continues, “these misinformation campaigns represent one of the biggest barriers to the government action science shows is necessary to mitigate the ongoing climate emergency.”

The letter appears on the website of Clean Creatives, “a project for PR and ad professionals who want a safe climate future,” “strategists, creatives, and industry leaders who believe that fossil fuel clients represent a threat to our shared future.” The organization is “supported by the Fossil Free Media team.” All of that should pretty well destroy any assumption of objectivity.

The surest sign that these 450 scientists have turned traitor to science, though, appears right in the letter. It says:

The science could not be more clear: We must eliminate carbon pollution as soon as possible — nearly 50% this decade, and fully by 2050. That requires an immediate and rapid transition away from all fossil fuels. Coal, oil, gas, and electricity companies must immediately, unreservedly, begin a transition to a zero carbon future.

What’s wrong with that? Science—the sort of thing these people want us all to believe they do and on which they base their credibility—can’t answer the question, “What must be done?” It can only tell us—more or less reliably—what’s happening and what seems to be causing it and what will happen if the cause continues. It can’t tell us what to do about it, because answering that question depends on values other than the basic scientific value of free inquiry and free debate.

There’s another sign of their treason against science, too: inclusion of Peter Gleick among the letter’s signers. (He’s third on the list, suggesting he’s among the organizers. That would be typical of him.) Gleick was disgraced when he confessed to having stolen confidential internal documents from the Heartland Institute and then widely published a “climate strategy memo” that he claimed was by Heartland. The memo was not by Heartland, and computer analysis provided powerful evidence that Gleick forged it.

Of course, the fundamental problem with the letter and those who wrote and signed it is that it evidences their rejection of one of the most important scientific values: commitment to open debate. These scientists and activists want only their own views heard by the public and policymakers.

A sure sign of that is that while they protest PR and ad agencies’ cooperating with fossil fuel companies to spread their messages, they don’t protest their cooperating with wind, solar, and other “renewable” energy companies’ doing likewise. But fair play and open debate are the last thing these folks want. For them, it’s my way or the highway.

Makes you wonder if they’re really all that confident that science supports their message.

Photo by Dan Burton on Unsplash