Projects

Exposing and challenging the war on climate science

Protecting the integrity of the relationship between the climate science community and policymakers and the public is essential to enabling society to understand the climate change challenge and deal with it successfully. Powerful corporate and political interests have had considerable success so far in blocking effective climate policy. One strategy they have used is support for a disinformation campaign that has undermined public understanding, promoted misleading media coverage, and supported elected officials and candidates who deny or discount the reality of human-caused climate change and the likelihood of serious harmful impacts.

We expose and challenge the denial machine. A few examples:

‘Merchants of Doubt’ responsible for climate confusion (August 1, 2010)

Nine ways to undermine Virginia AG Cuccinelli’s McCarthyite demand for scientists’ communication (May 21, 2010)

The Denial Machine: Interview on KPFK-FM Los Angeles (May 9, 2010)

Debunking ‘Climategate’ (April 17, 2010)

Koch Industries multibillionaire Koch brothers bankroll attacks on climate change science and policy (March 18, 2010)

Americans for Prosperity: Distorting climate change science and economics in well-funded campaign (March 18, 2010)

The extraordinary orchestrated attacks on the integrity and credibility of climate scientists and on the entire edifice of decades of advancing scientific understanding of climate change are a core CSW concern and have occupied much of our attention this year. Coming from members of Congress, denialist policy groups, right-wing media and wealthy funders, this nihilistic assault seeks to delegitimize climate science and the science community — especially scientists who have made the greatest efforts to communicate with policymakers and the wider public.

We defend the science community and provide a vehicle for communication by scientists:

Interview with Stephen Schneider on climate science expert credibility study (July 12, 2010)

Interview with Michael Mann on the Penn State Final Report and the war on climate scientists (July 1, 2010)

New study finds striking level of agreement among climate experts on anthropogenic climate change (June 21, 2010)

Letter from 255 National Academy members on Climate Change and the Integrity of Science (May 7, 2010)

Open Letter to the U.S. Government from U.S. Scientists on climate change and the IPCC reports (March 11, 2010)

Richard Somerville: A Response to Climate Change Denialism (January 22, 2010)

Advocating for climate change preparedness

Climate Science Watch focuses on the impacts of global climate disruption and the need for adaptive preparedness as an essential and still highly-underdeveloped component of U.S. climate policy – and an essential element of holding government accountable for translating climate science into policymaking. Climate science has already identified a range of observed impacts of climate disruption, and projects far greater changes in the future, especially if anthropogenic forcing of the climate system continues unchecked. Adaptive preparedness is not an alternative to mitigation policy to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases – both are essential.

Holding government accountable includes calling for an active acknowledgement of climate change implications by elected officials, incorporation of a national preparedness strategy in climate legislation, executive branch action using existing authorities, and political leadership to gain public support for both immediate action and long-term policies. The U.S. government must support new climate change research priorities, impacts assessments, and climate services to provide scientific underpinning and decision support for federal, state, and local action.

America’s Climate Choices – Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change (August 26, 2010)

Latest NRC report charts path for federal government in supporting national climate preparedness (August 18, 2010)

Netroots Nation: On holding the Obama Administration accountable on climate and energy (July 28, 2010)

Climate scientists tell House committee: We know the risk, now it’s up to policymakers to act (May 21, 2010)

U.S. National Climate Change Assessment strategic planning kicks off in Chicago meeting (April 4, 2010)

Federal Climate Change Adaptation Task Force progress report shows early steps on a long road (March 17, 2010)

Will Obama’s FY2011 budget fund essential new climate change research priorities? (January 18, 2010)

Obama State of the Union evasive and inadequate on climate change and climate science (January 28, 2010)

Revisiting Presidential Transition recommendations on climate change assessment and preparedness (January 15, 2010)