Friday, April 18, 2014

The Phony Environmentalist

Here is another letter that I sent to the Journal. Bjorn Lomborg's "science" required a response, but sadly went unanswered as does most of the junk science that fills the Projo's op-ed pages.

The Journal's attack on a much respected scientist with unimpeachable credentials while praising a charlatan continues your paper's long and meritorious tradition of promoting scientific illiteracy. According to your op-ed piece ( " The Zealous Holdren", March 8th, 2009) John Holdren, President Obama's science advisor, participated in the equivalent of an academic lynching by holding Bjorn Lomborg author of "The Skeptical Environmentalist" accountable for a polemic of politicized science that pandered to a niche market of conservatives and business. Lomborg's book, thinly disguised as science, is filled with gross distortions and simplifications of complex issues. Lomborg's sloppy scholarship, disingenuous advocacy, and muddled interpretations and explanations resulted in very negative reviews in Nature, Science ( peer reviewed journals), and Scientific American.

The Danish Commitees on Scientific Dishonesty ultimately found Lomborg's book " to fall within the concept of scientific dishonesty," and "clearly contrary to the standards of good scientific practice". Although, the accusations of "gross negligence" were dismissed, your claim that Lomborg had " achieved vindication" is misleading hyperbole and disingenuous.

We will only solve our many looming environmental problems with an informed public. Providing your readers with authentic information is your duty and responsibility. I fervently hope that your paper will help "restore science to its rightful place."

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