If ‘balance’ means giving voice to those who deny the reality of human-triggered climate change, we will not take part in the debate, say Jonathan Porritt, Caroline Lucas, Clive Lewis and 57 other writers, politicians and academics
A dry cornfield in Ahlen, Germany, where harvests have suffered as a result of this year’s extreme drought. Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP |
Balance implies equal weight. But this then creates a false equivalence between an overwhelming scientific consensus and a lobby, heavily funded by vested interests, that exists simply to sow doubt to serve those interests. Yes, of course scientific consensus should be open to challenge – but with better science, not with spin and nonsense. We urgently need to move the debate on to how we address the causes and effects of dangerous climate change – because that’s where common sense demands our attention and efforts should be.
Fringe voices will protest about “free speech”. No one should prevent them from expressing their views, whether held cynically or misguidedly. However, no one is obliged to provide them with a platform, much less to appear alongside them to give the misleading impression that there is something substantive to debate. When there is an article on smoking, newspapers and broadcasters no longer include lobbyists claiming there are no links to cancer. When there’s a round-the-world yacht race we don’t hear flat-earthers given airtime: “This is madness; they’ll sail off the edge!”
There’s a workable model for covering fringe views – which is to treat them as such. They don’t need to be ridiculed, just expected to challenge the evidence with better evidence, and otherwise ignored. As campaigners and thinkers who are led by science and the precautionary principle, and who wish to debate the real and vital issues arising from human-triggered climate change, we will not assist in creating the impression that climate denial should be taken seriously by lending credence to its proponents, by entertaining ideas that lack any basis in fact. Therefore we will no longer debate those who deny that human-caused climate change is real. There are plenty of vital debates to be had around climate chaos and what to do about it; this is simply no longer one of them. We urge broadcasters to move on, as we are doing.
Jonathon Porritt Chair 2000-11 Sustainable Development Commission |
John Sauven Executive director Greenpeace |
Prof Richard Murphy Director Tax Research UK |
Jeremy Leggett Founder Solar Century |
Prof Andrea Sella Michael Faraday prize winner |
Prof Robert Ayres Author |
Dr Rupert Read Chair Green House thinktank |
Dr Doug Parr Chief scientist Greenpeace |
Chris Rose Former programme director Greenpeace |
Mayer Hillman Senior fellow Policy Studies Institute |
Ed Gillespie Co-founder Futerra |
Prof Hugh Montgomery Co-founder UK Climate and Health Council |
Mark Lynas Author |
Dr James Garvey Author |
Oliver Tickell Author |
Chris Goodall Author |
Prof Clive Spash Author |
Prof Mark Maslin Author |
Prof Anthony Ryan Director Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures |
David Wasdell Director Apollo-Gaia Project |
Dr Sian Foch-Gatrell Green Ocean Project |
Dr Erik Buitenhuis Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research |
Prof Paul Ekins UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources |
Carne Ross Former UK and UN diplomat |
Dr Nick Brooks Climatic Research Unit UEA |
Dr Simon Boxley Centre for Climate Change Education University of Winchester |
Prof Jem Bendell Sustainability Leadership Institute University of Cumbria |
Cllr Jonathan Bartley Co-Leader Green party |
Dr Ian Gibson Former chair House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee |
Peter Tatchell |
Caroline Lucas MP | |
Clive Lewis MP | |
Neal Lawson Director Compass |
Ben Chacko Editor Morning Star |
Deepak Rughani Co-director Biofuelwatch |
Prof Molly Scott Cato MEP |
Bea Campbell | |
Patrick Barkham Author |
George Monbiot Author |
Prof Gary Francione | Prof Sarah Churchwell |
Dr Christine Cornea | Dr Richard House |
Dr Abby Innes | Dr Pierre Bocquillon |
Prof Del Loewenthal | Prof Andrew Samuels |
Dr Jo Veltman | Prof Peter Belton |
Dr Andrew Boswell | Dr Katherine Kite |
Mark Crutchley | Karen Whiterod |
Anne Dismorr | Jonathan Kent |
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