From Friends of Science Calgary

CBC News has come up with a new form of reporting that fails to give viewers the traditional “Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.” It’s a brand-new kind of climate propaganda, an oblique approach to delegitimizing rational, dissenting science experts on climate change. The form uses the “Throw Mud – It will Stick” methods perfected by cognitive behavioral psychologists.

Michelle Stirling, Communications Manager for Friends of Science Society, does a live explainer (link to recorded version below), deconstructing a recent ‘news’ story wherein reporter Jaela Bernstien of CBC News asked the silly question: “Climate misinformation: Are you immune?”

CBC is Canada’s ~$1.2 billion tax funded national broadcaster. Friends of Science Society operates on ~$150,000 from our loyal members and supportive donors.

The story’s backdrop relates to a report called “Fault Lines,” issued by the Canadian Council of Academies (CCA), an organization that has received nearly $55 million in tax dollars since 2002, and which has a bevy of top researchers. None of them apparently know how to pick up the phone, send an email or search our website to find out about Friends of Science Society’s funding. (Yes, we are singled out by name in the report.) While engaging in misinformation themselves, the “Fault Lines” report declares: “Misinformation can manifest in a lack of support and public demand for policies addressing climate change; loss of trust in experts, scientists, healthcare providers, and public health authorities; and increased polarization.”

How about if CBC and CCA just advocated for open, civil debate and full cost benefit analysis on climate and energy policies, as we do? That would not require a 131-page report or $55 million dollars in funding. Rather than smearing and bullying scientists who hold dissenting views, why not argue the evidence in open public debates? Then climate policy would have to stand on its own merits, instead of relying on relentless tax funded media and think tank propaganda, especially that from CBC.

And of course, in the live stream, we will address the comments of Prof. Stephan Lewandowsky. He is part of the expert panel on the “Fault Lines” report) curiously not a Canadian: “Stephan Lewandowsky, Chair, Cognitive Psychology and Professor, School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol (Bristol, United Kingdom).” His work is cited ~12 times in the body and in numerous endnotes. He famously wrote the scholarly paper “NASA Faked the Moon Landing…” which Friends of Science Society tried to get retracted from publication for what we believed were violations of the COPE publishing ethics. Find out more! Watch the show!