Last week, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology tweeted out an anti-climate science propaganda article as a slam against “alarmists.” Unfortunately, there’s plenty of reason to be alarmed, as the Weather Channel has laid out effectively (with a text-based rebuttal, as well), after one of their segments was disingenuously used to bolster the article’s claims.
I’ll admit that there are plenty of people who shout, “Climate change!” at everyday weather events, just like there are people who shout, “There’s no such thing as climate change!” when it snows. However, the House Science Committee’s twitter campaign against “alarmists” is extremely disingenuous. First, they article they tweeted points to “alarmists” in its headline as though it’s an attempt to be level-headed, but in reality, its content is all-out climate science denial.
Second, the only outcome of crusading against “alarmists” is to embolden the science deniers. There’s nothing to be gained from being less concerned about climate change, which is happening due to human activity, as admitted by the author of another article they tweeted out to slam the “alarmists.” It’s important to make sure data isn’t misleading, but labeling people “alarmists” only serves to discredit everything, including the legitimate data, whether it’s intentional or not—not to mention that trying to discredit people as “alarmists” while tweeting blatantly misleading propaganda in the opposite direction can hardly be appreciated as the level-headed approach.
Again, whether or not the House Science Committee is aware of it, the “anti-alarmist” propaganda is intended as a thin veneer of credibility as an excuse for all-out science denial, and their sources are absolutely doing it on purpose. Playing into it is dangerous.
Two wrongs don’t make a right. Do better, Congress.
(image via screengrab)
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