Public Interest Group Executives Send Supportive Letter to Climate Scientists

Executives from leading public interest groups, including WWF's President and CEO Carter Roberts, yesterday sent an open letter to "the International Scientific Community" expressing appreciation for its "tireless efforts and dedication in providing the world with a comprehensive, science-based understanding of the causes and potential impacts of climate change."

The Project on Climate Science, which today (24 June 2010) released the letter, said in a press release (Groups Praise Climate Scientists for Their Contributions to Understanding of Climate Change): 

The letter follows a ground-breaking report, released earlier this Spring, from the National Academy of Sciences which re-affirmed that, “Climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities …. and in many cases is already affecting a broad range of human and natural systems.” 

Just this week, a new report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) found that 97 percent of scientific experts agree that climate change is “very likely” caused predominately by human activity.

The letter also comes on the heels of several official investigations which cleared scientists of any significant wrongdoing and debunked the accusations.

Here is the full text of the letter, dated 23 June 2010:

To the International Scientific Community:

We write today to express our appreciation for your tireless efforts and dedication in providing the world with a comprehensive, science-based understanding of the causes and potential impacts of climate change.

Your research and analysis in a variety of fields, utilizing a range of scientific methods, have provided the world with the overwhelming evidence that greenhouse gases produced by humans are causing the Earth’s climate to change. This conclusion has been confirmed by the world’s leading national science academies. Most recently, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences issued America’ s Climate Choices, its most comprehensive review to date, which concluded, in part, that “climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities and…in many cases is already affecting a broad range of human and natural systems.” It was also reinforced by the World Meteorological Organization’s announcement in March that 2000-2009 was the warmest decade on record. You also have established that climate change is occurring across the globe and its impacts will likely become more disruptive – particularly if emissions continue to grow rapidly and steps are not taken to reduce people’s vulnerability.

This remarkable body of scientific work represents one of the landmark intellectual achievements of our time. Even so, debate is at the core of a healthy scientific process and ongoing discussion about remaining uncertainties of climate change should be encouraged. We need an open and civil dialogue to provide policymakers and other leaders with tools to make sound and responsible decisions about climate change, the threats it poses and how to mitigate its potential impacts.

Regrettably, opponents of policies to address climate change too often have exploited the open give and take among scientists. They have mischaracterized these exchanges to push a false narrative that there is broad dissent in the scientific community around this issue. In fact, the scientific consensus remains resolute.

In recent months, harassment of scientists has, in some cases, extended to include campaigns of intimidation and threats to scientists’ personal safety and that of their families. Aside from the immorality of these actions, such intimidation can create a climate of fear and squelch the sort of intensive research upon which the public so greatly depends.

Despite the heated debate of recent months, one thing is clear: None of the recent attacks on the science alters the fundamental reality of climate change or its implications for our planet.

That is why, now more than ever, it is crucial that you, the world’s scientists, push forward with rigor and tenacity. You must keep your focus, investigate and share the best information about climate change.

Your work and your findings provide an invaluable service to humanity. For that, we simply want to say: Thank you.

• Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund
• Larry Schweiger, President and CEO, National Wildlife Federation
• Frances Beinecke, President, Natural Resources Defense Council
• Peter Wilk, MD, Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility
• Andrew Sharpless, CEO, Oceana
• Peter Bahouth, Executive Director, US Climate Action Network
• Carter Roberts, President and CEO, World Wildlife Fund
• David Foster, Executive Director, BlueGreen Alliance
• Daniel Magraw, President, Center for International Environmental Law
• Raymond C. Offenheiser, President, Oxfam America