Climate scientists face rising abuse, threats

Simon Butler
June 10, 2011
Issue 
883
Analysis

Australian climate scientists and researchers are subject to a rising level of hate mail, abuse and death threats from climate change deniers.

More than 30 researchers told the June 4 Canberra Times “they are receiving a stream of abusive emails threatening violence, sexual assault, public smear campaigns and attacks on family members”.

The paper said: “One scientist said he was advised by police to install a ‘panic button’ security alarm in his university office after receiving death threats. Others have removed all contact numbers from their work websites, and deleted social media sites after these were defaced with abusive comments and obscene photographs.

“One researcher told of receiving threats of sexual assault and violence against her children after her photograph appeared in a newspaper article promoting a community tree-planting day as a local action to mitigate climate change.”

On June 7, journalist Graham Redfearn posted on his blog several extracts of threatening emails sent to three Australian climate scientists this year.

One email said: “You lying cocksucker! How much did you take to blurt out that climate change bullshit? The IPCC was completely disgraced over a year ago and now you are too. FUCK YOU SCUMBAG!”

Another said: “Wouldn’t mind that turds such as yourself spend your time masturbating and collecting grants but you are costing jobs, and billions to the tax payers your filthy piece of lying shit! Die you lying bastard!@”

A third email told a scientist: “You [clipped] are nothing but a Traitorous Lying Asshole!! The quicker that Cunts like you and your kind Die the better!!!!!!!”

Climate crisis

Comments

Anonymous replied on

As any psychologist will tell you, the primary motivating emotion behind anger is fear. No doubt these reckless and offensive messages reflect the deep-seated fears of their authors - fear of losing their jobs and, most likely, fear that the climate scientists are right about the coming climate-driven catastrophes they so courageously continue to predict. Having said all that - I'm sure some of these messages are also driven by pure dumb animosity and a desire by the authors to be a "big man" by attacking scientists because they communicate facts. However, the fear is there - one can smell it.

Anonymous replied on

From my own dealing with folks I'm around Global Warming is like a troublesome teenager that won't go away and is just a bother to hear about. Thank God we don't live in the Middle Ages because no doubt these folks would probably be burned at the stake! Also, this is just one part of the campaign to silence these individuals. We have already seen the misinformation ploy (so-called "Climategate" that was found to be bogus), a flood (pun intended) of public information commercials that stress all the "good" fossil fuel industry is for jobs and the economy (not to mention the military budget!). They do not mention the external costs we are paying for using these and how they degrade the environment. Unfortunately, my readings from articles by climate scientists is time is short for dramaticly reduce fossil fuel consumption. The climate system is so vast and large (it does include the oceans and artic ice) that there is a built in delay time span. For those that are still in disbelief that we are changing the ecosystem take a look at the ocean waters. The water ph level has been lowered by 30% since industrial age because of the excess carbon being absorbed by the waters. Not good for hard shelled creatures and other marine life. So, for that reason alone is good urgent cause to change our energy mix

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