BP Legal Strategy: Hire and Gag Scientists

Ben Raines of the Alabama Press Register is reporting that BP is trying to hire scientists who are doing research in the oil-damaged Gulf of Mexico and then binding those scientists with legal agreements that will enable BP to bury their work and prevent them from testifying against the company.

Cary Nelson, national president of the American Association of University Professors, has a good commentary about the matter here, condemning BP's effort at censorship and calling for universities to work with their faculties to establish ethical standards for industry collaboration that champion the public interest and discourage faculty members from selling their freedom of speech and research to the highest bidder.

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#713873

mascereye. +1; Wed, 2010-07-28 10:38; familiar sounds

mascereye

sounds like the IPCC rich

#713874

Rattus Norvegicus. +1; Wed, 2010-07-28 19:22; Media coverage of "missing" oil...

Rattus Norvegicus

I have been appalled at CNN's coverage of the "missing" oil. If they had an actual science reporter they would have known that oceanographers had found huge underwater plumes of oil in the gulf and that the oil in these plumes had recently been fingerprinted as coming from the Deepwater Horizon spill. This sort of lousy reporting, featuring their weatherman, Chad Meyers (a global warming denier, from all I can tell) is a horrible indictment of modern journalism.

About the climate cover-up

Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.

There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.

Although all public relations professionals are bound by a duty to not knowingly mislead the public, some have executed comprehensive campaigns of misinformation on behalf of industry clients on issues ranging from tobacco and asbestos to seat belts.

Lately, these fringe players have turned their efforts to creating confusion about climate change. This PR campaign could not be accomplished without the compliance of media as well as the assent and participation of leaders in government and business.

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