On supporting science journalism
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On Thursday the United States House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, run by Texas Republican Lamar Smith, retweeted a Breitbart News story that dismissed climate change as “a scare” manufactured by “alarmists”. An overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that the phenomenon is real and primarily the result of human activities, and many of them took to social media to express their dismay (to put it mildly) that the committee, which oversees government offices such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admiration, would promote such a misguided article. Here are a few of the best reactions:
I wrote a brief, public rant on Facebook about that @HouseScience tweet. h/t @hormiga @PeterGleick https://t.co/seUTKycogb pic.twitter.com/Y0PaU7TRhZ
— Karen James (@kejames) December 1, 2016
A classic example of false news. https://t.co/ECOkzeBW9j
The truth? pic.twitter.com/zEZGzOF7vi
— Katharine Hayhoe (@KHayhoe) December 1, 2016
This is fake news, bad science, and basically, crap, from the House Science committee. #climate@HouseScience @BreitbartNews @LamarSmithTX21 https://t.co/60QTHEzO49
— Peter Gleick (@PeterGleick) December 1, 2016
Jesus. The House Science Committee just cited a false Breitbart report that the climate is cooling.
Our Orwellian future is here. https://t.co/KY6CE8JqJz
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) December 1, 2016
@HouseScience This committee should have its decision-making privileges revoked for one month. And no Twitter. You're grounded.
— Joe Hanson (@jtotheizzoe) December 1, 2016
False. Inaccurate information. Sad. https://t.co/t7jx4hIyY3
— Tyler Mauldin (@TyTheWeatherGuy) December 2, 2016
suggest Texas based scientists have a word with @LamarSmithTX21 over this @HouseScience tweet? https://t.co/YlxLijRK01
— Sarah Kendrew (@sarahkendrew) December 1, 2016
.@HouseScience congratulations on taking meretricious balance to a new level of stupid by not bothering to give the consensus view at all.
— Michael Merrifield (@ProfMike_M) December 1, 2016
and so the erosion on science begins... https://t.co/88KBddTUbS
— Jessica M (@jayjum) December 2, 2016