Stand with Science Communication

Stand with Science Communication


The Skepti-Forum Project endorses science communication and values science communicators.  As such the former Skepti-Forum Board of Directors drafted a letter in support of Dr. Kevin Folta on November 5.  The letter was posted for our members to add their names. What follows is the letter and the response from our community.

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In this complex world we need more scientists, particularly independent scientists in academia, who have the ability and make the extra effort to bring their field of study to the general public through science communication. Biotechnology in agriculture is one of the top issues in society that desperately needs expert voices to facilitate public conversation. This week we lost a powerful, respected voice in that conversation. Dr. Kevin Folta, a prominent academic and a gifted teacher, was pressured to suspend his science communication efforts due to ongoing vicious and one-sided attacks by activists who utilized emails obtained under the Freedom Of Information Act to fabricate stories from out-of-context snippets to malign both his personal character and his professional credentials.

As the Board of Directors, Community Moderators, Administrators, and Community of Skepti-Forum, one of the largest social media communities that provides a platform for critical discussion of public science issues, we stand behind Dr. Folta. Each of us volunteers time and effort towards science communication of difficult issues. We need more scientists to join these conversations. But when gifted science communicators like Dr. Folta are harassed into withdrawing, not only does the science communication community lose a subject matter expert, the public loses an invaluable resource for understanding complicated issues that impact their daily lives.

We welcome and cherish open discussion of scientific research. As a community, however, we are dedicated to keeping debates civil, and focused on the evidence. We strongly oppose undermining the character of contributors through personal, ad hominem attacks.

Many of us have also experienced bullying from misguided activists and ideologues. We have seen critics go to great lengths to harass those whose facts contradict their agendas. We know that what has happened to Dr. Folta could happen to any one of us.

Our resolve is unbroken. While one voice has been silenced, we are inspired by his example and we will continue his important work.

‪#‎IAMKEVINFOLTA

Signed,
Arthur Doucette
Raymond Eckhart
Mike Lewinski
Rebecca Rolands
Iida Ruishalme
Nancy Vosnidou

The Board is joined by the following members of the Skepti-Forum community:
Adam Edmunds

Adam Kennedy

Alex J Goldhill

Alex Milne

Alex Passey

Alison Bernstein

Alison Van Eenennaam

Allison Hofmann

Alysha McCaffrey

Amanda Freund

Amy Coe

Ana Bastow

Ana Mar°a Dallos Valenzuela

Anders Halvorsen

Andrea Beyer

Andrea Milne

Andrew Hodges

Andrew Lea

Andrew Vandenberg

Angela Christine Jones

Angie Barton

Anna Lehrman

Antonio JosÇ

Arpita Bhattacharjya

Arthur Doucette

Ashley Ruhl

Ashray Manepalli

August Pamplona

Austin Allen Arnold

Barry Devenney

Benjamin Edge

Bernt F?rre

Betsy Hird Warren

Billy Reynolds

Bob Morse

Bonnie Power

Brandyn Mark

Brenda Postels

Brian Marten

Brigitte Hentschel

Brittany Hall

Bruce Cragin

Cairenn Day

Cara Fry

Carl Garnaat

Caroline Johnson

Carrie Jendza

Cash Carter

Cassandra Rose Leathem

CAtheine Longi

Catherine Keefner

Ceelyn Patterson

Chad White

Channa Prakash

Charles Foesch

Charlie McMillin

Cheri Kent

Cheyanne Rightmire

Chris Enders

Christian Stanton

Christina Ornelas

Christoffer Dahlgren

Christopher Davies

Claire Bennett

Cliff Ageloff

Corlene Rose

Craig Gaskin

Craig Schafer

Craig Volpe

Damon Tyler Ing

Dan Mitch

Daniel Bieniek

Dante Jaramillo

Darryl Reynolds

David Borer

David Miller

David Thomas

David Zopf

Deanna Campbell

Debra Dauncey-Humphrey.

Dennis Abbeduto

Derek Michael Wright

Deyan Fabio Ruggieri

Donna Carney

Donna Hall

Dustin Eirdosh

Ellie Barton

Emma Price

Eric Aasen

Eric Cho

Eric Erdmann

Erik Lundquist

Ernest Koe

Eva Qui§ones

Facundo Barrera

Fayth Thomas

Frank Holiday

Gary Smith

Gee Krupke

Geoff Futch

George Allen

George C. Sievers

Gerard Clarke

Gerard Ross

Giovanni Perini

Glorie Anderson

Gregory J Sekulic

Grey Horton

Guy Hallman

Harry Ryttenberg

Heather Campbell

Heike Lettrari

Helen Palmer

Henri Kester

Hetha Anfield-Smorti

Ian Galbichka

Iida Ruishalme

Ingvar Arni Ingvarsson

Inti Orozco

Irena DiGangi

Iris Iwami

Ivy Barger

Jacqui Rodgers

James Cooper

James Huber

James Humphrey

James Knowles

Jan Schjetne

Janice Brunmeier

Jason Brooke

Jason Mackniskas

Jason Smith

Jason Weinman

Jay Kanta

Jay Schultz

Jean PichÇ

Jean Santjer

Jeanne Aller

Jeff D’Ambrosio

Jeff Fleetwood

Jennifer W. Pelham

Jerry Brock

Jessica Buckley

Jill DiNicola-Teich

Jim Elli

Jim Kear

Jim Tosh

Joan Loken Maxwell

Joanna Samuelson Lidback

Joe Ballenger

Johanna Jaanen

John A. Balles

John Campbell

John Harstine

John Johnson

John Monks

John Rowe

John Stumbles

Jon Linthwaite

Jonathan Kobolt

Jonathan Swayze

Joni Kamiya-Rose

Jordan Fryer

Jorge Chepote

Joseph Edward Najjar

Joshua Moser

Joshua White

Joy Phillips Municchi

Julie Mellor-Trupp

Justin Couron

Kanika Ghai

Katariina Reinikainen

Kathryn Nicole Haydon

Ken Leroy

Kendra Hillman Chilcoat

Kent McCoy

Ketil Eikeland

Kevin Hoover

Kim Curran

Kim Rieck

Kimberly Mills

Kimon Brown

Kira Spence

K’nîwelle R. Young

Kristen Jones Williams

Kristoffer Landsend

Kristoffer Robin Haug

KT Elmore

Kurt Lawton

Ky Van Nguyen

Kyle Rutherford

Kyle Stamper

Lara Ginsburg Durben

Larry Sansone

Laura Williams-May

Lauri TîrmÑ

Layla Katiraee

Lee Kovacsevics

Leia Kedem

Leni Sorensen

Leonie Hilliard

Linda Chalker-Scott

Lisa Zidlicky Myers

Lori J Bach

Lukas Kambic

MacKenzie Malcolm Purcell

Mandy Keegan Deveno

Marc Raynor

Margaret Gauthier

Margaret Rolfe

Maria Trainer

Mariana Molinari Abadie

Marie Nyman

Mark Cooper

Mark Keating

Mark Tanner

Marlo Asis

Matt Beavan

Matt Graham

Matt Robinson

Matthew Fastiggi

Matthew Hope

Matthew Safranek

 

Max DeJarnatt

Max Katz

Megan Anthony

Megan Hansen

Megan Louise Lantz

Mehmet Vurkaá

Mel White

Meleese Pollock

Melissa McClave

Melissa Squibb

Michael Blumenthal

Michael Cohen

Michael Fest

Michael Karban

Michael Koon

Michael McSwiney

Michael Newman

Michael Shintaku

Michele Lasko

Michelle Laffoley

Mick Gray

Miguel Valenzuela

Mike Lewinski

Mike Schmitt

Modesta Nnedi Abugu

Nancy Hoffman Vosnidou

Nancy Kurul

Nancy Vosnidou

Nhu Trieu

Nick Ng

Nicole Midkiff

Oivind Bergh

Olivia Callaway

Paget Michael Creelman

Patricia Johnson

Patricia McNeil

Patty Sayler

Paul Colley

Paul T Morrison

Pete Barker

Pete Suhut

Petra Bloodgood YD

Petteri Vainikka

Philip Hamm

Phyllis Christine

Pj Jordan

Prasan Jeet Singh

Rachel Erickson

Randa Kelton

Raymond Eckhart

Rebecca Brown

Rebecca Lynne Haninger

Rebecca Rolands

Renata Baron

Renee Morey Kester

Rhonda Adams

Rhonda Bode Stoltzfus

Richard Brum

Richard Ewald

Richard Green

Richard Phillips

Robyn Moody

Rod Gibson

Rommel Panal

Ron Rein

Ron Scott

Ron Tavernier

Rudraksha Dutta Majumdar

Sandia Crest

Sara Duncan

Sara Peterie Livermore

Sarah Bryant

Sarah Christie

Sarah Markosen

Sarah Uphill

Scotty Perey

Sean Alistair Davies

Sean Whitten

Shane Bowe

Shari Pi?ault

Soorya Sriram

Stacey Alicia Hall

Sten van Aken

Stephan Neidenbach

Steve Strauss

Steven St John

Stuart Hayashi

Stuart Sexton

Susan Santangelo Franks

Tara Moringstar

Tera Mccloy-Beach

Theresa Harmon

Thomas Klie-Cribb

Thomas R. DeGregori

TJ Griffenkranz

Tom van den Hove

Tomas Moravec

Topher McBearslayer

Tor J Nëss

Traci Eicholz

Travis Toronjo

Trevor Kidd

Tyler Douglas

Vanessa Burrows

Vanessa Cook

Vicente S. Velasco

Wanda Schott Patsche

Wayne Johnson

William Enright

Winnie Vautrin Neely

Yvonne Kealoha

 

 

Image Credit: Hillside