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.
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
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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
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Image Credit: Hillside
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