WaPo Blogger Andrew Freedman Is Very Worried That Climate Scientists Are Mean To Deniers

The Washington Post’s Andrew Freedman is an excellent reporter and a good person with whom to share a beer. In the past, he has understood that part of his role as a journalist is to help readers defend themselves from the anti-science propaganda campaign intended to defeat climate policy. However, in an execrable post today, he attacks leading climate scientist Dr. Kevin Trenberth for daring to use the word “deniers” to describe people who deny that humans are dangerously warming the planet. Seemingly arguing that “civility” is more important than whether people are telling the truth, Freedman lets pollution operative Marc Morano slander top climate scientists as “con men.” Professor Scott Mandia, a climate scientist who has organized the Climate Science Rapid Response Team to help journalists like Freedman do a better job, responded succinctly in the comments:

The world is round, smoking is strongly linked to lung cancer, and humans are causing the planet to warm. To insist otherwise is to be in denial. Trenberth is dealing with reality.

For the record, Watts along with McIntyre attempted to trash Dr. Keith Briffa’s reputation while Briffa was seriously ill in the hospital during the Yamal non-conspiracy.

Watts also claims that scientists are rigging the thermometer record to promote false warming.

Watts has no place to complain when he calls scientists frauds. By the way, Watts is not a “meteorologist.” He does not hold that degree. He is a weatherman.

Why would you give Marc Morano any space? Worse, you allowed him to segue from the Arizona shooting to calling scientists “con men”.

Andrew, this is just a bad piece and I think you will look back on this as one of your low moments.

Freedman seems to think that the path to “a more civil dialogue on climate science” lies in a “Reconciliation in the Climate Change Debate” conference, ignoring the fact that the conference is funded by the oil industry and populated by climate deniers like Steve McIntyre and Steve Goddard. In fact, a civil dialogue requires an acceptance of reality by all participants — instead of the toxic propaganda of the pollution-funded climate deniers.