Kenji got this in his inbox today (donation links redacted):
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UCS supporter—
It’s bad enough that climate deniers get elected to Congress.
But it gets much worse: some purveyors of disinformation sit on the House Science Committee.
Rep. Lamar Smith, who chairs the committee, wrote a recent Washington Post op-ed replete with misleading information about the science of global warming.1 Rep. Jim Bridenstine believes atmospheric temperatures have more to do with solar activity than human activity. AND he is about to introduce a bill to defund climate change research. Oh, and he wants President Obama to apologize for funding it.2
I wish I were making it up, but I’m not. We need your help today so we can continue our work mobilizing prominent scientists, armed with facts, to testify on Capitol Hill, meet with lawmakers, and speak out in the press. What we do works—but it doesn’t happen without support and resources from people like you.
Before MIDNIGHT TONIGHT all gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $125,000. Give now—time is running out!
Thank you for fighting for science.
—Kathy
P.S. Need more reasons to donate before midnight? Check out our previous message below.
1. http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/policymakers-climate-science-0383.html
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So much for the Democratic process. I wonder how UCS will use money sent today to somehow make a change to the list of people testifying on Thursday? The previous message they reference is also pretty funny. They claim Shaun Marcott was abused by ‘hate mail’ and “bloggers twisted his research” but provide no proof of it, simply linking to his FAQs on RealClimate and a USA today story about James Hansen as a reference. Pretty lame.
Here’s the previous pitch for money:
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Dear UCS supporter,
When Dr. Shaun Marcott published a groundbreaking paper showing the world is warmer today than it has been for thousands of years, climate deniers went ballistic.1 They sent him hate mail, and bloggers twisted his research.
When Dr. Joseph Skorupa’s research showed that phosphate mines were polluting waterways and poisoning trout, his supervisors at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told him not to go on The Daily Show to publicize the findings, saying: “the leadership doesn’t want you to go on and they will make your life hell,” according to Skorupa. “Part of the threat was that my colleagues would also be punished.”2 Skorupa felt he had no choice but to decline to go on the show.
The truth can’t always protect itself. When researchers get targeted, sound science can lose out to ideology and corporate agendas. The Union of Concerned Scientists helps researchers like Dr. Marcott and Dr. Skorupa, providing technical, moral, and media support.
Today, you can help even more scientists brave enough to stand up for the facts: There are only two days left to help us reach our goal. What we’re able to raise before Wednesday will have major implications for the work we can do in the months ahead.
Help scientists in jeopardy, and your online donation will be MATCHED dollar-for-dollar, up to $125,000.
When you make a tax-deductible gift to the Union of Concerned Scientists, you make a difference for science. Here are just some of the reasons why:
- You’re empowering scientists. We helped Dr. Marcott focus the media on his findings—not the false controversies dreamed up by talking heads. “I never expected this to happen,” said Dr. Marcott. “I’m glad there’s a group like UCS that can be there for scientists when they’re attacked for their work.”
- You’re helping stand up for the facts. UCS teaches scientists how to clearly communicate their research to the public and respond to attacks. And our Science Network gives 20,000 scientists and technical experts opportunities to connect with policy makers, directly impacting laws that protect our families and our planet.
- You’re protecting scientists who speak the truth. UCS members were instrumental in passing groundbreaking whistleblower protections—in part by showing lawmakers over 400 federal experts who are uncomfortable with their agency’s timid approach to censorship of publicizing the results of their science.
Will you be there for scientists who need you? The next round of attacks could happen any day—for Dr. Skorupa, Dr. Marcott, or another courageous scientist. When you give now, you’ll help them face down the insults, misinformation, and intimidation.
Don’t miss your chance. Give now to have your contribution MATCHED dollar-for-dollar, up to $125,000.
Our opponents aren’t resting—and we can’t either. Together, we’ll make sure the truth wins out. We have to—the world is depending on scientists and concerned citizens like you and me to create a healthy, sustainable future.
On behalf of all the scientists we work with, thank you for your support.
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Sincerely,
Kathleen Rest, PhD, MPA Executive Director |
1. http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2013/03/response-by-marcott-et-al/
2. http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/vergano/2013/04/06/hansen-federal-scientists-communication/2053077/
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It seems Kevin Knobloch is out and Kathleen Rest is in as president. Given the ever present drumbeat for money, perhaps the “Union of Concerned Shysters” might be a better name?
IMHO, you’d either have to be stupid or a dog to belong to this organization.
How is it possible to get a tax deduction for making a donation that will support political lobbying/lobbyists?. Is there someone from the IRS who reads this site and would care to comment?
Climate Cha-ching!
Please send us money because as concerned scientists we are concerned that the more creative among us (assuming there are any) may otherwise have to work on Madison Avenue trying to sell ‘new and improved’ laundry detergent that’s somehow better than our previous ‘new and improved’ laundry detergent that was better than the preceding ‘new and improved’…(well, you get the idea).
Please send us money because as concerned scientists we are concerned because it is much easier to sell ‘new and improved’ climate models that are somehow better than our previous ‘new and improved’ climate models that were better than the preceding … (well, you get the idea) than it is to sell laundry detergent to a gullible public.
Please send us money because as concerned scientists we are concerned that we may otherwise have to give up our vacatio…er, conferences at such important intellectual destinations as Cancun, Mexico; Durban, So. Africa; or Rio de Janeiro. (And, no, white sand beaches and thong bikinis have nothing to do with those vaca…er…)
Please send us money because as concerned scientists we are concerned that we may otherwise have to give up our fantasies of being world saviors. (Superman and Santa Claus really exist, don’t they?)
Please send us money because as concerned scientists we are concerned we would otherwise have to get jobs and recognize how economies really work.
Please send us money because as concerned scientists we are concerned that instead of just making things up we may have to do genuine research and we don’t think we can do that.
In fact, we can’t do that.
You should send them a Kenji “dog log” package to let them know how you really feel.
Perhaps they could use some of the money to learn how to write more clearly. Is the $125K limit on matching donations a limit on the aggregate amount of donations or is it for each donation? It says “…your donation…” but the comma and placement of the phrase creates an ambiguity. Can Kenji write them and find out?
Is it the Union of Concerned Scientists, or is it the Union of Concerned Activists?
Goodness. Outrage by the UCS because the FWS won’t let one of their scientists go on a comedy show. Maybe Skorupa should start out slow and do an open mic night at a comedy club first.
Thank goodness for Congressman Jim Bridenstine!!
“When Dr. Shaun Marcott published a groundbreaking paper showing the world is warmer today than it has been for thousands of years, climate deniers went ballistic. They … twisted his research.”
Nope. It was Marcott, Shakun, Clark, and Mix who twisted their own research (with a little help from ‘Real Climastrologists’). Read about it for yourself:
http://wattsupwiththat.com/tag/marcott-et-al/
@ur momisuglyPer Strandberg –
So Ms. Rest has a doctorate in health science (whatever the @ur momisugly#$%&*!! that is?) I have a doctorate in history, with enough reading to be able to attest to the Medieval Warm Period, the Roman Climate Optimum and the Hittite-Minoan-Mycenean warm period – plus the Great Heat of the 1930s – all amply documented in the historical record (which all the climate “models” in the world can’t erase). Methinks that trumps any “expertise” this annelid thinks she has. I’m not a climate scientist but I’m a well-qualified historian, and the historical record unequivocally supports the skeptic view of climate change.
Edward Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire makes references to the change in climate after 300 AD, as the Roman Climate Optimum was coming to an end.
Looks to me like joiners self select for UCS. Wonder what their membership really is — excluding any and all members of the Watts family, of course.
Also, if posters here want to get good and angry, Yahoo0 Noews has a video talking about how air conditioning demand will make electricity prices go up because of global warming – repeating the same old lies. Their effrontery in the face of so much evuidence to the contrary, even in the face of admissions by prominent alarmisrs that the globe isn’t warming and their modewls are wrong – is something to behold.
Sorry about the bad typing in my last post.
The UCS ought to change its name to UAT – “Union for Absolute Tyranny.” Their brazen efforts to silence skeptics should be taken as a very serious threat to liberty, as we’ll as science.
Rep. Bridenstine is wrong in one respect – he should be calling for der Fuehrer’s impeachment for misappropriation of public funds (along with all of der Fuehrer’s other crimes)
I strongly urge Kenji to ‘make a sizable contribution’.
It’s his dooty!
MtK
Chad Wozniak – Yahoo is quickly becoming a mouth piece for http://www.takeapart.com
And their LiveScience section is so full of Op-Ed articles, it is difficult to call it science anymore…
Bill Parsons says: July 17, 2013 at 9:50 am
I love Ms. Res’ts use of bold, BLOCK, and italics. TO MAKE HER POINT. ….. exclamation points!
Dang right Bill, reminds me exactly of those hyped up TV ads.
…..AND ….not only THAT …. you ALSOOOoo get …. a FREE set of STEAK KNIVES!
I’m not going to get involved in the politics of another country; you US guys can do all that’s needed for yourselves.
All I would say is, do not allow your country to go the way of the UK. Here, we have the Climate Change Act, brought into being by Ed Milliband, formerly moronic Secretary of State for Climate Change (and some other stuff that they totally ignore) and now moronic Leader of ‘Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition’, aka the Labour Party. This appalling piece of destructive legislation is completely supported by our equally moronic Prime Minister, David Cameron, aka leader of the Conservative Party and the even more moronic (if such thing be possible) Deputy prime Minister, Nick Clegg, aka leader of the Liberal Democratic Party.
As you can see, I’m not terribly enamoured by any of of our political leaders but this article at least seems to give the impression that you in the US have some people of integrity and intelligence in your legislature.
PS Ryan (and Jai Mitchell, come to think of it – unless thay are one and the same) would fit perfectly into some of our more demented political parties over here. They know nothing about the subject on which they pontificate but witter on endlessly and pointlessly about their own little obsessions. I say, long may they (s/he) continue – they only serve to amuse.
PPS It’s not insulting to call our ‘leading’ politicians moronic – it’s a considerable understatement. I have described Cameron and Milliband as two cheeks of the same … bottom. Clegg is between them so …
Reminds me of an old urban legend which apparently appeared in a newspaper. The advert said,
“Positively last offer, send your dollars now”.According to the story, this made someone a million bucks.
They need $125,000 in funds matched because the “science is SETTLED”.
Bill Parsons says @ur momisugly July 17, 2013 at 9:50 am:
Like most things Union, the song is stolen.
The real tune is “Red Wing:”
@ur momisugly Ryan:
If the skeptic in question quotes the Bible as evidence THEN the comparison with [Young Earth] Creationists would be valid otherwise it’s simply an “ad hom” attack.
As it is written it makes no sense at all since I personally know biologists that certainly understand evolution but also believe in creation [by evolution] and I would certainly seriously consider anything they said about superbugs.
OT @ur momisugly people referring to creationists:
Please consider clarifying the group you’re referring to with the addition of “young earth” or “literal Bible” to creationists. There are creationists that are also evolutionists. Thank you for your consideration.
Great comment, Tom J.
That should be the “fine print” at the bottom of their appeal for filthy lucre.
“Not a wuffing red cent, you wuffing wuffers!”
Both those letters are to the same tune and the approach is, “Rush now to send your money (so you don’t have time to think)”. Do they send these requests out frequently? I hope so, it’d be very tiring after the first one or two and I would imagine donations dropping sharply after that, if they’re getting any at all.
What’s that, Kenji?
Yap, yap! Bark!
Oh no. He says there’s trouble at the mill.