24 June 2011
An open letter to Notre Dame University (Fremantle)
from members of the Australian academic community
As members of the academic community in Australia, we are deeply disturbed that Notre Dame University intends to host a lecture by Lord Christopher Monckton on 30 June 2011.
Lord Monckton propounds widely discredited fictions about climate change and misrepresents the research of countless scientists. With zero peer-reviewed scientific publications, he has declared that the scientific enterprise is invalid and that climate science is fraudulent. He stands for the kind of ignorance and superstition that universities have a duty to counter.
Over the last month there has been a great deal of coverage in the Australian media of the death threats and abusive emails that have targeted Australian scientists working on climate change. These threats are fuelled by misinformation spread by figures like Lord Monckton and the distorted coverage that they receive in the Australian media.
As academics, we expect our universities to support us against this kind of abuse. We expect our universities to foster academic standards of conduct and argument. Recently, Lord Monckton showed a large swastika next to a quote by Professor Garnaut and likened him to a Nazi. Professor Garnaut is one of Australia’s most respected economists who has served his country as a diplomat and expert adviser to many governments.
In hosting this lecture, Notre Dame University is undermining the academic community. It is betraying the integrity of our scientists and those who struggle to communicate the facts about climate change to the public. It is completely unacceptable for a university to be tacitly endorsing the views of an individual such as Lord Monckton. Our universities must have higher standards than this.
We all support academic freedom and the freedom to express our ideas and beliefs. However, Notre Dame University has a responsibility to avoid promoting discredited views on an issue of public risk. Notre Dame's invitation to Lord Monckton makes a mockery of academic standards and the pursuit of evidence-based knowledge.
We, the undersigned, call on Notre Dame University to cancel this event.
Winthrop Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, Australian Professorial Fellow, UWA
Prof John P. Abraham, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, University of St. Thomas
Natalie Latter, PhD Candidate, UWA
Mike Blanchard, PhD Candidate, UWA
Prof Michael Archer AM, Evolution of Earth & Life Systems Research Group,
Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales
David Hodgkinson, The Hodgkinson Group
Dorothy Bishop, Adjunct Professor of Psychology, UWA
Professor of Developmental Neuropsychology, Dept of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford
Melinda Trugden, PhD Candidate, UWA
Prof. Peter Newman, John Curtin Distinguished Professor of Sustainability,
Director, Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, Curtin University
Sanna Peden, PhD Candidate, UWA
Philip Keirle, PhD Candidate, UWA
Ullrich Ecker, Assistant Professor, School of Psychology, UWA
Prof Steven Sherwood, Co-Director, Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales
Dr Mark Edwards, Assistant Professor, Business School, UWA
Adam McHugh, Lecturer, School of Engineering and Energy, Murdoch University
Dr David Robinson, Lecturer of History, Edith Cowan University
Dr Kerrie Unsworth, Associate Professor, Business School, UWA
Dr Sky Croeser, Lecturer, Department of Internet Studies, Curtin University
Prof Kevin Judd, School of Mathematics and Statistics, UWA
Dr Kayt Davies, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Edith Cowan University
Esmeralda Rocha, PhD Candidate, UWA
Jenny Kent, PhD Candidate, University of Technology Sydney
Stephen Owen, PhD Candidate, University of Newcastle
Alana George, Research Consultant, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
Cynthia Mitchell, Professor of Sustainability, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
Edward Langham, Senior Research Consultant, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
Caitlin McGee, Research Principle, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
Prof David Karoly, School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne
Dr Tim Stephens, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Sydney
Prof Jane McAdam, Director of Research, Faculty of Law, University of NSW
Dr David Mallard, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, Charles Sturt University
Prof Alex Coram, Winthrop Professor of Political Economy, UWA
Tim Highfield, PhD candidate, QUT
Kathryn Healey, PhD Candidate, University of Queensland
Dr Clare Lloyd, Lecturer, Internet Studies, Curtin University
Prof Roger N Jones, Professorial Research Fellow, Centre for Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University
Dr Markus Donat, Research Fellow, Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales
Dr Alex English, Research Fellow, Centre for Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University
Dr Katrin Meissner, ARC Future Fellow, Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales
Dr Iain White, Senior Lecturer, Director of the Centre for Urban and Regional Ecology, University of Manchester, UK
Jason Sharbanee, PhD Candidate, UWA
Isabel Rossen, PhD Candidate, UWA
Prof Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Director, Global Change Institute, University of Queensland
Dr Terence J Edwards, Distinguished Teaching Fellow, Center for Petroleum and Energy Research, UWA
Xavier Goldie, PhD Candidate, ANU
Dr Rose Andrew, Visiting Scientist, College of Medicing, Biology and Environment, ANU
Chiara Pacifici, Research Associate, Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, Curtin University
Dr Lyanne Brouwer, Post-doctoral Fellow, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
Dr Dave Rowell, Deputy Director Teaching and Learning, Associate Professor in Evolutionary Genetics, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
Dr Kate Umbers, Post-doctoral Fellow, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
Prof Jochen Zeil, Professor of Ecological Neuroscience, Research School of Biology, ANU
James Davies, Research Assistant, Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, ANU
Assoc Prof Klaus Weber, Deputy Director, Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems, ANU
Prof Hanna Kokko, Australian Laureate Fellow, Evolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, ANU
Sandra Binning, PhD Candidate, ANU
Dr Kyla Tienhaara, Research Fellow, Regulatory Institutions Network, ANU
Daniel Hoops, PhD Candidate, Research School of Biology, ANU
Dr Samuel Reid, Research School of Biology, ANU
Isobel Booksmythe, PhD Candidate, Research School of Biology, ANU
Dr David J. A. Cooper, Curtin University