Onverdraagzame Australiërs blokkeren oprichting 'Consensus Centrum' o.l.v. Bjørn Lomborg

Slechts politiek correcte wetenschappers mogen eten uit de staatsruif. Milieusceptici moeten maar zelf in hun levensonderhoud voorzien.

De Deense politieke wetenschapper en voormalig milieuactivist, Bjørn Lomborg, is vooral bekend geworden door zijn opus magnum 'The Skeptical Environmentalist', waarin hij aantoonde dat de milieubeweging wel erg overdreef met haar 'Litany of environmental fears'. Hij kreeg alles wat ook maar enigszins politiek correct was over zich heen. Onlangs liet de Australische regering weten bereid te zijn een bedrag van 4 miljoen Australische dollars ter beschikking te stellen voor de oprichting van een 'Consensus Centrum' aan de Universiteit van West–Australië, naar het model van een overeenkomstig centrum in Kopenhagen. Maar de weerstand in academische kring was zo groot dat het feest niet doorging.

Onder de titel, 'UWA cancels contract for Consensus Centre involving controversial academic Bjørn Lomborg', rapporteerde 'The Australian':

The University of Western Australia has cancelled the contract for a policy centre that was to be based on the methodology of controversial academic Bjørn Lomborg after a "passionate emotional reaction" to the plan.

The Federal Government had pledged to contribute $4 million to the Consensus Centre, a think tank that was to use methods similar to those used by Dr Lomberg's Copenhagen Centre.

Dr Lomborg has attracted controversy for suggesting that the dangers of climate change are overstated, and that society faces other more pressing challenges such as global poverty.

In a statement, UWA Vice Chancellor Paul Johnson said the creation of the centre had attracted "mixed reactions" from staff, students and the general public.

"The scale of the strong and passionate emotional reaction was one that the university did not predict," he said.

"Over the past few weeks, I have met and talked to staff, students and members of the public to hear their views, and to explain how the centre will operate within the university, the type of economic analysis it will undertake, and to correct many mistruths and misunderstandings about the centre.

"I have stated many times that it is not a centre to study climate change, that the university was not providing any direct funding to the centre, and that Bjorn Lomborg would not be involved in its day-to-day operations."

But he said the strong opposition to the centre had placed the university in a difficult position, and that the lack of support meant it could not deliver "value for money for Australian taxpayers". ...

Mr Johnson said he had on Friday spoken to the Federal Government and Dr Lomborg, advising them of the university's decision to cancel the contract and return the money to the Government.

Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne has not responded to the ABC's request for comment, but did take to social media to share his views.

"What a sad day for academic freedom when staff at a university silence a dissenting voice rather than test their ideas in debate," Mr Pyne tweeted.

Lees verder hier.

Zo hangt de vlag van de academische vrijheid er tegenwoordig bij. Een uitgelezen kans voor Nederland om Lomborg faciliteiten aan te bieden? (Zwarte humor.)

Voor mijn eerdere DDS–bijdragen zie hier.