THIS POST IS A PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF CLIMATE POLITICS EMAILS RECEIVED FROM THE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS IN JANUARY 2020

PART-1: CONTENT OF THE UCS STATEMENT

1. When the going gets tough, we get voting. Union of Concerned Scientists ucsusa.org: Dear UCS supporter, It may be a new year, but we’re still up against some of the most pressing issues of our time — global warming, nuclear weapons, and the relentless assault on science, truth, and facts.
2. But 2020 is a major election year, and that’s where every single person can make a difference. Each and every one of us must use our democratic power to elect candidates who value science-based solutions. This is a critical year, which means we can’t take anything for granted. The closer we get to the election, the louder our call must be to restore science to its rightful place in our democracy.
3. We know that you’re paying attention to this election. You want to elect candidates who will stop sidelining science and look out for people’s health and safety. But what about the people around you? Research shows they are more likely to get invested in this election—and to vote—if a friend like you invites them to get started. We have the perfect way to encourage your social circle to get involved—if you haven’t already, sign up to host a debate watch party today and we’ll send you a party pack with everything you need to get started. Stand up for Science. READ: Nine Trendy Words for the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Science.  JOIN: Our Unhealthy Democracy: Where Voting Rights Meets Environmental Justice Webinar. SHARE: Profiles in Cowardice: EPA’s Abysmal Failure to Protect Children’s Health.
4. Ask a Scientist: Why is it so important for people to vote? And, if voting is so important, why don’t more Americans exercise that right? The more people who have a say in collective decision making through voting, the lower the probability that any one individual or group of individuals will be able to use the levers of government to exploit others.
5. Voting, like all activities, is costly in the sense that it takes resources—time, attention, and organization, for example—so people with more time, education, and organization are more likely to vote. Besides that, anything that makes it more difficult to vote is going to exacerbate inequalities in voting. We are seeing a massive, systematic effort to suppress voter turnout in 2020, and while there likely will be a record turnout this year, in a competitive election it does not take a lot of voter suppression to alter the outcome.
6. Meet Our 2019 Science Defenders. Amidst all the attacks on science in 2019 there was an impressive slate of people who bravely continued fighting to make things right. Our 2019 Science Defenders include youth activists righting a wrong in their country, PR professionals working with scientists to protect their neighbors from the deadliest impacts of climate change, and researchers dedicating time to share their work directly with the community. They have all refused to be silent and are standing up for science and we hope that their courage inspires you.
7. On our blog: EPA Science Advisors Tear Into Agency’s “Transparency” Proposal: In the media: The Young Turks – The Conversation: Trump’s Nuclear Weapons Policy: On our podcast: Rush Hour In Orbit: The Science and Politics of Keeping Satellites Safe: On social media: NOAA finds that 2019 is the fifth consecutive year in which 10 or more billion-dollar weather and climate disaster events have impacted the United States.
8. DEFEND SCIENCE:  Donate! Your commitment to UCS ensures that scientific facts inform decisions that affect our environment, our health, and our security. Donate Today! Science for a healthy planet and safer world.
9. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, the Union of Concerned Scientists does not support any candidate for office. All gifts are tax deductible. You can be confident your donations to UCS are spent wisely.

TRANSLATION

IF WE HAD A SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENT TO MAKE, WE WOULD HAVE SIMPLY PRESENTED THE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE AND THE APPROPRIATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. BUT SINCE WE DON’T HAVE A SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENT TO MAKE, WE JUST USED THE WORD SCIENCE AS MANY TIMES AS WE COULD {AS IN “SCIENCE SCIENCE SCIENCE SCIENTIFIC  SCIENTIFIC SCIENTIFIC SCIENTIFIC SCIENTIST SCIENTIST SCIENTIST SCIENTIST SCIENCE SCIENCE SCIENCE}. IMPRESSED? GREAT! AND NOW THIS: SO YOU DON’T FORGET SEND IN YOUR DONATION BEFORE MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. THANK YOU.

BTW, WE ARE A NON-PROFIT SO WE CAN’T REALLY BE DOING POLITICAL ACTIVISM FOR OR AGAINST ANY PARTICULAR CANDIDATE FOR OFFICE. UNLESS IT’S AGAINST TRUMP OF COURSE. 

RELATED POST ON ACTIVISM IN SCIENCE:  [LINK]