A scientist from California has criticized editors of scientific journals, claiming that they only support climate papers supporting "certain approved narratives."
Scientist Patrick Brown explained that a recent study of his that was published only focuses on how climate change has impacted extreme wildfire behavior, even though climate change "isn’t close to the only factor that deserves our sole focus." However, Brown said he knew not to focus on other issues "because it would dilute the story" that scientific journals are interested in telling.
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"This matters because it is critically important for scientists to be published in high-profile journals; in many ways, they are the gatekeepers for career success in academia," Brown explained. "And the editors of these journals have made it abundantly clear, both by what they publish and what they reject, that they want climate papers that support certain preapproved narratives—even when those narratives come at the expense of broader knowledge for society."
Brown added that climate science is now less about understanding "the complexities of the world" and is now more about "urgently warning the public" about climate change. Through this, scientific studies published by journals end up distorting research, misinforming the public, and making "practical solutions more difficult to achieve."
The scientist also said that scientific research ought to "prize curiosity," but instead, it now plays by the influence of "the biases of the editors."
Identifying and focusing on problems rather than studying the effectiveness of solutions makes for more compelling abstracts that can be turned into headlines, but it is a major reason why high-profile research is not as useful to society as it could be.
— Patrick T. Brown (@PatrickTBrown31) September 5, 2023
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The issue of climate change has become a major factor in the political sphere, with many politicians pledging to address the issue. During a recent visit to Florida in the wake of Hurricane Idalia, President Joe Biden linked climate change to the damage caused by the hurricane, stating that "nobody can deny the impact of climate crises."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) pushed back against the president's claim, stating that those who say climate change is responsible for natural disasters are championing a "false" ideology.