LIGHTS CAMERA .......... INACTION

My apologies. This is one more article than I wanted to write in this series, and definitely one more than you wanted to read, but it is important. The two graphs below show how people are prepared to support a good cause when it isn't going to cost them anything, but fall silent when they perceive risk to their reputation, career path, or have some other personal concern.

There have been four posts in the last two weeks pointed very directly at Ian Plimer and his long-standing, very public deceptions about Climate Change. As Australia's most famous geologist, he is a hero of the Climate Change Denial movement. The first three posts did not pull any punches, but quickly shot up to over 10,000 impressions (about 1,000 readings) and are now dying the natural social media death that all posts do. No immortal prose here. As of this morning, the first three posts garnered between 35 and 46 "Like"s, or other positive endorsement.

The fourth post, the destination of the recent series of posts, was my plea to endorse a call to the AIG to either revoke Mr Plimer's membership, or make a very public statement denouncing his views, and the same to the University of Melbourne in regards to his title of Emeritus Professor. After two days languishing in one of the many cul-de-sacs of the LinkedIn sewer network, that most import of all the posts has attracted 700 impressions and three "Likes", the first of which was mine. It's the pink line at the bottom of each graph if you missed it.

Most of you won't have seen it. LinkedIn algorithms don't waste precious feed space on articles that nobody is responding to, but at least some of you will have, including a fair number of those who responded positively to the first thee articles.

If you feel any guilt screws tightening, don't. I don't blame you. Some threats to career and reputation are real, not imagined. But it is also important to review the graphs above in light of mining safety culture, which during my visits to DeGrussa, was centred on the slogan:

"DON'T WALK PAST"

It's another way of saying that the standard you walk past is the standard you accept.

Geology is going to remain the laughingstock of the natural sciences if we continue to "politely" do the "professional" thing and attempt to win a war like this quietly. And make no mistake, this is a war being waged against science where geology's troops are demoralised, scattered, and meekly accepting that a large portion of our ranks have staged a mutiny. This is not something that is just going to go away, and it is not something that one can negotiate their way out of. The normal rules do not apply when dealing with Climate Change Deniers about Climate Change. Forget everything that you have learned about rational engagement and scientific discourse - this ain't it.

You may scoff, sneer and LOL, but I know that I don't go looking for trouble. Seriously. I have enough to do. What many people don't realise is that I prioritise this work ahead of nearly anything else. I devote as much time as it looks like my mental health will allow to causes like standing up to Climate Change Denial. I mean, I'm not going to remember what was on PC3 in the soil data from Bumblefuck Ridge, and how clever I was to interpret it correctly, but I will remember this.

I have made a stand with the AIG once before on a separate, but not entirely unrelated, matter. Here is an extract from the response I got to my official complaint to the our peak professional body:

"The Ethics and Standards Committee reminds the ‘Complainant’ that the use of the complaints process to implicate a third party, who is also an AIG Member, may in itself, constitute a potential breach of the Code of Ethics of the AIG."

Upon realising my mistake, long before I got this curt reply, I tried to amend my complaint to the more relevant member of the AIG, but in vain. I did not hear back anything about the claim, nor my attempt to amend it, for almost a year

Yes. It took almost a year, it failed, and I got a backhander for my troubles. Anything positive that may or may not have been said in support of my stand was whispered in the shadows.

How the AIG choose to act, or continue not to act, is well beyond my control and largely beyond my influence. Perhaps if a few more people give the "voting post" some love, the AIG will be motivated to whisper a few more words that lead to action. To make a stand against "The Steal" of the science of geology, you can visit the post here.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7286937544972279809/