RealClimate: Advice for a young climate blogger
RealClimate is one of the best, most readable science blogs out there, and this post reveals why. Their 13 rules for climate bloggers should redone as an agreement that people have to make to set up shop at blogger.com.
Great advice for anyone taking on almost any topic that is largely not understood by the general public, grossly over-simplified in the media or misrepresented by the propaganda machine. My favorite rule in this post is, “If you get noticed by the propagandists, wear that attention like a badge of honor.”
Congratulations! You have taken the first step towards attempting to communicate your expertise and thoughts to the wider world, which remains poorly served by its traditional sources of information when it comes to complex societally relevant issues like climate change. Your aim to clarify the science (or policy options or ethical considerations or simply to explain your views) is a noble endeavor and we wish you luck and wide readership. But do be aware that you are dipping your blog into sometimes treacherous waters. Bad things can happen to good bloggers. So in a spirit of blog-camaraderie, and in light of our own experiences and observations, we offer some advice that may be of some help in navigating the political climate relatively unscathed.
via RealClimate
And while you’re there, read this post on George Will and the Washington Post getting schooled on their science fact checking.
Widespread intellectual and moral docility may be convenient for leaders in the short term, but it is suicidal for nations in the long term. One of the criteria for national leadership should therefore be a talent for understanding, encouraging, and making constructive use of vigorous criticism.
