PLEA Network

11 August 2015, DeSmog, Australian Psychological Society “Disturbed” By Climate Denialist Group’s “Misleading” Newspaper Advert. Australia’s peak body representing psychologists has attacked a climate science denial group for a prominent advert taken out in a major national newspaper. The Australian Psychological Society (APS) says the advert from a little-known group “misuses psychology-based arguments” to “mislead the public” on the science of climate change. In a stinging letter to The Australian newspaper, which ran the half-page advert, the APS said the authors had shown “cognitive biases” in ignoring a “huge body of scientific evidence” on climate change. The advertisers identified themselves only as “The Climate Study Group” in the page five advert that appeared on 7 August under the title “Psychology and the New Climate Alarm”. DeSmog has found the group members have links to mining, finance, agriculture and free market “think tank” the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA). Professor Lyn Littlefield, APS executive director, wrote in the letter: “The Australian Psychological Society was disturbed to see psychology being misused to mislead the public on such an important topic as climate change, and for this to be published in a reputable newspaper.”  Read More here