August update: The deadly consequences of disinformation
The deadly consequences of disinformation
Despite the ongoing flood of dramatic and cruel headlines, two stories from the past month highlight some defining traits of the Trump administration: ineptitude combined with anti-science disinformation, which has already had devastating consequences.
A July 29 report from the Department of Energy (DOE) disputes the long-established scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions are changing the climate and triggering extreme weather; climate scientist Michael Mann described it as “a deeply misleading antiscientific narrative, built on deceptive arguments, misrepresented datasets, and distortion of actual scientific understanding.”
This is just one glaring example of this administration’s attempts to silence or misrepresent science. Our Silencing Science Tracker, which we co-run with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, has 97 new entries since January 20, 2025 – far outpacing the 91 total from the entire first year of the first Trump administration.
Many of these entries relate to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who has repeatedly and falsely claimed that vaccines are unsafe and ineffective and contain substances like “aborted fetus debris.”
On August 8, a man fired hundreds of bullets at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in an act police called a “targeted attack on CDC related to Covid.”
These are the real-life consequences of the war on science.
Scientific truth doesn’t change because people deny it. We continue to stand with scientists, holding anti-science ideologues accountable and maintaining a record of their actions that they can’t lie about or hide. We have already assisted an astonishing 50 scientists this year who have come to us for help related to everything from the First Amendment to how to handle political harassment and censorship. We will always be here to support the brave researchers who continue to speak the truth, despite the personal and professional risks of doing so.
Please note that things are moving very quickly and may have changed by the time you read this newsletter.
We remain committed to protecting and defending scientists. If you or someone you know needs assistance, please reach out for a free, confidential 1:1 consultation with one of our attorneys.
We’ve been selected as a CREDO Mobile grant recipient! August is almost over, but there are still a few days left to vote for CSLDF and help decide how available funds will be split among three amazing progressive organizations selected for the month.
News
Law Firm Pressures Brown University to Erase Research on Anti-Wind Groups
August 25, 2025 | The New York Times
A law firm with ties to the conservative movement has demanded that Brown University retract research linking the fossil fuel industry to anti-wind groups. “It definitely struck me that they were dangling the possibility of getting the Trump administration involved,” CSLDF Executive Director Lauren Kurtz said.
Offshore Wind Opponents Target Work of Brown University Researcher
August 25, 2025 | Bloomberg
A law firm has demanded that climate scientist Timmons Roberts retract his research on opposition to offshore wind, saying it is preparing to escalate the matter to the Trump administration. Roberts has been in touch with the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund, nonprofits that defend academic freedom.
Marjorie Taylor Greene wants to stop them from making it rain
August 24, 2025 | The Economist
Although cloud-seeding has been practiced quietly across several states, it is now becoming entangled in conspiracy theories and questionable science by people like Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. CSLDF has provided legal aid to scientists who have been the subject of doxxing and frivolous lawsuits from weather conspiracy theorists.
Support Scientists Who Stand Up
August 19, 2025 | American Scientist | Michael E. Mann and Peter J. Hotez
The rising tide of the modern-day antiscience movement calls for stronger protections for scientists, especially in the current environment. A possible model is CSLDF, which supports climate scientists who are threatened with legal action over their scientific work. Such protections need to be extended to biomedical scientists and scientists in other fields who face bad-faith, ideologically motivated attacks aimed at discrediting or intimidating them.