Elsevier is an evil corporate entity, making a fortune off privatising public science while serving the fossil fuel industry. Welcome new paper by Angus Lyall and colleagues exposing Elsevier's greenwashing. journals.librarypublishing.arizona.edu/jpe/article/... - ThreadSky

jksteinberger.bsky.social • 30 days ago

Elsevier is an evil corporate entity, making a fortune off privatising public science while serving the fossil fuel industry.
Welcome new paper by Angus Lyall and colleagues exposing Elsevier's greenwashing.
https://journals.librarypublishing.arizona.edu/jpe/article/id/6276/

Comments

danielsaraga.bsky.social•30 days ago

Hi, it seems the article accuses Elsevier of:
1/ greenwashing
2/ publishing scientific articles about oil extraction.

1/ is to be criticized, sure (even if it is a generic issue with 99% of all companies).

2/ seems to imply that Elsevier should censor such research publications.

danielsaraga.bsky.social•30 days ago

I can understand censoring research on torture techniques or on the efficiency of eugenics programs.

But calling for the censoring of research into energy extraction does not seem defensible to me.

Plus it offers arguments for the Far Right accusing scientists to have dropped any neutrality.

danielsaraga.bsky.social•30 days ago

Science publishing houses would polarize the way the media did, one publisher only publishing research they deem leftwing (equity, post-colonial, etc.), another one only research deemed rightwing (oil, male-female differences..).

Is that desirable/worth the risk?

danielsaraga.bsky.social•30 days ago

That said, I might have misread the article. Always happy to be proven wrong.

jksteinberger.bsky.social•30 days ago

Neutrality protects status quo power imbalances and inequality, and should not be a scientific goal. See this report which explains it quite well.
And yes, a corporate entity that claims to respect climate science should not be helping FF industry. It's basic.
https://www.unil.ch/unil/fr/home/menuinst/universite/organisation-universite/unites-et-services/centre-de-competence-en-durabilite/articles-et-rapports/engagement-public-des-universitaires.html

danielsaraga.bsky.social•30 days ago

Thanks for the answer!
But then publishing houses would have to decide on what to publish or not.
Or do you favor that the government itself prohibits publishing research results on oil extraction and other topics?
Imagine what far-right governments would do...

danielsaraga.bsky.social•30 days ago

BTW Is Elsevier really "helping" the FF industry (because then it would be also "helping" climate researchers)?
Or merely taking their cash with overpriced open-access fees?

Maybe a complex discussion takes too much time on Bluesky. In any case: have a great day and keep up the good work!

danielsaraga.bsky.social•30 days ago

BTW I did not say that science /should/ be "neutral" (it cannot be) but that 1/ allowing political censorship of science opens a Pandora's box and 2/ science needs to be /perceived/ as not too political (if it wants to keep the influence it has).

jksteinberger.bsky.social•29 days ago

Elsevier is specifically marketing its expertise and tools to the FF industry. A coherent, ethical, science-guided organisation would not do this. It's not a question of censorship. It's a question of Elsevier and science-scientists. It makes money off us and is not responsive to us.

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