“Give us credibility”, calls on the scientific community, which signs an article in Le Monde

“Give us credibility”, calls out Jean Jouzel, climatologist and former vice-president of the IPCC scientific group Thursday April 18 on franceinfo. A cry from the heart from the scientific community after a column (article reserved for subscribers) published Thursday morning in the newspaper The world. Entitled “Climate: “A growing mistrust is taking hold in our scientific community vis-à-vis political power””, it is signed by 260 researchers, climatologists, doctoral students, teachers in the scientific field, including Jean Jouzel. They warn in particular about the “disconnect” between the scientific discourse held by the government and reality.

The climatologist deplores: “We have had enough of this attitude which consists of giving the impression that the government takes into account the opinion of scientists, but seeing that the reality deviates significantly”, in France, as in the world, he specifies. Jean Jouzel, and his fellow signatories of the platform, point directly to the government: “We do not have a real dynamic of membership at the head of state.” He regrets that climate issues, such as the protection of the oceans, pollution and global warming are not at the heart of the current debate in the European elections.

The scientific community is consulted by the government to develop laws, very often ambitious according to Jean Jouzel, but “beyond the laws, we don’t have the impression of being listened to”. He notes bitterly that“we have the right structures”like the High Council for the Climate, “but we don’t have the means”. In the gallery, the scientists deplore in unison “a new course of slowness, going against the voluntarism of the initial announcements”. Jean Jouzel concludes by launching an appeal to public authorities and citizens: “What we are experiencing today is what our scientific community has been considering for 50 years, so give us credibility.”