To: Jill Abramson, Editor-in-Chief
The New York Times: Don't Publish Climate Denial
The Los Angeles Times has adopted a policy of refusing to publish letters that deny climate change, and The New York Times should follow suit. End climate change denial in your newspaper.
Why is this important?
Climate change deniers, from Fox News to Donald Trump, are using the polar vortex to say that cold weather disproves global warming. Unfortunately, the same could happen in the opinion pages of The New York Times. In October 2013, The Los Angeles Times announced that it would refuse to publish climate-denying letters, just as it would any other "factual inaccuracies"--but the New York Times hasn't yet followed suit.
Our national conversation is polluted by conspiracy theories, slowing progress for much-needed climate action. That's why it's more important than ever that our most respected newspapers--chief among them, The New York Times--set a precedent and refuse to legitimize climate denial in its letters pages.
Our national conversation is polluted by conspiracy theories, slowing progress for much-needed climate action. That's why it's more important than ever that our most respected newspapers--chief among them, The New York Times--set a precedent and refuse to legitimize climate denial in its letters pages.