RIGHT OF REPLY: Academics’ unsubstantiated bombshells trigger panic free of accountability By City of Cape Town
A small group of academics have made a habit of detonating unsubstantiated bombshells in the media, frequently via individuals with unambiguously political agendas, triggering public panic without any apparent burden of accountability.
Reams of correspondence can be produced on showing not only how seriously the City of Cape Town and other spheres of government regard any such alarm being sounded, but the lengths to which city officials have gone in their attempts to engage this group constructively. Petrik’s reasons for deciding to extend the invitation to individuals who were not in a position to contribute meaningfully to the work, as well as her decision to not contact the hosts of the event about whether it would be appropriate to do so, or even if the venue could accommodate the extra numbers , may be speculated upon. But the pursuit of constructive engagement among scientists in a closed meeting can reasonably be ruled out as one of them.
By contrast, Petrik’s presentation was lay-person accessible and soundbite ready. The dialogue had been motivated by her activism on the subject of emerging contaminants, and it was clear that she wasn’t about to let the opportunity for further publicity be missed or momentum be lost. Her media guests listened attentively to news of imminent ecological collapse, making notes for the following day’s headlines.
The group calls repeatedly for transparency and collaboration, yet it is interesting to note that not once have Petrik, Greeninformed the city of their multi-year project, funded by the Norwegian Government, to investigate Cape Town’s three marine outfalls. And they have attended at least four meetings with the city over the past few months.
The fact that parking had been allocated was an innocent and unwitting clerical error made by the official who facilitates logistical arrangements. It is concerning that academics who represent universities such as UCT, Stellenbosch and UWC would label peer review as “old-fashioned”, while not subjecting their own work to peer review prior to putting it in the public domain. To date, none of the work by Green et al or their definitive statements have undergone any form of peer review.
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