Editing Heidelberg Appeal (section)

==Creation==

The technique used by Salomon's group to enlist members of the scientific establishment to lend their names to [[climate change denial|climate denial]] by signing the Appeal document, was quite unique. At this time, some sections of the environmental movement were [[anti-science]], and anti-technology.  They blamed the scientists as much as the industrialists for [[Environmental degradation|damaging the ecology]] of the planet.{{cn|date=September 2022}}

The document most of the signatories thought they were signing was an appeal for the society to pay more attention to scientists than to the many irrational health and environmental activists. They were objecting to the way in which they were losing their privileged position as the 'go-to authorities' on all such health and environmental matters.  They didn't see this as a climate-denial statement.

One of the signatories, [[Philip Warren Anderson|Philip Anderson]], physicist at Princeton University, cited the continued dispersal of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as a prime example of an environmentally hazardous situation identified by scientists.  He complained that despite science's disapproval, CFC's persists to be released as a result of industrial interests and denial of potential harm. He asserted that:
<blockquote>''"It's a sneaky thing to keep the CFC plants going. [... However ... ] industrialists, not scientists are to blame for much of the planet's ecological degradation."''</blockquote>
He agreed with Salomon in attacking the [[animal-rights]] people as <blockquote>''"clearly irrational?" [... ] "This is obvious when they resort to illegality and violence to propagate their ends." [such] forces "make the public afraid of science."'' 
<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.the-scientist.com/news/rio-document-spurs-debate-is-science-an-ecological-foe-60005 |title = Rio Document Spurs Debate: Is Science an Ecological Foe?}}</ref></blockquote>

No draft of the original signed document exists, but participants have since claimed that the document they signed was a general 'motherhood' statement about the need for better science in dealing with hazardous and health-related products.  However, when release and publicised by [[Fred Singer]]'s [[Science & Environmental Policy Project]] operation specific mention of climate change was added in the introductory passages and press release.  It was carefully released to coincide with the opening of the Rio Earth Summit.