LEADER - HALTING THE DISSEMINATION OF FALSE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS NOT TO MISS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPING MAJOR ACTIONS FOR PREVENTION OF NATURAL RISKS

摘要

We have often tackled the issue of natural risks, namely those due to seismic and hydrogeological events. Central to our debates has always been prevention, i.e. the capability of our social sys- tem to make the best use of the wealth of knowledge acquired in risk planning and mitigation in the past few years. However, dif- ficulties arise when the administrative-political system attempts to promote rational and positive prevention policies. Indeed, the more and more pervasive action of the media in communicating climate change puts a heavy strain on these policies. Slogans and sensational definitions, mostly based on the opinions of (almost invariably) political organisations, tend to lay the blame for the intensification of floods and landslides, with increasing damage to people and property, on climate change rather than on anthropo- genic factors, i.e. poor care for the environment and low respect for scientific rules. Earthquakes, too, have caused increasing dam- age to people and property, but here the blame cannot be placed on climate change. There is a paradox in all this. A large number of scientists expressed doubts about the correlation between higher carbon levels in the atmosphere and global warming. Now, many authoritative communicators, certainly in “good faith”, feel that these scientists are to be ranked among NEGATIONISTS, just as those denying the Nazi holocaust or the landing of man on the moon or even some minorities disputing the legitimacy of com- pulsory vaccination of our children.