Against Facebook’s arbitrary censorship of the dissemination of academic science

The undersigned, a broad group of scientists, philosophers, economists, engineers, and communicators about the ecological crisis and problems related to climate and energy, condemn Facebook’s censorship of perspectives that have a verifiable scientific basis but which diverge from the official discourse to which the general public and professionals are generally exposed.

The British scientific writer Gaia Vince, who publishes in Science, New Scientist, and The Guardian has seen her web site censored by Facebook.

In Spain, this kind of censorship has begun with Facebook’s blocking of links to Ferran Puig Vilar’s blog on climate change and related issues, “Usted no se lo Cree”, which was founded in 2009 and given an award by the Fundación Biodiversidad, which was presented at that time by Teresa Ribera, who is now Spain’s Minister of Ecological Transition.

Since at least last August, when a user tries to link to one of these blogs, Facebook prevents posting the link, and displays one or another alert saying that these web sites do not meet their “community standards”, or even that they generate spam, which is completely false. This causes a double harm: It robs people of the opportunity to access the information. And it insinuates an accusation of falsehood. Indeed, it both suppresses and defames.

We affirm that the work of both of these authors is distinguished by its scientific rigor and intellectual honesty, and we condemn this attack on freedom of expression.

We, the signers of this complaint, many of whom are editors of various blogs and spaces of communication and sharing of information on the Internet (see the list at the end), share the following points of view concerning the crisis of civilization and existence that is in progress:

1. The gravity of climate change is much greater than what is commonly affirmed in the mainstream media. The Paris Accords are clearly inadequate, and even counterproductive.
2. The social and economic crisis that is now unfolding is a result of the ecological crisis and, in particular, the lack of responses to the energy crisis that began in the middle of the last decade and that soon will greatly and rapidly worsen, according to the best scientific studies of recent years.
3. The consequences of the ecological, climate, and energy crises are existential. The irreparable damage that we are doing to the systems which support life on the Earth, and life itself, is turning back on ourselves. And the energy crisis (brought about by the end of abundant fossil energy and the inability of so-called “renewable” energy sources to supply the quantity and kinds of energy that are used, will prevent the implementation of responses that once might have been feasible.
4. The current socioeconomic paradigm of industrial development, characterized by its short-term and individualistic approach, is becoming increasingly dysfunctional and is inherently incapable of addressing these problems. Along these lines, the treatment of information as a “product” discourages these questions, which are considered uncomfortable and contrary to business objectives, from coming to the attention of the general public and becoming a subject of open debate.
5. Technology is needed to facilitate certain individual and social processes, and for the progress and prosperity of Humanity. However, the dominant discourse that sees technology as the only valid or viable answer to these problems is profoundly mistaken and highly dangerous. There is no, and nor will there likely be, advanced technology that does not require the use of fossil fuels, nor can there be a greater technological complexity without an increase in net energy and availability of the materials that the systems require for their design, manufacture, operation, and disposal. And if, as we are indeed seeing, net energy is decreasing and various materials are becoming scarce, it will not be possible to develop technological systems to the necessary scale in time to avoid or even soften the damage.
6. The prevailing cultural paradigm traps us behind walls of perception that limit consideration of the ecological and ethical harms that are being done, but these walls are rapidly coming down. The recent pandemia is showing us a milder example of what is to come.

Many of us who have signed below are persons known and recognized for our work in spreading awareness of these problems of sustainability. We are highly educated and occupy posts of high or very high importance and responsibility. We are not speculating. We have broad and deep knowledge of the evidence for, and the implications of, the propositions that we are articulating, and we know that the conclusions that dominate discourse in society are not supported by the best available science, as these fail to take sufficient account of physical and social limits.

Though the exact moment at which this crisis with multiple causes will be come into public awareness as the genuine global emergency that it is is difficult to predict with precision, many of us believe that we already find ourselves inexorably immersed in a crisis of civilization of cultural and moral origin without precedent in the history of humanity.

In 2014, the Last Call manifesto, signed, among others, by political leaders – some of whom are currently in positions of responsibility in the Spanish government – affirmed:

“Today, there is mounting evidence indicating that the path of unlimited growth is similar to a slow motion genocide. The end of cheap energy, the catastrophic scenarios of climate change, and geopolitical conflicts over natural resources illustrate that the years of seemingly unlimited progress are forever gone. To cope with this challenge, the flimsy mantra of sustainable development is not enough; nor is betting on eco-efficient technologies or a supposed transition to any “green economy”. Indeed, all these versions of friendly development disguise plans for the general commodification of natural resources and ecosystemic services.”

We who have signed this declaration and complaint share this diagnosis, even if we may have varying ideas on how to address the problems and challenges we are facing. However, one view that we maintain in common is the urgent necessity of a systemic, orderly, just, and democratic process of material and energetic degrowth, especially in the countries and individuals of highest purchasing power, including a majority of persons of the “Western” world.

It is these who are principally responsible for the rapid worsening of the situation and who are failing to address the tremendous risks that this situation represents for human development and for present and future life on the planet. The majority of these risks continue to lack adequate coverage in the media.

In all probability it is our solidly supported positions and objections to perpetual economic growth as the pillar of human development that motivate censorship of free expressions that explore these matters rigorously. The lack of public exposure to these problems is precisely the reason why degrowth, and the ecological economics school proposals, still appear as not sufficiently pursued.

For this reason, as a response to this inappropriate and arbitrary behavior of Facebook, and as a means of protest and pressure, some of us who have still maintained a profile in this social media application are going to cease all activity in it.

As a collective we demand that Facebook respect freedom of expression, and particularly of the scientific community, and that it restore the integrity and good reputation of the censored blogs.

We also demand that persons and institutions of power, and the media, begin to accord these perspectives the crucial importance and relevance that the gravity of the situation in which we find ourselves demands.

Signatories

See updated list at: https://ustednoselocree.com/background-climatico/otros/firmantes/

Academia

Ciencias económicas

Federico Aguilera Klink

Catedrático jubilado de Economía Aplicada
Universidad de La Laguna
Premio Nacional de Economía y Medio Ambiente, 2004

Federico Demaria

Doctor en Ciencias Económicas
Profesor de Economía Ecológica y Ecología Política
Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

José Anastasio Urra Urbieta

Doctor en Ciencias Económicas
Profesor Titular, Departamento de Dirección de Empresas
Director del Máster en Consultoría Estratégica
Facultad de Economía, Universitat de València

Blog LinkedIn: José Anastasio Urra Urbieta
Facebook: José Anastasio Urra Urbieta

Enric Tello Aragay

Historiador Ambiental
Catedrático de la Facultad de Economía y Empresa
Universitat de Barcelona

José Manuel Naredo Pérez

Doctor en Economía
Profesor “Ad Honorem”, Departamento de Urbanística y Ordenación del Territorio
ETS de Arquitectura, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Premio Nacional de Medio Ambiente 2000
Premio Internacional Geocrítica 2008
Panda de Oro 2011 (WWF)
Premio Fundación Fernando González Bernáldez, 2018

Óscar Carpintero

Doctor en Ciencias Económicas
Profesor Titular de Economía Aplicada
Universidad de Valladolid

Vicent Cucarella

Economista
Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas (Ivie), Técnico investigador
Actual Síndic Major, Sindicatura de Comptes, Comunitat Valenciana

Xoán R. Doldán García

Decano de la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas
Universidad de Santiago de Compostela

Ciencias físicas, ingeniería y matemáticas

Antonio Turiel Martínez

Doctor en Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Investigador Sénior
Departamento de Física y Tecnología de los Océanos
Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cinetíficas (CSIC)
Blog: The Oil Crash
Canal Telegram: @TheOilCrash

Carlos de Castro Carranza

Doctor en Ingeniería
Profesor Titular del Departamento de Física Aplicada
Grupo de Energía, Economía y Dinámica de Sistemas (GEEDS)
Universidad de Valladolid

Blog del GEEDS

Jordi Solé i Ollé

Doctor en Ciències Físiques
Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Coordinador del projecte de recerca europeu MEDEAS sobre límits ecosistèmics
Conseller de l’Instituto Resiliencia

Blog: Tempus Fugit

Margarita Mediavilla Pascual

Doctora en Ciencias Físicas, Profesora Titular del Departamento de Física Aplicada
Grupo de Energía, Economía y Dinámica de Sistemas
Escuela de Ingeniería, Universidad de Valladolid

Blog: Habas contadas

Ciencias biológicas y ambientales

Olga Margalef Marrasé

Doctora en Ciencias Geológicas
Investigadora post-doctoral, CREAF
Profesora Asociada, Departamento de Geología
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Marta Conde Puigmal

Investigadora Recercaixa
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Marie Curie Fellow
ICTA-UAB (Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
Research & Degrowth Association, Presidenta

Web Research & Degrowth

Otras ciencias naturales, arquitectura e ingeniería

Antonio Aretxabala Díez

Geólogo
Investigador, Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra
Universidad de Zaragoza

Ex-director técnico, Laboratorio de Arquitectura
Universidad de Navarra
Delegado del Ilustre Colegio Oficial de Geólogos de España (ICOG) (2012-2016)
Comunidad Foral de Navarra

Blog: Antonio Aretxabala

Alberto Matarán Ruiz

Profesor de Urbanismo y Ordenación del Territorio
Universidad de Granada

Twitter: @Albertomataran

Antonio Serrano Rodríguez

Doctor Ingeniero de Caminos. Economista
Catedrático prejubilado de Urbanística y Ordenación del Territorio
Escuela Superior de Arquitectura
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Esteban de Manuel Jerez

Doctor en Arquitectura, Profesor Titular de la Universidad de Sevilla
Responsable del Grupo de investigación ADICI-HUM810
Director de la revista Hábitat y Sociedad

Blog: Esteban de Manuel Jerez

Filosofía y ciencias sociales

Carmen Madorrán Ayerra

Profesora, Departamento de Filosofía
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Carmen Velayos Castelo

Profesora titular, Filosofía Moral y Política
Universidad de Salamanca

Emilio Santiago Muiño

Doctor en Antropología, Profesor de Filosofía
Universidad de Zaragoza

Blog: Enfants perdidos

Marta Tafalla

Doctora en Filosofía
Profesora, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona

Twitter: @TafallaMarta

Jordi Pigem Pérez

Doctor en Filosofía, especializado en Filosofía de la Ciencia. Ensayista.
Universitat de Barcelona

Jorge Riechmann Fernández

Doctor en Ciencias Políticas, Licenciado en Matemáticas, Poeta. Ensayista.
Profesor titular de Filosofía Moral
Departamento de Filosofía
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Codirector del Diploma de Especialización en Sostenibilidad, Ética Ecológica y Educación Ambiental
Codirector del Máster en Humanidades Ecológicas, Sustentabilidad y Transición Ecosocial
Universitat Politècnica de València / Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Blog: Tratar de comprender, tratar de ayudar

José Albelda

Doctor en Bellas Artes
Codirector del Diploma de Especialización en Sostenibilidad, Ética Ecológica y Educación Ambiental
Codirector del Máster en Humanidades Ecológicas, Sustentabilidad y Transición Ecosocial
Universitat Politècnica de València / Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

Pablo Ángel Meira Cartea

Doctor en Ciencia de la Educación
Profesor Titular de Educación Ambiental
Universidad de Santiago de Compostela

Joám Evans Pim

Doutor em Ciências Sociais
Professor na Åbo Akademi University e Universitat Jaume I
Diretor do Center for Global Nonkilling

Ciencias de la información

José Luis Piñuel Raigada

Catedrático Emérito, Facultad de Ciencias de la Información
Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Núria Almiron Roig

Profesora titular del Departamento de Comunicación, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Directora del proyecto THINKClima

Web del proyecto THINKClima

Rogelio Fernández Reyes

Doctor en Periodismo. Universidad de Sevilla

Sector privado

Instituto Resiliencia

Manuel Casal Lodeiro

Presidente, Instituto Resiliencia, Galicia
Director, revista 15/15\15

Web de la Revista 15/15\15
Blog: (Des)varia materia

Esteban Bernatas Chassaigne

Consejero del Instituto Resiliencia

Estudios energéticos

Daniel Gómez Cañete

Presidente. Asociación para el Estudio de los Recursos Energéticos (AEREN)
Miembro del panel Internacional de The Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO)

Pedro Prieto Pérez

Ingeniero de Telecomunicación
Vicepresidente. Asociación para el Estudio de los Recursos Energéticos (AEREN)
Miembro del panel Internacional de The Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO)

Blog: Crisis energética

Periodismo y comunicación

Cristina Ribas

Professora associada de Periodisme digital
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Expresidenta de la Associació Catalana de Comunicació Científica (ACCC)

Twitter: @cristinaribas

Ferran Puig Vilar

Ingeniero Superior de Telecomunicación
Consejero del Instituto Resiliencia
Ex-presidente Asociación de Prensa Profesional

Blog: Usted no se lo Cree

Francesc Baiges Planas

Periodista
Sicom (Solidaritat i Comunicació)

Frederic Pahisa i Fontanals

Periodista
Sicom (Solidaritat i Comunicació)

Josep Cabayol

Periodista
Director, Sicom (Solidaritat i Comunicació)

Jordi Vilardell Gómez

Periodista televisivo especializado en crisis climática y de biodiversidad
Documentales: Latituds

Activismo

Juan Bordera Romá

Guionista
El Salto, CTXT.es
Red de transición de València

Begoña de Bernardo

Promotora del Centro para la Resiliencia Pousadoira
Presidenta de Véspera de Nada

Web del Centro para la Resiliencia Pousadoira

Francisco Segura

Coordinador confederal
Ecologistas en Acción

Javier Andaluz

Coordinador de energía y cambio climático
Ecologistas en Acción

Luis Domínguez Rodríguez

Grupo de decrecimiento “Hasta aquí hemos llegado”

Luis González Reyes

Doctor en Ciencias Químicas
Ecologistas en Acción

Libro: En la espiral de la energía

Luis Rico

Coordinador confederal
Ecologistas en Acción

Marcos Rivero Cuadrado

La Transicionera

Moisès Casado

Extinction/Rebellion, Barcelona

Moisés Rubio Rosendo

Coordinador de Formación e Investigación
Solidaridad Internacional Andalucía

Pepa Úbeda

ATTAC València

Virginia Soler (Birch)

Fridays for Future
Canal YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjqTWZUV0F0t5r5bjHSUbVw

Yayo Herrero

Antropóloga, Ingeniera
Foro Transiciones

Web del Foro Transiciones

Otros

Alberto Fraguas Herrero

Biólogo
Director Ejecutivo, Instituto de Estudios de la Tierra

David González

Sustraiak Habitat Design, País Vasco

Instituciones

• Associació Catalana de Comunicació Científica (ACCC)
• ATTAC España
• ATTAC País Valencià
• Ecologistas en Acción
• Instituto Resiliencia
• Centro para la Resiliencia Pousadoira
• Véspera de Nada por unha Galiza sen petróleo
• La Transicionera
• Sicom (Solidaritat i Comunicació)
• Grupo de decrecimiento “Hasta aquí hemos llegado” – Palencia
• Colectivo Burbuja

Instituto Resiliencia gives support to this collective denounce action.

Instituto Resiliencia is part of the Centro de Saberes para a Sustentabilidade (RCE1 Galicia), oficially acknowledged by United Nations University.