Winter 2012 The Social Contract
American Association for the Advancement of Silence (On National Population Policies) Muffles ‘Obnoxious’ Canadians Too
By David Schindler, Madeline Weld, and Stuart H. Hurlbert
If the UN Conference on the Human Environment, to be did not “align” with AAAS. Further enquiries as to what held in Stockholm in 1972, faces this issue [human popu- exactly that meant revealed that CAPS was considered lation as “the basic cause of environmental problems”] to have “a concerted political agenda and lobbying ef- squarely, there will be hope for the future. If it does not, fort around immigration issues that impact the state of then those individuals, agencies and governments that California and are of interest to its residents.” More un- feel strongly on the matter, should become obnoxious in successful rounds with the AAAS meetings manager, to bringing the issue into uninhibited discussion. — J.R. Vallentyne (1972)1 whom it was explained that CAPS’ interests include the impact of population growth not only in California but [T]here is no shortage of censors and axers of truth out throughout America and the world, led to an appeal to there in the scientific community. They normally work the AAAS Board of Directors. Alas, AAAS Chief Ex- quietly, speak softly and euphemistically, and have a wide ecutive Officer Alan Leshner, on behalf of the Board, variety of pretexts for wielding the red pen, declaring cer- supported the meetings manager, saying that AAAS did tain topics taboo, and keeping the politically incorrect off not “provide space to organizations with as direct politi- the program. When challenged they are prone to embar- cal and lobbying intent as CAPS has on issues that go rassing themselves. beyond the multidisciplinary membership and meeting — S.H. Hurlbert (2011)2 audience.” Not surprisingly, CAPS noted that that response Introduction—the CAPS-AAAS saga was a bit disingenuous, given that other organizations allowed to exhibit at the AAAS meeting have political agendas and engage in educating and lobbying. Fur- he first episode of the CAPS-AAAS saga thermore, in July, two months before the exchange with was published in the Fall 2011 issue of CAPS, AAAS had published an issue of its flagship The Social Contract. Stuart Hurlbert re- journal Science on population. One would think that lated how CAPS (Californians for Popu- AAAS might therefore considers the point of view of lation Stabilization) had applied for, been an organization such as CAPS, concerned as it is with granted,T and then was denied an exhibitor’s booth at the population stabilization, to be of interest to its multidis- American Association for the Advancement of Science ciplinary membership.4 (AAAS) annual meeting to be held in Vancouver, Can- All key correspondence referenced here between 3 ada, in February, 2012. The reason? CAPS apparently CAPS and AAAS may be found in the appendix. This also includes key exchanges between PIC and AAAS during the former’s attempt, described below, to arrange David Schindler is Killam Memorial Professor of for an exhibitor booth at the Vancouver meeting. Ecology at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and Fellow of the The saga continues, with a new player, PIC Royal Society (UK); Contact: [email protected] In the early stages of this saga, while CAPS was ap- Madeline Weld is President of the Population Institute plying for and getting (or so we thought) a booth, CAPS of Canada and a Toxicologist Evaluator for Health secretary Stuart Hurlbert contacted the Ottawa-based Canada, Ottawa; Contact: [email protected] Population Institute of Canada (PIC), the only organi- Stuart H. Hurlbert is Emeritus Professor of Biology, zation in Canada whose focus is specifically on popula- San Diego State University, Fellow of AAAS, and tion. A shared CAPS/PIC booth seemed like a fine idea secretary of Californians for Population Stabilization; for an American science meeting being held in Canada. Contact: [email protected] PIC president Madeline Weld responded enthusiastically
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to the idea of a joint booth. She and PIC member Da- made use of available educational material that reflected vid Schindler of the University of Alberta (Edmonton) PIC’s point of view. In addition to PIC’s own material, it even agreed to help man the booth. Naturally, all shared would have material from about a dozen other organiza- CAPS’ disappointment when the offer was rescinded. tions and individuals who shared PIC’s concern about But the battle against censorship was not over! We overpopulation, the letter said. contacted scientists in the U.S. and Canada and asked PIC duly filled out its online application. Exhibi- them if they would sign a document protesting the tors were required to put in a short description of their AAAS rejection of CAPS’ application for a booth. One organization. PIC’s seemed anodyne enough: hundred people agreed to do so, many of them senior The Population Institute of Canada is an en- scientists or leaders of NGOs. Schindler and Weld also vironmental and educational organization wrote a letter to AAAS, expressing their disappointment dedicated to informing the public about the at its decision, and informing AAAS that PIC had been causes and dangers of overpopulation and invited by CAPS to help design and provide material for to encouraging governments to take steps to its booth, and that both had volunteered to help staff it. slow population growth. Stop by our booth to Schindler and Weld asked AAAS to reconsider its deci- see books and displays on this topic and for sion regarding CAPS, but failing that, to allow PIC to free literature from our own and many other have the booth that had been denied to CAPS. Schindler organizations. and Weld concluded their letter by saying that, with the On December 1, PIC received notification from planet’s population reaching seven billion within a week “AAAS Meetings” that its application had been ac- [officially on October 31, 2011], and the populations of cepted. Information about payment and contacts was both the U.S. and Canada still growing at exponential included. rates, it was time to make population stabilization a vis- So far, so good. Or so it seemed. ible issue within the scientific community. The “We Pro- test” letter signed by 100 scientists and the Schindler PICing a fight with a science powerhouse? -Weld letter were included as attachments in an email Strangely, although the acceptance notice from sent to the AAAS Board on October 26, 2011. The “We AAAS had said that PIC would be contacted “shortly” Protest” letter is reprinted at the end of this essay. by the sales manager to confirm a booth number, shortly Adding a little bit of fire to the issue, on November seemed to be taking a while. Nor did the PIC treasurer 9, Hurlbert notified the AAAS board of publication of receive a reply when he contacted the name provided in the first article on this saga in the Fall 2011 issue of The the acceptance notice about paying by check. Social Contract.3 The reason for the silence was revealed on Decem- On November 11, AAAS CEO Leshner replied to ber 9, when PIC received an email from the meetings Schindler and Weld, informing them that PIC was wel- manager, Barbara Rice, referring to the PIC exhibitor come to submit an application for an exhibit booth. He blurb that said we would provide “free literature from reiterated that AAAS was a “rigorously nonpartisan and our own and many other organizations.” This was coun- nonprofit association” and that the meeting was not in- ter to Section 3 of the Terms and Conditions, the letter tended as “a platform for promoting the political agen- said, and we would have to amend our description to das of any individual organizations.” CAPS’ activities adhere to exhibitor policies. related to limiting immigration, whether legal or illegal, On December 13, Weld and Schindler responded were primarily political in nature, he said. He informed to Rice’s letter, saying they found it puzzling, reiterating PIC that only duly registered exhibitors could exhibit at that all the people staffing the booth would be PIC mem- the AAAS meeting, that a booth could not be shared, and bers, and that they did not see how providing literature that exhibitors who violated the agreement terms could from other organizations could be interpreted as sharing be removed without refund. the booth. As PIC is a small organization with limited Weld and Schindler responded by thanking AAAS, publications, it uses educational materials from many saying that PIC would assume full responsibility for the sources to promote awareness of population issues. booth, and that all the people staffing it would be PIC Paying the large fee for a booth under such a restriction members. They informed Leshner about PIC’s objective would not serve PIC’s purpose, they wrote. of raising awareness about population growth in Canada Weld and Schindler asked two questions. The first and around the world. They also informed him that PIC was whether all the material presented at the booth had interacted and collaborated with many other groups and to be written by a PIC member or under PIC’s imprima-
12 Winter 2012 The Social Contract
tur (e.g., from PIC’s website). If the answer was Yes, of AAAS meeting attendees had to be protected from then PIC asked to withdraw its application for a booth. seeing a stack of that still relevant essay. Jack Vallen- If the answer was tyne was not a PIC member either, so distribution to at- No, then PIC had a tendees of hot-off-the-press copies of his posthumously second question: If published essay on Consumption: The Other Side of there was a limited Population for Development6 was similarly proscribed. number of authors, Go figure. publishers, or or- This article, the second (and presumably final) ganizations whose chapter of a sad tale, should serve as warning to other materials were pro- organizations to save their energy if they think they’d scribed, PIC wanted like to have a population booth at a AAAS meeting. We to know who they can hope that the culture of the AAAS evolves on this were. In that case, matter—for which it will perhaps need new leadership. PIC would decide “Facing the issue squarely” indeed! If only Jack if it would choose Vallentyne knew. ■ to operate under the conditions imposed. Endnotes Weld and Schindler 1. John R. Vallentyne. 1972. Freshwater Supplies and concluded their let- Pollution: Effects of the Demophoric Explosion on ter by reminding AAAS that the delays were hampering Water and Man. In: N. Polunin (ed.), The Environmental PIC’s ability to prepare. Future. Macmillan, London, pp. 181-211. Receiving no reply, on December 20 Weld and Schindler cut to the chase and wrote to Rice: 2. Stuart H. Hurlbert. 2011. The North American It has now been 35 days since we informed Lake Management Society: Axing Truth, Threatening Dr. Leshner that our PIC booth planned to Lawsuits. The Social Contract 21(3): 37-46. distribute literature from many organizations, 3. Stuart H. Hurlbert. 2011. Is the AAAS Oblivious to and a week since we requested clarification, U.S. Overpopulation and Its Consequences: Or Is It Just in response to your message of December 9, Another Censor? The Social Contract 22(1): 64-68. as to what kinds of non-PIC materials, if any, 4. In this regard it is worth noting that of the 18 articles would be allowed at the PIC booth. Given the published in the Science issue devoted to population, lack of a response, the implicit threat that any not one mentioned the rapidly growing U.S. non-PIC materials could result in the closing population, which is driven primarily by immigration. down of our booth, and the very late hour, we CAPS lobbies for a reduced California and U.S. hereby withdraw our application for a booth. population, which can only be achieved by a reduction Conclusions (and warnings!) in immigration. Apparently, AAAS considers the sensitive subject of immigration to be off limits. To summarize this sad tale: CAPS’ application for 5. Garrett Hardin. 1968. The Tragedy of The Commons. a booth was rejected by AAAS because CAPS was con- Science 162:1243-1248. sidered (incorrectly) to be focused only on immigration and California and therefore perceived to be too politi- 6. Francisco J. Mata, Larry J. Onisto and John R. cal. On the other hand, PIC’s application was rejected Vallentyne. 2011. Consumption: The Other Side of because it proposed to present literature from a wide Population for Development. Ethics in Science and variety of organizations and authors on population is- Environmental Politics (in press). [Originally prepared sues on national and global scales. Garrett Hardin, not for and presented at the International Conference on a member of PIC, published Tragedy of the Commons5 Population and Development (ICPD), Cairo, Egypt, in a non-PIC venue (Science), so the tender sensibilities September 5-13, 1994].
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Letter of protest over cancellation of an exhibitor booth for CAPS
Date: 26 October 2011
To: Dr Nina Federoff, AAAS President, and the AAAS Board of Directors (Alice Huang, California Institute of Technology: William Press, University of Texas, Austin; David Evans Shaw, Blackpoint Group; Alan Leshner, AAAS Chief Executive Officer; Nancy Knowlton, Smithsonian Institution; Stephen Mayo, California Institute of Technology; Raymond Orbach, University of Texas, Austin; Julia M. Phillips, Sandia National Labs, New; Sue V. Rosser, San Francisco State University; David D. Sabatini, NYU School of Medicine; Inder Verma, Salk Institute for Biological Studies; Thomas Woolsey, Washington University Medical School)
From: Dr. David Schindler, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Dr. Madeline Weld, Population Institute of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
WE PROTEST
The undersigned protest the rejection of Californians for Population Stabilization’s application for an exhibitor booth at the AAAS meeting planned for February 2012 in Vancouver, Canada, by the entirely American AAAS board of directors
The following 100 persons are mostly senior scientists and scholars or leaders of NGOs focused on population and environmental issues. For retired individuals, their last professional affiliation is given. All listed affiliations are for purposes of identification only. They do not imply any endorsement of this protest by any organization or institution. [Note: As indicated at the end of each sublist, three additional scientists signed onto the letter after it was transmitted to AAAS.]
Canadian Signers
Kenneth Ashley Peter Hodson BC Ministry of Environment, Vancouver BC Queen’s University, Kingston ON Spencer Barrett Joseph Kerekes University of Toronto, Toronto ON Canadian Wildlife Service, Dartmouth NS Suzanne Bayley Charles Krebs University of Alberta, Edmonton AB University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC Sean Boyd Joe Leach Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada, Ministry of Natural Resources Lake Erie Fisheries Delta BC Station, Wheatley ON James Bruce Donald Ludwig Director, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, Burlington ON University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC Peter Dillon Lynda McCarthy Trent University, Peterborough ON Ryerson University, Toronto ON Gordon Goldsborough Kristi Miller University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Roger Green Nanaimo BC University of Western Ontario, Waterloo ON Larry Onisto Andrew Hamilton Environment Ontario Power Generation, Toronto ON Former Head, Science Division, Commission for John Post Environmental Cooperation, Ottawa ON University of Calgary, Calgary AB Fangliang He Ellie Prepas University of Alberta, Edmonton AB Lakehead University, Thunder Bay ON
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Henry Regier John Shearer University of Toronto, Toronto ON Freshwater Insitute, Winnipeg MB Rick Riewe John Stockner University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB Eco-Logic Ltd; UBC Fisheries Centre, Vancouver BC Gordon Robinson William Tonn University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MN University of Alberta, Edmonton AB David Schindler Julie Turgeon University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Laval University, Quebec City QC Gayle Shaw Warwick Vincent Grant MacEwan Community College, Laval University, Quebec City QC Edmonton AB Bruce Ward George Shaw University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Madeline Weld Edmonton AB President, Population Institute of Canada, Ottawa ON
American Signers
John Alcock John Downing Arizona State University, Tempe AZ Iowa State University, Ames IA Daniel Anderson Dell Erickson University of California, Davis CA Director of Research, Minnesotans for Sustainability, Minneapolis MN Gerald Bakus University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA Carlos Fetterolf Past Executive Secretary, Canada/U.S. Great Lakes Albert Bartlett Fishery Commission, Ann Arbor MI University of Colorado, Boulder CO Stuart Fisher Colden Baxter Arizona State University, Tempe AZ Idaho State University, Pocatello ID Erica Fleishman Brent Blackwelder University of California, Davis CA President Emeritus, Friends of the Earth, Washington DC David Ford University of Washington, Seattle WA James Brown University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM Dave Foreman Executive Director, Rewilding Institute, Gregg Brunskill Albuquerque NM Australian Institute for Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia Helen Ghiradella State University of New York, Albany NY Gordon Burghardt University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN Charles Goldman JoAnn Burkholder University of California, Davis CA North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC Otis Graham, Jr. University of California, Santa Barbara CA John Cairns, Jr. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Lindsey Grant Blacksburg VA Writer; Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Environmental & Population Affairs, Washington DC Robert Costanza Institute for Sustainable Solutions, Portland State Theodore Griswold University, Portland OR Environmental Attorney, Procopio Cory Hargreaves and Savitch LLP, San Diego CA David Culver Ohio State University, Columbus OH Daniel Guthrie Claremont McKenna College, Pomona CA Brian Czech President, Center for the Advancement of the Steady Charles Hall State Economy, Arlington VA State University of New York, Syracuse NY Deborah Dexter Peter Jumars San Diego State University, San Diego CA University of Maine, Orono ME
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Astrid Kodric-Brown Forest Rohwer University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM San Diego State University, San Diego CA Donald Kroodsma Michael Russell University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA Villanova University, Villanova PA Denise Lach William Ryerson Oregon State University, Corvallis OR CEO, The Population Institute, Washington DC Richard Lamm William Schmid Former Governor of Colorado (1975-1987), Denver CO University of Minnesota, St. Paul MN Gene Likens Andrew Sheldon President Emeritus, Institute of Ecosystem Studies, University of Montana, Missoula MT Millbrook NY Jack Stanford Gary Meffe Director, Flathead Biological Station UMT, University of Florida, Gainesville FL Polson MT Hal Michael Donald Strong Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, University of California, Davis CA Olympia WA George Sugihara Ross McCluney Scripps Institute of Oceanography UCSD, Florida Solar Energy Center UCF, Cocoa FL La Jolla CA Roger Moon Joyce Tarnow University of Minnesota, St. Paul MN President, Floridians for a Sustainable Population Peter Moyle Webb Van Winkle University of California, Davis CA DOE Oak Ridge National Lab, Oak Ridge TN Paul Murtaugh David Wake Oregon State University, Corvallis OR University of California, Berkeley CA Reed Noss William Walton University of Central Florida, Orlando FL University of California, Riverside CA Gordon Orians Peter Wood University of Washington, Seattle WA President, National Association of Scholars, Robert Paine Washington DC University of Washington, Seattle WA Joy Zedler Harold Pashler University of Wisconsin, Madison WI University of California, San Diego CA Paul Zedler David Paxson University of Wisconsin, Madison WI President, World Population Balance, Minneapolis MN Benjamin Zuckerman Peter Petraitis University of California, Los Angeles CA University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA SIGNED ON after transmittal to AAAS David Pimentel Gretchen Daily Cornell University, Ithaca NY Stanford University, Palo Alto CA Ronald Pulliam Jere Lipps University of Georgia, Athens GA University of California, Berkeley CA Stephen Roeder Wayne Wurtsbaugh San Diego State University, San Diego CA Utah State University, Logan UT ■
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Appendix
Correspondence concerning the applications by Californians for Population Stabilization and the Population Institute of Canada to operate exhibitor booths on population at the February 2012 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the sad fate of those applications. Messages are dated and arranged chronologically.
CAPS application acknowledged Dear Ms. Wideman, Thank you for your decision to participate in the 2012 From: [email protected] AAAS Annual Meeting in Vancouver, BC, Canada, in Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 4:12 PM February 2012. To: Jo Wideman Please accept this letter as confirmation of payment for Subject: Exhibitor Submitted for Californians for Population exhibit space at the 2012 AAAS Annual Meeting. Your Visa Stabilization (CAPS) credit card ending in 5397 was charged $2,500.00 on August Dear Josephine Wideman, 16, 2011 to cover the cost of the space. Jill Perla will be in Thank you for submitting a request to exhibit at the 2012 touch with you shortly regarding details on booth specs. AAAS Annual Meeting in Vancouver. Upon review and Thank you for your commitment to AAAS and science approval of your request, we will contact you to discuss in the service of society. We appreciate your support of our your booth selections, finalize your booth reservation and vision and look forward to working with you. information for publication, and collect payment. Sincerely, If you plan to provide a purchase order number or wish to pay by check, please contact Martin Clock at mclock@ Martin Clock aaas.org or call 202-326-6451. Business Manager, Office of Public Programs To log back into your submission in order to pay by credit American Association for the card online or to edit your booth description (100 words or Advancement of Science (AAAS) less), please use the following link: 1200 New York Avenue, NW http://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2012/exhibitors/index.cgi?us Washington, DC 20005 ername=xxxx&password=xxxxxx TEL: 202-326-6451 Champion is our General Services contractor. The link for FAX: 202-789-0455 the exhibitor kit will be available in late summer. If you have EML: [email protected] questions, please contact Champion’s Customer Service at 1-800-723-1123. To learn more about how you can extend your visibility at CAPS application rejected for lack of ‘alignment’ the Annual Meeting, please download the attendee promotion form. From: Jill Perla [mailto:[email protected]] http://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2012/AttendeePromotion.pdf Sent: Monday, September 26, 2011 5:08 AM We look forward to working with you. To: Jo Wideman Thank you, AAAS Meetings Cc: Martin Clock Subject: Re: Receipt for AAAS Meeting Booth Fee Dear Ms. Wideman, CAPS application accepted My boss, Barbara Rice, Associate Director of the Office of Public Programs, and the Director of Meetings, reviews From: Martin Clock [mailto:[email protected]] organizations prior to final acceptance and assignment of Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2011 12:08 PM exhibit space, and after close review of Californians for To: Jo Wideman Population Stabilization, CAPS, it has been decided that we Cc: Jill Perla are unable to accept your request for space. Subject: Receipt for AAAS Meeting Booth Fee AAAS is a non-profit, non-partisan, scientific association Jo Wideman and unfortunately, CAPS, does not align with AAAS. Californians for Population Stabilization Martin Clock, our finance manager, will refund the 1129 State Street, Suite 3-D $2,500 that you paid as soon as possible. Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Thank you. Jill
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CAPS requests explanation of rejection Department of Biology San Diego State University Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:35:43 -0700 San Diego, California 92182-4614 To: [email protected] From: “Stuart H. Hurlbert”
18 Winter 2012 The Social Contract immigration or a threat to availability of family planning Sincerely, programs, those threats come mostly from Congress or the Stuart H. Hurlbert White House. That has been true for decades. Secretary, Californians for Population Stabilization Thus you are mistaken when you imply our activities Department of Biology and agenda concern only immigration and only effects on San Diego State University California and its residents. Our website gives abundant San Diego, California 92182-4614 proof of the error. Just after putting out a special issue (July 29) of Science focused on “Population”, AAAS can hardly with a straight face argue that a booth focused on “population stabilization” AAAS director of meetings holds her ground will be of little interest to AAAS meeting attendees. We took a look at your list of “recent exhibitors” posted Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:12:55 -0400 on the AAAS website at: From: “Barbara Rice”
19 Winter 2012 The Social Contract planning services for all women. It has long had the support Subject: CAPS Booth at AAAS Meeting of many members of AAAS, the NAS, and numerous The AAAS Board leadership has shared your email with environmental scientists in particular. Brief vitae of our me and I am responding on our collective behalf. First, I board members may be seen at http://www.capsweb.org/ want to apologize for the confusion that initially surrounded content.php?id=5&menu_id=3&menu_item_id=14 the possibility of a CAPS booth at the upcoming AAAS Perhaps some or all members of the NSF Directorate meeting. Our policies have been consistent for many years are ideologically opposed to immigration reductions, and, as Ms. Rice points out, we do not provide booth space family planning services, U.S. population stabilization, or to organizations with as direct political and lobbying intent development of a coherent U.S. population policy. CAPS as CAPS has on issues that go beyond the interests of our believes that opposition to such objectives cannot be well- multidisciplinary membership and meeting audience. At defended on scientific, environmental, economic or any other times the judgements about what would or would not be grounds. But AAAS directors certainly have the right to hold appropriate can be difficult, but our staffs judgement in this such positions on the basis of their personal ideologies or case is supported by the AAAS leadership. preferences. Again, I’m sorry for the confusion all this may have We do not believe it is proper, however, for the personal caused. ideologies of AAAS directors or staff to serve as the basis for denial of our application to run a CAPS booth at the AAAS With best wishes, meeting. Objective observers will understand that this is Alan Leshner what has been going on so far. Chief Executive Officer We therefore ask the AAAS directorate to reverse Executive Publisher, Science this decision. As we pointed out to Ms. Rice this is American Association for the already a binational issue as some well-known Canadian Advancement of Science environmental scientists know of and were looking forward Voice: 202-326-6639 to our booth, and a few have even volunteered to help man it. FAX: 202-371-9526 We believe it would be very much against your own [email protected] interests, those of AAAS, and those of open discussion of the intersections of science and society, for the AAAS directorate to go on public record in support of this denial, and to do so before both the entire American and the Canadian scientific President of PIC notifies AAAS of displeasure of many communities. Canadian and American scientists over the rejection of If any of you would like to offer your personal support, CAPS’ application we would naturally be grateful to hear from you individually. Perhaps you, Dr. Federoff, could forward this to Alan From: [email protected] Leshner and Julia Phillips, for whom email addresses seem To: [email protected], [email protected], David.Shaw@ not to be publicly available. DEShawResearch.com, Thank you for your consideration -- and apologies for the [email protected], [email protected], srosser@ lengthy reading assignment! sfsu.edu, [email protected], [email protected], Sincerely, [email protected] Cc: [email protected], [email protected], Stuart H. Hurlbert [email protected], Secretary, Californians for Population Stabilization [email protected] Department of Biology Life Science Building Subject: Letter of protest from American and Canadian San Diego State University scientists re treatment of CAPS 5500 Campanile Drive Dear Dr. Federoff and AAAS Board of Directors, San Diego, California 92182-4614 Attached please find two documents. One is a letter signed by 100 Canadian and American scientists protesting your rejection of the Californians for CEO of AAAS responds negatively on behalf of the Population Stabilization’s request to operate a booth at the AAAS board meetings in Vancouver in February 2012. The signers include many members of AAAS, the U.S. National Academy of Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:31:12 -0700 Sciences and the Royal Society of Canada. To: [email protected] The other is a letter from Dr. David Schindler and myself From: “Alan Leshner”
20 Winter 2012 The Social Contract allow the Population Institute of Canada to operate a booth at the CAPS booth and that we both had volunteered to help the Vancouver meeting. staff it. CAPS Secretary Dr. Stuart Hurlbert shared with us Thank you for your consideration. the communication from AAAS that the granting of a booth Sincerely, had been rescinded. This decision was all the more surprising in view of the fact that Dr. Hurlbert also informs us that, Madeline Weld when CAPS was applying for a booth, AAAS made no President, Population Institute of Canada inquiry as to the general nature of their proposed booth, the [email protected] materials it would make available or have on display, or who might be helping staff it. Our formal letter of protest is attached, signed by 100 environmental scientists, ecologists, other scholars and NGO President of PIC and University of Alberta leaders in Canada and the U.S. We do not list (in most cases) environmental scientist transmit to AAAS board of their titles or honours, but many are members of the AAAS, directors the letter of protest and ask AAAS to allow PIC the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and/or the Royal to have a booth at meeting Society of Canada. Our letter soliciting the participation of these scientists Date: October 26, 2011 gave them a detailed account of the communications To: Dr Nina Federoff, AAAS President, and the AAAS between AAAS and Dr. Hurlbert, including the reasons given Board of Directors (Alice Huang, California Institute of by AAAS for denial of CAPS’ application. Many of them Technology: William Press, University of Texas, Austin; were already familiar with CAPS. Some had even seen the David Evans Shaw, Blackpoint Group; Alan Leshner, educational booths that CAPS has had at Earth Day events AAAS Chief Executive Officer; Nancy Knowlton, in California for more than a decade. We emphasize that our Smithsonian Institution; Stephen Mayo, California Institute letter is one in protest of censorship, not one that endorses of Technology; Raymond Orbach, University of Texas, the particular philosophy or agenda of CAPS. Indeed, a few Austin; Julia M. Phillips, Sandia National Labs, New; Sue V. signers even explicitly mentioned that they were pro-choice Rosser, San Francisco State University; David D. Sabatini, or pro increased immigration rates, but felt strongly that a NYU School of Medicine; Inder Verma, Salk Institute for booth focused on population issues would perform a valuable Biological Studies; Thomas Woolsey, Washington University function in sparking public discussion among scientists. Medical School) This is especially true given the reluctance of AAAS itself Cc: Barbara Rice, AAAS Director of Meetings to address U.S. or Canadian population problems in its own venues (e.g. the July 29, 2011 issue of Science). From: If AAAS is not willing for a U.S. organization like David Schindler, OC, AOE, FRSC, FRS CAPS to operate a booth at the Vancouver meeting, Killam Memorial Chair and Professor of Ecology then we formally request that, despite the late date, a Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Canadian organization — the Population Institute of Edmonton, Alberta Canada (PIC) — be allowed to do so. This request is Dr. Madeline Weld, Ph.D. made with the full backing of the PIC board of directors. Toxicologist Evaluator, Food Directorate, Health Canada The AAAS does define itself as a “global organization,” the President, Population Institute of Canada composition of its board of directors notwithstanding. Ottawa, Ontario We believe that with the planet’s population reaching seven billion within the next week, and the populations of Dear AAAS Directors, both the USA and Canada still growing at exponential rates, We wish to protest, on behalf of a large segment of it is time to make population stabilization a visible issue the Canadian and American scientific community, the within the scientific community. denial by AAAS of the application by Californians for Thank you for your consideration. Population Stabilization (CAPS) to operate a booth at the AAAS meeting in Vancouver in February 2012. We request reconsideration of that decision or, alternatively, the granting Article on censorhip by AAAS is transmitted to AAAS to the Population Institute of Canada the option of operating board a booth at this meeting. We note that the AAAS board has no Canadian members, and that your earlier decision was Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2011 15:56:13 -0700 made without, as far as we can ascertain, any consultation To: [email protected], [email protected], David. with the Canadian scientific community. Canada is your host. [email protected], Our personal concern and disappointment over the [email protected], knowlton@ actions of AAAS to date stem from the fact that CAPS had si.edu, [email protected], invited both of us to help design and provide materials for [email protected], [email protected], verma@
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salk.edu,[email protected] AAAS CEO offers PIC the opportunity to have a booth From: “Stuart H. Hurlbert” that “cannot be shared”
22 Winter 2012 The Social Contract without right of refund. David Schindler, OC, AOE, FRSC, FRS We will await an application from the Population Institute Killam Memorial Chair and Professor of Ecology of Canada. Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Sincerely, Edmonton, Alberta Alan I. Leshner, Chief Executive Officer Executive Publisher, Science American Association for the PIC’s application is approved by AAAS Advancement of Science Voice:
PIC thanks CEO for opportunity, notes the PIC booth Dear Madeline Weld, will have literature from many sources Your request to exhibit at the 2012 AAAS Annual Meeting in Vancouver has been approved. You will be Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:31:20 -0500 contacted shortly by the sales manager to confirm your booth From: [email protected] number. Please note: To comply with Canadian regulations, Reply-To: [email protected] sales orders for services and products can be taken, but Subject: pic exhibit at aaas meeting in vancouver merchandise cannot be sold, on the show floor. To: [email protected] Your payment is due in full. If you plan to provide a Cc: [email protected], [email protected], David.Shaw@ purchase order number or wish to pay by check, please DEShawResearch.com, [email protected], steve@mayo. contact Martin Clock at [email protected] or call 202-326- caltech.edu, [email protected], [email protected], 6451. [email protected], [email protected], brice@ To log back into your submission in order to pay by credit aaas.org, [email protected] card online or to edit your booth description (100 words or Dear Dr. Leshner, less), please use the following link: http://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2012/exhibitors/index.cgi?us Thank you for your email of November 11, 2011. ername=2164&password=518069 We are pleased that AAAS has approved a booth for the Freeman is our General Services contractor, who will Population Institute of Canada (PIC) at their annual meeting provide you with a link to the exhibitor kit. If you have in Vancouver in 2012. We will be submitting our online questions, please contact Freeman’s Customer Service at application shortly. PIC assumes full responsibility of the 1-800-723-1123. booth and everyone staffing it will be a PIC member. Of Keep in mind also that data-roaming cellular telephone course, membership in PIC does not preclude membership in charges may apply to international regions and please plan other organizations. accordingly. The focus of PIC’s activities (as its name implies) To learn more about how you can extend your visibility at is population. PIC strives to raise awareness of the the Annual Meeting, please download the attendee promotion consequences of population growth in Canada and around form. the world and promotes the stabilization and subsequent http://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2012/AttendeePromotion.pdf reversal of human population growth. The material that we See you in Vancouver. intend to display in our booth will reflect that perspective. PIC interacts and collaborates with many other groups and Thank you, makes use of available educational material that reflects our AAAS Meetings point of view. In addition to our own material, PIC will have material from about a dozen organizations and individuals who share our concerns about overpopulation. AAAS demands that PIC remove from its application Once again, we thank you for granting our request for its statement that “literature from…many other a booth. We are looking forward to participating in the organizations” will be provided Vancouver meeting as exhibitors. Date: Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:50:59 -0500 Sincerely, From: Barbara Rice
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Dear Dr. Weld, Thank you for your message of December 9. Forgive us for saying that we found it puzzling. We have received your application, as requested by Dr. PIC understands the terms and conditions of Section Leshner, on behalf of the Population Institute of Canada to 3 and is not intending to share its booth with any other exhibit at the 2012 AAAS Annual Meeting in Vancouver. organization. Every person who would attend to the booth The application states that you intend to provide “free would be a paid-up PIC member. literature from our own and many other organizations.” We have some difficulty grasping how providing free Unfortunately, this plan is counter to our long-standing literature from our own and many other organizations could “Terms and Conditions of Agreement” for exhibiting, namely reasonably be interpreted as “assigning” or “sharing” our Section 3, “Exhibitor shall not assign or share, in whole or booth. PIC is a small organization and our publications are in part, its exhibit space.” This is a common requirement limited. We send our members a newsletter several times for exhibitors at conferences. a year, but perhaps you’ll agree that that is not the sort of Please advise us on how you would prefer to amend your material one would display at an exhibitor’s booth. PIC description in adherence with our exhibitor policies. The members have written a number of published and online description you had submitted to us is pasted below for your articles, some of which can be seen on our website. Some of convenience. these articles, along with PIC brochures, would be of course be among the material that we would make available. One of PIC’s primary goals is education about human population growth and its many ramifications. As such, we work with and use material from other organizations with similar objectives. We have a close relationship with Population Matters (formerly Optimum Population Trust) in the UK, with the Washington DC-based Population Institute and VT-based Population Media Center, and with Sustainable Population Australia. We are concerned about issues such as resource scarcity and peak oil, and had planned to use material from organizations such as the Post Carbon Institute and the Association for the Study of Peak Oil in addition to material from the Canadian Centre for Sexual Health (formerly Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada). We would like to have presented material from authors such as William Ryerson, Jack Vallentyne, Paul Ehrlich, Gretchen Daily, Herman Daly, Lester Brown, Otis Graham, Robert “The Population Institute of Canada is an environmental Costanza, Garrett Hardin, and Brian Czech. None of these and educational organization dedicated to informing the people are or were members of PIC. public about the causes and dangers of overpopulation and While PIC members may have written some excellent to encouraging governments to take steps to slow population articles and while we may have some excellent information growth. Stop by our booth to see books and displays on this on our website, allowing only material produced by PIC to topic and for free literature from our own and many other be displayed at our booth would be very limiting indeed and organizations.” would exclude contributions from leading thinkers in the I await your reply. field. Given PIC’s limited resources, it would not serve our Kind regards, purpose to spend over $2000 for a booth in addition to many Barbara Rice other associated fees under such a restriction. Therefore we feel obliged to ask two blunt questions. (1) Must all the material that is presented at our booth be written by PIC members or under the PIC imprimatur PIC and University of Alberta ask for clarification of (e.g., from our website)? In other words, are all op-eds, AAAS’s interpretation of its own regulations articles, newsletters, books, monographs, etc. published by individuals who are not PIC members or by organizations From: [email protected] other than PIC proscribed by AAAS rules? Sent: December-13-11 11:48 PM If the answer to the above questions is Yes, then PIC has To: Barbara Rice no choice but to withdraw our application for a booth. Cc: [email protected] If the answer to the above questions is No, then we ask Subject: Re: Exhibitor Application for AAAS Annual another question for clarification. Meeting (2) If there is a limited number of authors, publishers, or Dear Ms. Rice, organizations whose materials you wish to proscribe, can
24 Winter 2012 The Social Contract you let us know who they are? Cc: [email protected], [email protected], We would then be able to decide whether we would [email protected] choose to operate under the conditions set by AAAS. Subject: withdrawal of application for a booth We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest Dear Ms. Rice, convenience. As you are no doubt aware, the delays in securing a booth have hampered our ability to prepare for It has now been 35 days since we informed Dr. Leshner what we had hoped would be a rewarding meeting. that our PIC booth planned to distribute literature from many organizations, and a week since we requested clarification, in Yours sincerely, response to your message of December 9, as to what kinds of Madeline Weld, PhD non-PIC materials, if any, would be allowed at the PIC booth. Population Institute of Canada, Ottawa Given the lack of a response, the implicit threat that David Schindler, OC, AOE, FRSC, FRS any non-PIC materials could result in the closing down of University of Alberta, Edmonton our booth, and the very late hour, we hereby withdraw our application for a booth. Sincerely, AAAS stonewalls, PIC cuts to the chase Madeline Weld, Ph.D. Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:26:13 -0500 Population Institute of Canada, Ottawa From: [email protected] David Schindler, OC, AOE, FRSC, FRS To: [email protected] University of Alberta, Edmonton ■
“Where have all the scientists gone, long time passing. Where have all the scientists gone, long time ago. Where have all the scientists gone, gone to cover most of ‘em. When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?”
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