picture: the blog "Science" of the daily Libération

The words ‘bizarre’ and ‘provocative’ may summarize the man. Claude Allègre, now 73, has hit the headlines over the past weeks. The reason is simple: the former socialist Minister and a leading French Scientist is contesting climate change. But what’s the matter with that? Some other people are also denying what has been proven for many years. But the geoscientist, a member of both the American and French Academies of Science and the winner of prestigious award has recently published a book entitled “L’imposture Climatique ou la fausse écologie” (‘the Climatic Imposture or the fake ecology’). He denounces what the scientists have become. Among others, he accuses them to have an impressive appetite for money or to have “locked up” the content of scientific revues with a sort of mafia strategy.

The problem is that his book contains several important mistakes and false information. The French newspaper Le Monde and others revealed all of them. He also criticizes how the United Nations’ “Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change” (IPCC) works. And even worse, he thinks the world mobilization against climate change is based on a “myth without basis”. The harsh critics formulated by Mister Allègre have profoundly shocked the scientific community who have decided to counterattack.

The scientific counterattack

The response was quick, strong and well organized. And therefore, someone who was perhaps quite surprised last week is the current Minister for Higher Education and Research, Valerie Pecresse. She received a public letter from 410 leading scientists who are protesting against Claude Allègre and his denial of climate change and climatologists’ work. They asked the Minister’s public support against the allegations. Following this unusual mail, she has agreed to support them. She said she trusts the scientific community. Alas, with only a slight and soft voice. Moreover, she asked Jean Salençon, the president of the French Science Academy to organise consultations. With one goal in mind: to calm the conflict down.  

It is surprising that such a respected scientist as Mister Allègre can have such strong positions. But also some frank words. As a Minister for Education, he said in 1997 about the reform of the Education Management that he wanted to “slim down the mammoth”. A phrase, which contributed to strengthen the historical strikes of that year. A decade later, the socialist left the party in 2008, soon after having voted for the right-wing candidate Nicolas Sarkozy at the Presidential Elections.

Claude Allègre is a leading scientist but a complex man. To the letter sent to Valerie Pécresse, he responded that this petition was useless and stupid. For some journalists that recently reported the story, his extremist positions on climate are just a way to exist on the public sphere.