Under Pressure?

The UK's exclusive Royal Society was founded in 1660. It's "dedicated to promoting excellence in science for the benefit of humanity". The Society has recently come under pressure, from more than 1,200 'leading academics' who signed a letter, urging it to make an "unambiguous statement about the culpability of the fossil fuel industry in driving the climate crisis" (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/23/uk-academics-urge-royal-society-to-condemn-fossil-fuel-industry). The actvities of the fossil fuel industry have been likened (by the UN and others) to those, in the 1950s and 1960s, of the Tobacco companies. The Tobacco companies knew their product caused lung cancer (and other diseases) but, rather than admitting this, they poured money into deflecting that message. Profits must be maintained at all costs! Even today, the same Tobacco companies are busy promoting nicotine vapes as 'healthy alternatives' (even for non-smoking children). The fossil fuel industry's own scientists warned them that burning coal, oil and gas would exacerbate the Earth's 'greenhouse effect'. This would inevitably cause global 'warming' with resulting climate change. Rather than attempting to minimise their product's impacts, 'Big oil' funded lavish campaigns, casting doubt on climate change science and its scientists. Profits must be maintained at all costs! The signatories to the letter regard this action by the fossil fuel folk as an 'act of violence against humanity'. The Royal Society have pointed out that some of its members have been involved in climate change science. The Society's President has agreed to meet a delegation from the letter's signatories, to discuss their 'demands'. It will be interesting to see the outcome of this meeting.