In my latest DeSmogBlog piece, I weigh in on the climate science messaging discussion that has been restarted by Joe Romm and this Huffington Post piece. I don't think there are any easy answers here (and neither does Romm), but I tried to clarify the issue, and to end with a suggestion:
First, I think that the White House absolutely should have responded to “ClimateGate.” Romm suggests plans were ditched to do so. If so, that was a big mistake, because it allowed deniers to define the issue at a time when they had a far bigger media megaphone than they usually do. We’ve been living with the consequences ever since. Second, I think president Obama should have seized the initiative more during the first two years of his presidency with a major speech on climate change—science and all—to put far more weight behind the issue than he ultimately did. ...
