Climate Science Legal Defense Fund

Climate Science Legal Defense Fund
AbbreviationCSLDF
Formation2011
FounderScott Mandia, Joshua Wolfe
TypeNot for profit organization
PurposeLegal aid
Location
  • New York City
Executive Director
Lauren Kurtz
Websitehttps://csldf.org

The Climate Science Legal Defense Fund (CSLDF) is a not-for-profit organization established in 2011 to provide legal assistance to researchers and institutions engaged in climate science facing legal challenges from private entities such as think tanks and legal foundations.[1]

CSLDF also provides litigation support and files amicus briefs in related cases,[2] promotes awareness among scientists of their legal rights and responsibilities, and makes public the legal actions taken against scientists.[3][4][5]

CSLDF claims that many legal challenges faced by scientists are intended to silence them for political reasons or stifle their research. According to CSLDF, litigation has intensified against climate scientists in recent years, and salaries earned by academics and researchers are often inadequate to pay for litigation defending against "corporate-funded law firms and institutes."[6]

Following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, CSLDF reported an increase in the need for their services from scientists concerned that they could be targeted by the Trump administration.[7][8][9]

  1. ^ "A Legal Defense Fund for Climate Scientists". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  2. ^ "Climate scientists battle attacks on their research from conservatives, brace for more under Trump". Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  3. ^ "AGU-CSLDF Legal Symposium - 2016 AGU Fall Meeting". 2016 AGU Fall Meeting. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  4. ^ "Defending Science @ Fall Meeting". The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy. 2014-12-03. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  5. ^ "Legal Education Webinar Series - Sharing Science". Sharing Science. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  6. ^ "Climate Scientists Under Attack: Fear Not. Reinforcements Have Arrived. Here's What Climate Progress Readers Can Do". Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  7. ^ "Why Scientists Are Scared of Trump: A Pocket Guide". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  8. ^ Kaplan, Sarah. "Scientists prepare to fight for their work during 'the Trumpocene'". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-08-10.
  9. ^ "It's Never Been Harder to Be a Climate Scientist". New Republic. Retrieved 2017-08-10.