MERCHANTS OF DOUBT is the troubling story of how a cadre of influential scientists have clouded public understanding of scientific facts on issues from tobacco smoke to global warming to advance a political and economic agenda.

The U.S. scientific community has long led the world in research on public health, environmental science, and other issues affecting the quality of life. Our scientists have produced landmark studies on the dangers of DDT, tobacco smoke, acid rain, and global warming. But at the same time, a small yet potent subset of this community leads the world in vehement denial of these dangers.

The 96 minute documentary film premiered in 2014.  Directed by Robert Kenner, the film was inspired by the 2010 book of the same name by Naomi Orestes and Erik K. Conway. “Merchants of Doubt” is a powerful, disturbing exposé of how the tobacco industry, the fire retardant industry, and the fossil fuel industry, backed up by big money, found a few scientists, media people and pseudo experts to create doubt in the public’s mind about the dangers of, and the scientific findings about smoking, the ineffectiveness of fire retardants, and the scientific findings about global warming.

We will have discussion of issues raised by the film.  Our special guest is Dr. John Crusius, from the UW Department of Oceanography.

Doors open at 6:30 for conversation and refreshments, film begins at 7:00.

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