SHOULD scientists ever put a gloss on their data to bolster support for a 鈥済ood cause鈥�? Growing unhappiness about the Red List 鈥� the Oscars of extinction risk 鈥� underline why this is bad idea (see 鈥淐onservation鈥檚 鈥楻ed List鈥� is unscientific and often wrong鈥�). Through the list, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has done an admirable job in alerting us to the threat of species loss, but in doing so it omitted to highlight the uncertainty in its findings. As a result, valuable resources may be going into saving the wrong species, and the list itself stands to lose credibility.
Those attending the climate conference in Copenhagen this week should take heed. Even in a good cause, science should strive to rise above politics. Spinning data will always be counterproductive in the long run.