Junk Science and Junk Logic

I just received an e-mail press release castigating Levi Strauss & Co. for withdrawing from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over the organization's increasingly untenable stance on climate change. (I believe the Chamber's official position is that if we close our eyes and stick out fingers in our ears, the science of climate change will simply go away.)

Anyway, the release was issued on behalf of junkscience.com (at least they're up-front about what they're peddling), which is part of Steve Milloy's hugely impressive empire of ignorance. It provides considerable detail on the amount of CO2 that is involved in manufacturing a pair of jeans, the company's water and energy use, and concludes with impeccable logic: "if Levi Strauss were really concerned about CO2 levels, it would also go out of business."

"To help Levi Strauss save the planet, then, the answer is clear: we should go naked and it should go broke," says Milloy.

Well, that's one possible answer I suppose. Alternately, we could stop denying then obvious, stop supporting organizations that peddle ignorance and scientific fraud, find sensible ways to reduce emissions and solve the problem, and invest in the long-term sustainability of our businesses and (not incidentally) the planet.

Tough choice.