When Climate Change and Facts Impact Professions

"[I was constantly] astonished to learn that every single teacher believed that only a few hundred to a few thousand polar bears were left [in the wild]."
"I talk to groups about the adaptive features of polar bears that allow them to survive changes in their Arctic habitat."
Zoologist Dr. Susan Crockford

"[I am] appalled and distressed [by the removal of Dr. Crockford from her appointment as adjunct professor and from the UVic Speakers Bureau]."
"[When did] universities turn against open debate? There's now a climate of fear on campus."
G.Cornelisvan Kooten, UVic professor of economics, Canada Research Chair, environmental studies

"I will not be endorsing your [Dr.Crockford's] request to be included in the Speakers Bureau roster for 2017-18. [While you may speak as a private citizen you may not do so] as a representative of UVic -- (University of Victoria)."
"[While I respect] issues of academic freedom [Crockford's talks had] generated concern among parents regarding balance [and this concern had] been shared with various levels of the university."
Dr.Ann Stahl, Chair, Anthropology Department, chief, Speakers Bureau

Zoologist Dr. Susan Crockford says that, contrary to the claims of environmental activists, polar bears are currently thriving and are at no risk of extinction from climate change.   Postmedia

Dr.Susan Crockford, an expert in animal bone identification, known world-wide for her expertise, has lost the confidence of the University of Victoria which has rescinded its recognition of her as an expert on polar bear survival in a world of climate change, by deciding not to re-appoint her to the university as an adjunct professor, nor to permit her to rejoin their speakers' bureau to address school classes, sharing her knowledge of the natural world and the place of polar bears within it.

A zoologist hired routinely by biologists and archaeologists within Canada and abroad to identify the remains of mammals, birds and fish, she has aided in the cataloguing of museum collections, assisted police with forensic analyses, reflecting the broad level of esteem in which her expertise is held. Henceforth, however, students at the University of Victoria will be deprived of exposure to her expertise.

With the retraction of her university affiliation, her applications for research grants has concomitantly dried up.

She has described her predicament as "an academic hanging without a trial, conducted behind closed doors". So secretive in fact, that no explanation has been given her with respect to either situation, even though her position with the university had previously been renewed with unanimous consent in 2016 for a three-year term. She has fallen into decidedly bad odour with the university and its academic appointment committees.

Author of a popular blog, polarbearscience.com, author of five books on polar bears, such as Polar Bear Facts and Myths, translated into four languages, her crime is that of having committed the sin of contradicting claims of environmental activists that polar bears are facing extinction resulting from global warming and climate change, whereas her research and experience informs that polar bears are thriving, at no risk of extinction from climate change to which they have successfully adapted.

“We now know that polar bears are very resourceful creatures. They have made it through warm periods in the past and they seem to be taking the current warming in their stride too”. 
“The people of Nunavut are not seeing starving, desperate bears – quite the opposite. Yet polar bear specialists are saying these bears are causing problems because they don’t have enough sea ice to feed properly. The facts on the ground make their claims look silly, including the abundance of fat bears. Residents are pushing their government for a management policy that makes protection of human life the priority.”
Dr.Susan L.Crockford

Dr. Crockford has delivered unpaid lectures to elementary and high school students for the past decade, along with lectures to adult community groups. One of her talks related to the early origins of domestic dogs, while another had the title of Polar Bears: Outstanding Survivors of Climate Change, a subject of obvious forbidden conclusions rooted in the controversy of climate change and the impacts on the world around us. In fact, Dr. Crockford's doctoral dissertation opened new ground regarding how wolves evolved into domestic dogs.

Adjunct professors mentor students, they sit on thesis committees, delivering lectures on occasion. Despite adjunct professorships being unpaid positions, they do confer certain strategic academic credentials and privileges on the holders. Gaining official academic standing and full access to library research services, for example. A recognition of their professional status as experts in their chosen field, introducing them as equals to the academic community. Dr.Crockford is set to commence a five-country European speaking tour with audiences in Oslo, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Munich.

Dr.Susan Crockford, Photo: polarbearscience.com

There, she will speak about her research, her arguments will be evaluated by her audience, and they will draw their own conclusions in an exchange of professional courtesy and data-sharing. However, the University of Victoria, in their politically-correct wisdom, while claiming to support freedom of speech and in particular academic liberty to speak freely and openly about controversial subjects, has deigned not to legitimize Dr. Crockford's particular expertise because it rattles the bones of contention.

A former chair of the university's philosophy department, Dr.Jeffrey Foss, feels confident enough to assert his opinion that his colleague has been duly punished for airing her opinion, irrespective of the fact that it is a professional opinion of an individual whose expertise is unquestioned and whose research led her to the conclusion she ventilates openly. In denying Dr. Crockford academic freedom and not allowing her to speak freely, Dr. Foss confessed: "I'm beginning to lose faith and hope in the university system".

"It’s long past time for polar bear specialists to stop holding out for a scientifically accurate global estimate that will never be achieved and determine a reasonable and credible ‘best guess’."
"Since they have so far refused to do this, I have done it for them. My extrapolated estimate of 39,000 (range 26,000-58,000) at 2018 is not only plausible but scientifically defensible."                                                               Dr.Susan Crockford

polarbearscience.com   Dr. Susan Crockford