It might be tempting to dismiss this post as an exception. The problem is the academic in question was not some fringe, quasi-academic: he is a Fulbright scholar and a Senior one at that. He is a scholar pontificating on environmental issues that are way beyond his area of expertise but his also a scholar able to have his views published, lending them a sheen of authority not validated by the substance of his remarks.
What chances would someone without a Fulbright Fellowship have of similar access and standing? Oh, yes, that's right, a TV or Hollywood celebrity. Coming soon, the Paris Hilton climate report...
