Sierra Club, FSU Academic Tried to Hide Biases Concerning Sugarcane Burning

Recent reporting by The Scioto Post has found that the environmental group the Sierra Club has colluded with academics at Miami University of Ohio and Florida State University in an attempt to pick certain sources to “hide biases.”

The issue at hand concerned a recent FSU study that estimates that sugarcane fires produce harmful levels of particulate matter comparable to cars.

While communicating with Dr. Jessica McCarty of Miami (OH), Christopher Holmes of FSU said “FYI, the issue that we are thinking about is, who could we try to partner with that would support making air quality measurements in the EAA while not raising concerns about bias or perceived bias?”

Dr. McCarty responded, “The bias issue is real, and I have some ideas on that. I have actually said to the Sierra Club that now that I have worked with them, I need to be very careful in my science… because it will be perceived as biased.”

The Sierra Club describes itself as “the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States” that looks to “amplify the power of our millions of members and supporters to defend everyone’s right to a healthy world.”

An October opinion piece from the Washington Examiner reported on the actions of the Sierra Club which has been instrumental in influencing public policy regarding utility and agricultural companies as well as controlled burns.

The article points to the horrific Hawaii wildfires as evidence that controlled burns could have mitigated the damage.

“It’s no coincidence that there weren’t any wildfires comparable to this year’s Lahaina event during the many decades that the plantation operated and managed risk with prescribed burns,” wrote Jeff Stier of the Examiner. “Had the 145-year-old sugar plantation been able to continue to manage the land, the fire, whatever caused it, certainly wouldn’t have been fueled to burn as destructively as it did.”

Despite accusations that sugarcane burning is as threatening as car pollution, the State of Florida believes the air is fine.

In October, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection reported that air quality is the best it has ever been and has “one of the best outdoor air quality monitoring networks in the country.”