Our Reef is still Great, but the research isn't

The US EPA Administrator is considering using this technique with respect to climate science.

But none of these, or related concepts, are likely to work unless we find ways to institutionalise dissent in our universities and scientific organisations.

For an early- to mid-career researcher, disagreeing with a powerful established academic can end a career.

Even for a tenured professor like Ridd it is a risk. James Cook University is taking action against him for "misconduct" because of his criticism of the quality of GBR research.

Quality control in science is an institutional problem we desperately need to solve.

The scandal is we know it exists, have done nothing about it, and have spent billions of taxpayer dollars, in ignorance, or deliberately not caring.

That has to stop. We face too many real problems to waste time solving imaginary ones.