Merchants of Doubt

Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Robert Kenner (Food, Inc.) helmed this invigorating adaptation of the acclaimed 2011 book by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway that looks at how political advocacy groups can spin media stories and influence legislative action—and inaction—in regards to scientific controversies. Merchants of Doubt traces this blatant information manipulation to the 1950s, when the tobacco industry tried to squelch evidence of the health hazards related to cigarette smoking, using dubious scientific research and excessive marketing muscle flexing. Also of note were early efforts by the chemical industry to create phony grassroots groups that seemed to serve no purpose whatsoever except to rally for the continued usage of cancer-causing chemicals. More recently, the contentious debate over climate change has led to comments by several scientists who have no connection to environmental studies, as well as the appearance of advocates pretending to be scientists while claiming that Earth's ecosystem is in a copacetic state. Of course, these deceptive practices can only run for so long before people become tired of the charade—the tobacco industry's argument that cigarettes were harmless being a prime example. As a study of how reckless PR tricks can turn serious scientific conversations into a carnival, Merchants of Doubt is more disturbing than many horror films. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)