Re: VOLCANO: Reactions to the L'Aquila verdict
From: Luca Valentini <luca.valentini@xxxxxxxx>
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This is a copy of the email I wrote in reply to the message sent a few days ago to the mailing list.
Best regards
Luca Valentini
"Dear Audrey,
I read with interest your email about the conviction of the members of the Italian risk assessment commission.
On the 6th of April 2009 I was just finishing my PhD thesis at NUI Galway. That day, the earthquake hit only about 100 km away from my home town, where my family still lives.
I think it is not easy, for those who have never lived in Italy, to understand what really happened and the reason for this conviction. It is not easy to understand politics and corruption in this country.
The conviction has nothing to do with any attack to science, nor have these people been accused for not predicting the earthquake.
Perhaps, the message that has not really passed through the international media, is that the members of the commission had received strong pressures from the leader of the Civil Protection, Guido Bertolaso, a very close person to the Berslusconi government, in charge during those days. Telephone calls monitoring has shown that he persuaded the members of the commission to reassure the people that a strong earthquake would not have occurred. Enzo Boschi, one of the members of the commission, has even confessed that the report by the commission, dated March 31, had actually been signed after the earthquake had occurred.
I think what's really shocking here, is not the verdict, but that these "scientists" have not denounced and even submitted to such pressures. This is not acceptable and totally beyond the decent scientific conduct.
Therefore, I won't feel any sympathy for the convicted people. They don't represent me at all as a researcher and as an Italian. They have betrayed scientific ethics and failed their fellow countrymen.
Best regards
Luca Valentini"
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Luca Valentini
Dipartimento di Geoscienze
Università di Padova
Via Gradenigo, 6
35131 Padova - Italy
Email: luca.valentini@xxxxxxxx
URL: http://www.geoscienze.unipd.it/personal/Valentini%20Luca
Tel: +39-0498279169
Cell: +39-3479330639
Skype: lucagalway
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