The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has chosen Rush Holt, who was a Democratic congressman for eight terms, as its new chief executive. Daniel Sarewitz attacks this choice as “political” (Nature 516, 9; 2014), but it is not partisan.

The AAAS announcement praises Holt for broadly promoting “the value of science communication, particularly for conveying information about climate change”. In its March 2014 Climate Science Panel report, the AAAS talked bluntly about the dangers of inaction and of poor science communication — a view you share in calling on scientists to ensure that “they are not bested in the court of public opinion” (Nature 464, 141; 2010).

Sarewitz contends that the AAAS is “anointing a leader who could take up the fight” with climate-science deniers, among whom are many Republican politicians. But in Holt, the AAAS has a scientist who understands the fight that we are in (see also Nature 471, 265–266; 2011) and is well placed to defend it from attacks by Congress. He is an inspired choice.