That doesn’t erase the need of cynicism. Many people in academia come from industry, have friends in industry, or other stakes. They might have been persuaded by the rhetoric of stakeholders within industry (you saw this early in the climate debate; and still do), and they might also be hoping to get a job in the industry later on. There is also a fair amount of group think within academia, so if a prominent individual inside academia believes the lies of industry, chances are the majority within the department does.
Quite often these intersect. But also it is healthy to question the motives of signaturees asking for public policy. Especially when a significant number of them are direct stakeholders. When an academic signs such a list, their motives should be equally questioned.
