Scientist Activism

Governments Must Tackle Climate Disinformation, Experts Urge

November 16, 2024 Joey Grostern, DeSmog. Resist! climate crisis, climate denial, Politics and Policy, Scientist Activism

Governments around the world must take “immediate and decisive action” to tackle climate disinformation, scientists and campaign groups have urged as talks at the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan enter their fourth day. A coalition of 55 climate information integrity groups and 42 leading climate scientists and experts have signed an open letter urging countries to counter the risk of false and misleading claims that are wrecking efforts to slow climate change. It comes two days after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke at COP29 arguing that “there is no national security without climate security” – and a week after the election in the United States of Donald Trump, who has previously called climate change a “hoax”.

Scientists Urge Biden To Cancel $100 Billion Nuclear Weapons Boondoggle

July 10, 2024 Edward Carver, Common Dreams. Resist! Joe Biden, Nuclear Weapons, Scientist Activism, US Imperialism, Wars and Militarism

More than 700 scientists on Monday called for an end to the United States' land-based nuclear weapons program that's set to be replaced, following a Pentagon decision to approve the program despite soaring costs. In an open letter to President Joe Biden and Congress, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) argued that the new intercontinental-range ballistic missile system, known as Sentinel, was "expensive, dangerous, and unnecessary." The Department of Defense on Monday certified the continuation of the project, releasing the results of a review that was legally required when the cost estimate ballooned to "at least" $131 billion earlier this year, which drew the scrutiny of some Democrats in Congress, according to The Hill.

Activists Target The Heart Of EU ‘Democracy’

June 8, 2024 The Canary. Resist! Capitalism, climate crisis, Democracy, Elections, Scientist Activism, United Kingdom (UK)

Just as the European elections were fully underway, on Friday 7 June activists blockaded the European Commission over the political bloc’s inaction over the climate crisis and fossil fuels – demanding that politicians take action when elected. European elections: degrowth or bust At 7.30am in Brussels, around twenty scientists and activists from Scientist Rebellion, Growth Kills, and Extinction Rebellion blocked the entrances to the European Commission, preventing employees from getting to work during the European elections. Some stuck their hands to the doors, others held up posters and banners with slogans such as ‘Green growth is a myth’, ‘Ban over-consumption’, ‘Measure well-being, not GDP’, and ‘Create citizens’ assemblies’.

Scientists For XR, Youth Action For Climate Justice Occupy Science Museum

April 13, 2024 The Canary. Resist! climate crisis, Climate Justice, Extinction Rebellion, Occupation, Scientist Activism, United Kingdom (UK)

Late on Friday 12 April, more than 30 protesters – including Chris Packham – led by young people from Youth Action for Climate Justice and members of Scientists for Extinction Rebellion have occupied the Science Museum’s new climate gallery, Energy Revolution, over its sponsorship by the coal giant and arms manufacturer, Adani. Naturalist and broadcaster Chris Packham joined the group as they began their protest, with scientists and young people now intending to remain in the museum over the weekend, with the first school visits to the gallery beginning on Monday 15 April.

A Moment Of Historic Danger: It Is Still 90 Seconds To Midnight

January 24, 2024 John Mecklin, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Educate! Doomsday Clock, Nuclear Treaty, Nuclear Weapons, Scientist Activism

Ominous trends continue to point the world toward global catastrophe. The war in Ukraine and the widespread and growing reliance on nuclear weapons increase the risk of nuclear escalation. China, Russia, and the United States are all spending huge sums to expand or modernize their nuclear arsenals, adding to the ever-present danger of nuclear war through mistake or miscalculation. In 2023, Earth experienced its hottest year on record, and massive floods, wildfires, and other climate-related disasters affected millions of people around the world. Meanwhile, rapid and worrisome developments in the life sciences and other disruptive technologies accelerated, while governments made only feeble efforts to control them.

Scientists Say COP28 Is A Blank Cheque For More Deadly Delay

December 18, 2023 The Canary. Educate! Capitalism, climate crisis, COP28, Extinction Rebellion, greenwashing, Scientist Activism

The UN climate summit, hijacked by the fossil fuel cartel, has gifted a blank cheque to rich countries and Big Oil to kill one billion people and force billions more to flee their homes by 2100. The so-called ‘historic’ outcome of COP28 fails to deliver the most basic and necessary measures which would have prevented societal and earth systems collapse, as outlined by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): eliminate fossil fuel subsidies and halt all new gas and oil projects. Instead, the new resolution includes numerous loopholes which will allow polluters to greenwash emissions through fictional carbon capture, meaningless carbon credits, and the re-classification of methane (“natural gas”) as a transition fuel.

Scientists Skip COP28 To Demand Climate Action At Home

December 10, 2023 Anil Oza, Nature. Resist! climate crisis, COP28, Extinction Rebellion, Scientist Activism

Some scientists-turned-activists have changed tactics during this year’s United Nations climate summit. Rather than staging demonstrations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at the meeting itself, they are coordinating protests against governments’ lack of progress reining in greenhouse-gas emissions closer to home — by blocking parts of fossil-fuel operations in their own countries and appealing to local governments. Although the United Arab Emirates has pledged to allow peaceful protests and “the expression of values” at the 28th annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), the country normally bans unauthorized protests and prohibits criticism of its rulers — so some protesters feared for their safety if they went to the summit.

Climate Scientist Arrested For Demanding Stronger Climate Action

March 4, 2023 Kerry Smith, Green Left. Resist! Australia, climate crisis, Direct Action, Scientist Activism

Five climate activists, including grandparents, a climate research scientist, were arrested on February 28 for blockading headquarters of the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA), the umbrella organisation for gas and oil corporations. It was the second day of coordinated actions across Australia. More than 30 supporters of Extinction Rebellion ACT and Stop Fossil Fuel Subsidies gathered at APPEA to disrupt and show solidarity with Lismore’s flood victims — 6000 of whom are still waiting to hear about rehoming, a year on. Activists barricaded the front doors with lifeboats while others dropped a banner which read: “We’re drowning in fossil fuels” and “You can’t offset a climate crisis”.

I’m A Scientist Who Spoke Up About Climate Change

January 13, 2023 Rose Abramoff, Portside. Resist! climate crisis, Jobs, Science, Scientist Activism

Shortly after the New Year, I was fired from Oak Ridge National Laboratory after urging fellow scientists to take action on climate change. At the American Geophysical Union meeting in December, just before speakers took the stage for a plenary session, my fellow climate scientist Peter Kalmus and I unfurled a banner that read, “Out of the lab & into the streets.” In the few seconds before the banner was ripped from our hands, we implored our colleagues to use their leverage as scientists to wake the public up to the dying planet. Soon after this brief action, the A.G.U., an organization with 60,000 members in the earth and space sciences, expelled us from the conference and withdrew the research that we presented that week from the program. Eventually it began a professional misconduct inquiry. (It’s ongoing.)

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