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Scientist Rebellion

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 6 min

Scientist Rebellion
TypeNGO
FocusClimate crisis awareness
Websitescientistrebellion.org
RemarksFront‑line participation is limited to scientists, scholars, and academics
Scientist Rebellion blocks the Kronprinzenbrücke in Berlin in 2022 to highlight warnings in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. The banner reads: "1.5°C is dead. Climate revolution now!".
Protest action outside the Congreso de los Diputados in Madrid in 2022
Members of Scientist Rebellion from behind at the Last Generation Massenblockade Berlin on 28 October 2023
Members of Scientist Rebellion being interviewed by national television at the Last Generation Massenblockade Berlin on 28 October 2023
Scientist Rebellion banner reading "Defund fossil fuels" at Frack Off demo in Berlin on 10 December 2024

Scientist Rebellion is an international scientists' environmentalist group that campaigns for degrowth, climate justice, and more effective climate change mitigation.[1]

More specifically, Scientist Rebellion is a network of academics that tries to raise awareness by engaging in non-violent civil disobedience.[2] It is a sister organization to Extinction Rebellion.[3] The group was co-founded by Mike Lynch-White and Dr. Tim Hewlett, who splattered paint on the headquarters of the Royal Society in September 2020, the group's first action.[4]

Front‑line participation is limited to scientists, scholars, and academics.[5] The white lab coats worn provide a simple way of being identified as scientists.[5]

Actions

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Scientist Rebellion carried out various protests during the COP26 meeting. On 6 November 2021, activists blocked George V Bridge in Glasgow.[6]

In August 2021, the group leaked parts of the pre-final Working Group III contribution, covering climate change mitigation, to the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) prior to intergovernmental approval.[7]

In April 2022, Scientist Rebellion blocked roads in Berlin in protest against oil extraction in the North Sea.[8] In late 2022, several activists protested at Autostadt Wolfsburg by gluing themselves to the floor at the Porsche exhibit hall, later complaining they were left alone overnight.[9]

In October 2023, Dr Gianluca Grimalda, a member, made international headlines by refusing to fly via plane from a field research assignment in Papua New Guinea. Instead, he intended to slow travel via container ships and land routes to save 4.5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. His employer, Kiel Institute, threatened termination of his employment contract should he not arrive rapidly and later did apparently follow through.[10][11]

During the COP28 meeting in December 2023, scientists from Scientist Rebellion signed an open letter calling on the public to become climate activists. Some signatories had contributed to previous IPCC Assessment Reports.[12][13]

Together with Last Generation, the group co-organized the Starving for honesty climate hunger strike in Berlin in mid-2024.[14]

Scientist Rebellion together with 61 scientists, including Michael Meeropol, Don Trent Jacobs Allan J. Singer, Stefan Sommer, endorsed an appeal created by Fridays For Future International which is linking peace, justice and climate. The main idea of the appeal is that we can not stop the ecological crisis without stopping overconsumption and this is impossible as wars continue because GDP is directly feeding the military potential. As climate change threaten more or less all, even the billionaires, it is good for all to establish peace and justice. 24 organizations endorsed the appeal as well as some prominent activists like Tori Tsui, Betsy Rosenberg.[15]

Debate and impact

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Trend in atmospheric carbon‑dioxide equivalent concentrations against global temperature change. With key international milestones marked.

Several researchers affiliated with the movement have argued for civil disobedience by colleagues, hypothesizing that such actions may lead to significant net changes in pro‑climate public opinion due to the "potential to cut through the myriad complexities and confusion" present in much of the current public discourse.[16] Online text-based news media reviewed the commentary.[17][18]

Climate scientist Peter Kalmus has described his motivations for being arrested in Los Angeles with Scientist Rebellion in 2022.[19] And climate scientist Rose Abramoff was arrested for similar reasons in Washington DC at much that same time.[20]

Personalities

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Gianluca Grimalda, Italian climatologist and behavioural economist, 1st employee to receive compensation following dismissal linked to climate change.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Our positions and demands". Scientist Rebellion. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  2. ^ Kelly, Orla; Illingworth, Sam; Butera, Fabrizio; Dawson, Vaille; White, Peta; Blaise, Mindy; Martens, Pim; Schuitema, Geertje; Huynen, Maud; Bailey, Susan; Cowman, Sian (2022). "Education in a warming world: Trends, opportunities and pitfalls for institutes of higher education". Frontiers in Sustainability. 3. doi:10.3389/frsus.2022.920375. ISSN 2673-4524. Open access icon
  3. ^ Cockburn, Harry (16 June 2022). "Spain 'arrests protesting climate scientists' amid historic heatwave". The Independent. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  4. ^ Rikki (19 February 2023). "Acquittal for scientists who painted the Royal Society". Real Media - The View From Below. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b "FAQ". Scientist Rebellion. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  6. ^ Thompson, Tosin (18 November 2021). "Scientist Rebellion: researchers join protesters at COP26". Nature. 599 (7885): 357. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-03430-5. S2CID 244110931. Open access icon
  7. ^ Hartz, Friederike (4 November 2022). "Leaking the IPCC: A question of responsibility?". WIREs Climate Change. doi:10.1002/wcc.814. ISSN 1757-7780. S2CID 253368636. Open access icon
  8. ^ ""Scientist Rebellion" fordern Klimarevolution "jetzt!"" ["Scientist Rebellion demand climate revolution "now!"]. euronews (in German). 6 April 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  9. ^ Tomescheit, Wiebke (21 October 2022). "Protestierende Wissenschaftler bei VW klagen auf Twitter: "Keine Eimer, um zu urinieren"" [Protesting scientists at VW complain on Twitter: "No buckets to urinate in"]. STERN.de (in German). Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  10. ^ Ronald, Issy (4 October 2023). "A climate researcher risks losing university post for refusing to fly home". CNN. Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  11. ^ Gayle, Damien (12 October 2023). "Climate expert 'sacked' after refusing flight to Germany over carbon emissions". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  12. ^ Gayle, Damien (4 December 2023). "More than 1,000 climate scientists urge public to become activists". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  13. ^ Scientist Rebellion (December 2023). "How much more climate failure until we act — Open letter". Scientist Rebellion. Retrieved 8 December 2023. Scroll down for a list of signatories.
  14. ^ Gopal, Keerti (2 June 2024). "A German climate activist won't end his hunger strike, even with the risk of death looming". Inside Climate News. New York, USA. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Prominent climate scientists, activists: to stop the climate crisis, first stop wars and change the system". Extinction Rebellion Tunisia. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  16. ^ Gardner, Charlie; Cox, Emily; Capstick, Stuart (28 April 2022). "Extinction Rebellion scientists: why we glued ourselves to a government department". phys.org. Retrieved 12 September 2022. Opinion piece.
  17. ^ "Scientists call on colleagues to protest climate crisis with civil disobedience". The Guardian. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  18. ^ Capstick, Stuart; Thierry, Aaron; Cox, Emily; Berglund, Oscar; Westlake, Steve; Steinberger, Julia K. (September 2022). "Civil disobedience by scientists helps press for urgent climate action". Nature Climate Change. 12 (9): 773–774. doi:10.1038/s41558-022-01461-y. ISSN 1758-6798. S2CID 251912378. Closed access icon
  19. ^ Kalmus, Peter (6 April 2022). "Climate scientists are desperate: we're crying, begging and getting arrested". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  20. ^ Harvey, Chelsea; E&E News (11 April 2022). "Scientists risk arrest to demand climate action". Scientific American. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  21. ^ https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2025/01/24/fired-for-refusing-to-fly-back-to-europe-from-papua-new-guinea-a-researcher-wins-compensation-in-court_6737373_114.html
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