SCIENTISTS! LET'S Act TOGETHER

Scientists are in a prime and privileged position to be able to accelerate action...and it is vitally important that we do.

The good news is that there are lots of ways that we can get involved.

If you a scientist or academic wanting to contribute impactfully in response to the Climate & Ecological Emergency, the resources and communities on this page are here to support you. Please feel free to contact me if you want to get more involved or to discuss these ideas.

ACTION TAKES MANY FORMS

A summary of the reasons why scientists are in such a strong position to act effectively and more detail on how we can do so are covered in a dedicated blog post from August 2025.

Stories of Scientists in Action

Scientists on Survival: Personal Stories of Climate Action (2025) is a collection of short personal stories of UK scientists who have become climate activists.
Plan Z: from lab coats to handcuffs (2024) is a short documentary providing a window into scientist-activism and the motivations for it. Available to watch on YouTube.
Tipping Points Podcast, hosted by the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, is a series of interviews of scientists and other professionals about why they have become involved in environmental activism.

COMMUNITIES & CAMPAIGNS

Scientist communities include:

Scientist Rebellion (active across six continents) & Scientists for Extinction Rebellion (mainly active in the UK) are scientist-activist communities that campaign using a range of approaches, including supporting and participating in nonviolent direct action related to the Emergency.
Scientists Warning works to “represent scientists who are warning humanity of the rapidly increasing dangers of climate change and destruction of the ecology and habitability of planet Earth”
Union of Concerned Scientists (global) & Scientists for Global Responsibility (UK) are member organisations that communicate on the Emergency

Wider UK campaigns that may be of interest for scientists include:

Zero Hour which is the campaigning group for the Climate and Ecological Emergency legislation in the UK, based around a parliamentary bill originally written through collaboration between scientists and legal professionals.
National Emergency Briefing is a campaign working to get policymakers and the public up to speed on the severity of the crises we face and the urgent and effective actions we can all be part of.

LEARNING & COMMUNICATION RESOURCES

Academic articles about scientist action & transforming science

Rethinking academia in a time of climate crisis Urai & Kelly (2023) eLife
How scientists can contribute to the social movements essential to protecting climate and nature Perrin et al. (2025) npj Climate Action
“No Research on A Dead Planet”: preserving the socio-ecological conditions for academia Thierry et al. (2023)Frontiers in Education
The biospheric emergency calls for scientists to change tactics Racimo et al. (2022) eLife
Actions speak louder than words: the case for responsible scientific activism in an era of planetary emergency Wyatt et al. (2024) Royal Society Open Science
From Publications to Public Actions: The Role of Universities in Facilitating Academic Advocacy and Activism in the Climate and Ecological Emergency Gardner et al. (2021) Frontiers in Sustainability
Civil Disobedience by Scientists Helps Press for Urgent Climate Action Capstick et al. (2022) Nature Climate Change
Are you a researcher or an activist? Navigating tensions in climate and health research Bhopal (2023) Journal of Climate Change and Health
Wanting to be part of change but feeling overworked and disempowered: Researchers’ perceptions of climate action in UK universities Latter et al. (2024) PLoS Climate
Climate change engagement of scientists Dablander et al. (2024) Nature Climate Change

About the Emergency

Web-based resources include:

National Emergency Briefing's short talks on key areas.
Scientists for XR have curated a selection of trusted resources on the state of and threats to Nature and a stable climate.
Planetary Health Check: information and visuals on the status of Earth's vital signs.
Global Tipping Points: information on how our Earth system - and human actions - can change state rapidly.
Our World In Data: open access statistics and visualisations on climate, nature and much more.
Earthly Institute hosts informative writing and social media without the disinformation.
Carbon Brief covers the latest developments in climate science and policy.
DeSmog does investigative reporting and research in this area and has a handy Climate Disinformation Database.

An extensive list of books, documentaries and other media has been curated by Fabian Dablander here

Courses, activities and trainings both that you can benefit from and share with others include:

People's Emergency Briefing film screenings and discussions: the film presents a 50 minute snapshot of climate and energy issues in the UK. Nationwide showings are accompanied by discussions about community and sector-specific action
👉 I have written a People's Emergency Briefing Screening Guide for Science & Academic settings
Interactive workshops including the Climate Fresk, Biodiversity Collage, Planetary Boundaries Fresco and Conscious Evolution collage work on a train the trainer model - this means that once you have participated you can learn to run the activity for others.
AimHi Earth provide broader training for organisations, with public sessions at least once a month.

NEW! People's Emergency Briefing Screening Guide