Climate activism as a form of science communication and public engagement

The current state and future projections of the climate and environmental crises call for science to be able to have a deep impact on society, and to have it quickly. Here we discuss how scientists engaging in climate activism can contribute to educating the general public and press for urgent action, as well as under which conditions such scientific activism can be most effective.

Traditionally, science has mostly interacted with society by making scientific results public, without interfering in how politicians, business and the general public would make use of them. Similarly, the role of science educators has been often confined to spreading knowledge to students and broader audiences, independently of how this knowledge affects society. However, such communication and education efforts appear insufficient considering unambitious policies with regards to the current climate and ecological crises. As a result, many scientists, both within and outside academia, have been looking for other ways to communicate the urgency of the climate crisis. Notably, communication efforts have increasingly extended to public support of environmental action movements and participation in protests and civil disobedience actions.

In this work, we discuss how activism can be complementary to classical approaches of science communication and public education on the urgency of the climate and environmental crises. We will highlight recent examples of civil disobedience by scientists with a focus on the Netherlands. We also present the reaction from stakeholders such as politicians and representatives of companies, as well as the reception of such actions by the scientific community. We discuss the place of activism in the broader scientific community, where our viewpoint is that scientific activism can only become an efficient way of science communication and public engagement if (i) it is accepted and respected within the scientific community, and (ii) it adheres to rules allowing such communication to maintain or increase scientific reputation in society. We also stress the supportive role of universities and research institutes in enabling the engagement with activism, especially for early career scientists. Scientific institutions should emphasize that climate activism and advocacy is welcome among both researchers and educators, that their freedom of speech is protected, and that such activities are recognized as valuable.