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EOS4.4 | Moving beyond research-as-usual: Exploring and assessing the role of geoscientists in the face of the climate and ecological emergencies
EDI
Moving beyond research-as-usual: Exploring and assessing the role of geoscientists in the face of the climate and ecological emergencies
Convener: Elodie DuyckECSECS | Co-conveners: Odin Marc, Rosa Rantanen, Jean-Philippe Vidal, Paolo ColomboECSECS
Despite an ever-growing body of scientific literature outlining the need for radical transformations, efforts to address the climate and ecological crisis keep falling painfully short of what is necessary. At the same time, the situation continues to worsen as global warming gets dangerously close to 1.5 degrees. While the role of geoscientists has traditionally been to provide neutral information to be used by the public and policy makers, several studies pointed out that the main blockade to urgent climate action is not currently a lack of understanding or awareness or the situation (Oreskes, 2022, The trouble with the supply-side model of science) but rather opposition to necessary transformations by vested interests and powerful actors (Stoddard et al, 2021, Three decades of climate mitigation: Why haven’t we bent the emissions curve?). Our own institutions, universities, and research centers are also failing to rise to the challenge of this crisis and partly contribute to maintaining the status quo (Thierry et al, 2023, No research on a dead planet).
In that context, what role can geoscientists play to contribute to the urgent transformations necessary to mitigate the climate and ecological crisis? To explore this topic, we invite contributions that broadly address the following questions, whether from a theoretical perspective or through firsthand experiences:
– How to engage with civil society, stakeholders and policymakers to ensure that research findings lead to appropriate policies?
– How to assess and reduce the ecological footprint of scientific institutions?
– How to expand outreach and training efforts, in particular to enable under-represented actors, reduce power imbalances in climate politics, and oppose greenwashing?
– Should scientists engage in disruptive actions and civil disobedience to highlight the urgency of the situation, oppose destructive projects, and/or press on problematic actors?
– How can scientific institutions prevent reinforcing the status quo and instead contribute to radical transformations ?
In 2024, presentations considered: Outreach efforts towards policymakers or in rural areas, campaigns for universities to cut ties with the fossil industry, sustainable travel policies for researchers, strategies to debunk greenwashing, barriers to the public engagement of academics, and discussion about academic activism. We particularly encourage submissions presenting interdisciplinary work including social sciences.