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FAQ

We call for urgent action to address the climate emergency and ecological breakdown. We do this primarily through civil disobedience. In addition, we sometimes organize marches and protests, write opinion pieces for the media and in scientific journals, and advocate within our institutions for working within planetary limits.

As scientists, we have been ringing the alarm bell about the climate crisis for decades. But governments did not take our warnings seriously, and year after year, emissions continued to rise. Today governments speak of “keeping 1.5°C alive”, while continuing to subsidize fossil fuels and allowing oil and gas explorations across the world. 1.5°C, then, is not alive. Instead, we are moving into uncharted and terrifying territory. As the latest IPCC report notes, “there is a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.” We urge scientists and academics from all disciplines to join the forefront of the climate movement and help shift society into emergency mode. We have no time to lose.

No, some are but many are not. The climate emergency involves many different disciplines, as evidenced by the wide range of backgrounds of the authors of the IPCC reports. We stand up for the academic consensus on climate change, and against the ignoring thereof as members of the academic community.

It’s a simple way to be recognizable. No, most of us don’t wear one in our profession.

Scientist Rebellion primarily consists of scientists, scholars, and academics and is geared towards mobilizing the academic community to engage in civil disobedience. That said, you can contribute to organizational tasks and partake in (certain) actions if you are not a member of the academic community, provided that you do not wear a lab coat or act as a spokesperson. However, depending on your profession and interests, you may instead wish to consider joining a group that is either more specific (for example Doctors for Extinction Rebellion) or more broad (like Extinction Rebellion, Debt 4 Climate, Just Stop Oil, etc.).

Scientist Rebellion is a horizontal organization based on the principles of sociocratic self organization. This means that no single person is in charge.

There is no formal membership structure. That said, we have local Scientist Rebellion groups in over 30 countries.