The time for scientists to get louder is NOW
We are a group of scientists…
on the west coast of North America who have seen climate data worsen for decades. We have seen how the pursuit of power has gridlocked political leadership, and seen how skillful, greed-driven messaging has undermined trust in the scientific community. Given the state of the crisis, we have little time left for disingenuous debate and so have decided to raise our voices, shout truth to power, and follow our moral obligation to do as much as we can to preserve the living systems on our planet.
Organization
SRTIW is a subset of Scientist Rebellion Turtle Island (North America) , which is a subset of Scientist Rebellion International. In all cases we feel like dogs who are barking wildly as a giant tornado heads towards our city. Unfortunately the villagers inside the city walls are responding by getting mad at us for disrupting their party. We have now decided to bark directly at the villagers.
A bit more about us…
Scientist Rebellion started as an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion. We are deeply concerned about environmental justice, planetary boundaries, the impact of climate change on the living systems of Earth, and the shortcomings of human psychology that prevent us from acting on existential threats. The overall strategy for the group is to shed light on these topics by attempting to influence high-leverage/ high-impact targets with the most effective means we can imagine. This may mean protesting particular climate catastrophe enablers, adding our educated voices to societal decision-making, writing op eds, or otherwise conjuring impactful messaging for the general public. We often pair with other like-minded groups to show numbers at protests and cross-pollinate our thinking.
Our expectation for membership in this group is, basically, active participation. We all need to help each other process the difficult realities of our joint climate angst, motivate one another, provide ideas, withhold personal judgements, tell jokes, take on roles, support each other, work together (for both fun and effectiveness), show up, do the work. Members contribute at the level that they are comfortable with… not everyone wants to get arrested, for instance. Some of us are videographers, some make posters and artwork, some march in protests, some play bucket drums (very fun if you have a sense of rhythm), some paddle kayaks as part of “kayactivism,” and some will do “spicier” actions and risk arrest. It’s all part of making a point that the general society seems to be actively ignoring.
Passive members won't get much out of this group. It's way more interesting and enjoyable to pitch in. Members should occasionally ask themselves "Am I doing what I wanted to be doing as part of this group?" The group should be asking "what can we do to get each of us closer to what we want to be doing?"
Let's make it work. In the end, the only thing that we know for certain is that if activists stop working on this, the chances for a climate fix asymptote to zero. If you are a scientist or engineer, send us a note and let’s talk!
Stories
A picture is worth a thousand words, so a movie must be worth…? A nerd immediately replies “that depends on the frames per second and length of time, but it can be calculated!” In any case, here are some words and movies from some of our activities over the past couple of years. This should give the casual observer an idea of what we are all about. For the most recent actions, check out our NEWS
SRTIW joins Oil and Gas Network, Extinction Rebellion, and others to make a point on the Sacramento Bridge…
Wells, Chase, B of A, Citi… the big banks continue to fund fossil fuel extraction - way past the time we know that this is deadly. Several activist groups, including us, have something to say about that.
If anyone knows about climate risks it’s the American Geophysical Union, right? We thought we’d inspire them to get active with a little street theater. The oil guys at AGU probably didn’t appreciate us, but what the heck… we had fun anyway.
Activism has many levels of participation. Some of us are concerned enough and fed up enough to go the extra mile. Others are happy to simply carry signs. All are heros.
… Or check out our latest news
So…
Decision time. Are you a scientist or engineer who has gotten fed up with the social complacency surrounding climate? Are you ready to take the next step to secure the living systems on Earth for your kids, grand kids, and the generations to follow? Ready to speak truth to money, power, and complacency? Tired of feeling helpless, sad, peeved, confused, upset, incredulous, shocked, guilty? Well, we can’t help you with all of that, for sure. Maybe it’s time to get some outside help. OR… maybe we can help a little bit. Join us, get active, make some new friends, lace up your boots and hit the streets with us. Our actions are designed to involve all levels of participation and boldness. You will find the level of engagement that fits your comfort zone.