I hesitated about writing this warm recommendation of the talk by Julia Steinberger (professor in Ecological Economics) for the audience that reads the S4F newsletter. Her message, and the results from her research, lead to a pretty radical position, that confronts the widely shared idea (probably also held by many in the readership of this…
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IPCC reading marathon
Last week the marathon reading of the IPCC AR6 rapports about climate change, that started at the VU, was continued at the University of Amsterdam in the hall of the faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. More than 50 students and staff members were involved and finished the public reading of the Working group I…
We all do what we can
When trying to solve major problems such as the climate- and ecological crises, each involved party has a perception of its role. Unfortunately, safe positions are often taken, so responsibility for painful decisions can be shifted elsewhere. As the stage play “De zaak Shell” also showed, this is problematic. Below those positions are revisited, and…
Should scientists share their opinions?
Striving for objectivity does not mean researchers cannot take part in policy debates. By Philipp Gramlich (published previously in Chemistry World) When I moved from Germany to the Netherlands two years ago, one small detail about my new home country struck me as weird: peat-free potting soil was nearly absent. Frankly, this topic has never…
There is not one COP26. There are a million.
This is what I discovered last week, when I had the chance to visit COP’s restricted Blue Zone. This is where delegates and observers meet and different countries have their own pavilions. Although I have not visited the negotiations directly, for which I would have (in most cases) needed a different badge, I did get a sense…
Eco-anxiety: Acceptance is key
Summary by Stefanie Ypma Lytton, Canada, is 7000 km away, yet I feel scared. Valkenburg, the terrace where I’ve had a great meal only a few weeks ago has been swept away. Events that scientists would normally describe with phrases like ‘increased likelihood’ are suddenly reality. Although we might not express it often (enough?), we…
The best of times, the worst of times: bridging the gap in ambition towards a sustainable future
by Stefanie Ypma ‘There is no case in which there is any scenario where we should not do absolutely anything we can, straight away’. This is one of the key messages from the first Future Scientist Webinar organized by Scientists for Future NL organised on May the 6th, 2021. Paul Behrens, an assistant professor at…
The concept of climate change commitment and why we need to act so quickly
Author: Riccardo Riva, S4F Delft Commitment is a word that, in everyday use, has a mostly positive connotation. We usually commit to change/help/fight and so on. It implies a (free) will to do something and the fact that the declared action should eventually take place. Well, when talking about climate, commitment is still something we expect to happen,…
Gedrag in de crisis biedt hoop voor het klimaat
De coronacrisis laat zien dat gedragsverandering veel kan opleveren, stellen Karlijn van den Broek en Leo van Kampenhout. De massale aanpassing lijkt het virus af te remmen. Dit kan de klimaatcrisis helpen. tevens gepubliceerd door het AD op 21 april 2020 Individueel gedrag is allesbepalend voor het verloop van de coronacrisis, riepen ic-artsen en RIVM-virologen…
Are Dutch universities ready to address the climate crisis?
In planning to become climate neutral, universities have focused so far on facilities and logistics. Reducing air travel by academics is important, but how about universities’ core business – education and research? “It is your right as a citizen and your duty as an employee to ask for more action.” Sanli Faez (UU) thinks universities…