By Ruth Milka for Nation of Change
Nearly 800 scientists have put their name to a declaration of support for all of the people taking part in almost daily actions to demand action on the climate crisis.
“As scientists, we have an obligation that extends beyond merely describing and understanding the natural world to taking an active part in helping to protect it,” reads the letter. “We note that the scientific community has already tried all conventional methods to draw attention to the crisis. We believe that the continued governmental inaction over the climate and ecological crisis now justifies peaceful and nonviolent protest and direct action, even if this goes beyond the bounds of the current law.”
The scientists commend activists for engaging “peacefully against governments around the world that are failing to act.”
The joint declaration is made up of climate scientists, physicists, biologists, engineers, and more from at least 20 countries.
The scientists call for “immediate and decisive action by governments worldwide” and that “the scientific evidence shows beyond any reasonable doubt that human-caused changes to the Earth’s land, sea and air are severely threatening the habitability of our planet.”
Scientists’ support goes beyond just pledging their support in writing. On Monday scientists in the UK blocked roads around financial institutions that fund fossil fuel companies.
On Saturday a group of scientists that have signed their names gathered outside London’s Science Museum to read the text of the letter out loud.
“We note that despite the scientific community first sounding the alarm on human-caused global warming more than four decades ago, no action taken by governments thus far has been sufficient to halt the steep rise in greenhouse gas emissions, nor address the ever-worsening loss of biodiversity.”
Main image: Scientists protesting in London. Credit: Vladimir Morozov.
