Climate Crisis Survey Reveals Scientists’ Willingness to Act – and Barriers to Action

Story by:

• Triveni Sheshadri- [email protected]

Media contact:

• Inga Kiderra- [email protected]

Topics covered:

• Climate change

Share This:

Article Content

Increasing global temperatures. Rising sea levels. Shrinking ice sheets. Warmer ocean water. Over the last several decades, scientists worldwide have amassed compelling evidence on climate change. However, little is known about the personal beliefs and attitudes of climate scientists and scientists and academics in other disciplines about what they are or are not doing beyond research to deal with what appears to be accelerated global heating and its impacts on the biosphere.

A large-scale survey conducted by a team of international researchers led by investigators at the University of Amsterdam has found that scientists worldwide and across disciplines are extremely concerned about climate change and its cascading effects on every sphere of life. Many scientists surveyed in the study report making changes in their own lifestyles and engaging in advocacy and protest, and more are willing to do so in the future. Importantly, they also pointed to key psychological, social and institutional barriers to more advocacy and protest.

Adam Aron, professor of psychology in the School of Social Sciencesat the University of California San Diego, is a co-author of the study published Aug. 5 in the journal Nature Climate Change.

"Climate change is one of the biggest threats to humanity," said Aron whose research is now focused on the social psychology of collective action on the climate and ecological crisis. "Governments, corporations and many institutions continue to make empty promises that downplay the level of transformation that's required to prevent climate breakdown and to equitably adapt societies to deal with the impacts that are already here."

The researchers surveyed more than 9,000 scientists from 115 countries about their views on climate change and the extent to which they are engaged in climate action. Climate change worried the majority of respondents (83%). Many more (91%) believed that fundamental changes in social, political and economic systems are needed to mitigate the effects of climate change. When asked about their own actions to combat the climate crisis, many said they have already made significant changes to their lifestyle. They were driving less (69%), flying less (51%) and switching to a more plant-based diet (39%).

Many survey respondents reported switching to a more plant-based diet in response to climate change.

Barriers to engagement and action

The researchers found that the majority of scientists who responded to the survey believed in the effectiveness of climate activist groups to bring about positive change. They were also in support of more engagement on the part of the scientific community in climate advocacy and even protest. Their own responses to the crisis included climate advocacy (29%), participation in legal protest (23%) and/or acts of civil disobedience (10%). About half said they would be willing to engage in some of these in the future.

Based on these results, the authors of the study propose a two-step model of engagement. First, in order for scientists to be willing to engage, they need to break through intellectual barriers that impede climate action such as lack of belief in the effectiveness of the actions, lack of identification with activists, lack of knowledge, fear of losing credibility, and fear of repercussions. Second, they need to overcome mostly practical barriers including perceived lack of skills, lack of time, lack of opportunities, and not knowing any groups involved in climate action.

Others said they were fighting climate change by driving less.

Adam Aron