Scientists & academics engaging in civil disobedience to secure a livable future
Here we regularly publish articles by scientists affiliated with SR. In these articles, they shed light on climate change and its consequences from their personal expertise.
A new study shows with 98% certainty that the rate of global warming is increasing. The 1.5 °C warming threshold could be reached in the coming years, in violation of the Paris Agreement. To prevent global warming of 3 °C, the use of fossil fuels must be phased out immediately. The research by Grant Foster … Read more
At the end of February, Milieudefensie published the latest Climate Crisis Index, on the first working day of the government of ‘Climate Pusher’ Jetten. It shows that many companies in the Netherlands are not taking measures to combat climate change. Of the 28 companies surveyed, not one has a good, or even reasonable, climate plan. … Read more
Chikungunya is an infectious disease that causes, among other things, severe and prolonged joint inflammation. For a long time, we considered chikungunya, malaria, dengue and Zika to be (sub)tropical diseases that posed little threat to Western Europe. But is that still true? Recent research sheds light on whether climate change is bringing these diseases our … Read more
The first warm days of the year are arriving earlier and earlier and are also getting warmer. That may be pleasant for people who are tired of the dreary winter. But it is also a result of climate change, with all its serious consequences. I, too, have enjoyed the beautiful spring weather these days, because … Read more
At the end of January, De Staat van ons Klimaat (The State of Our Climate), the KNMI’s annual report on the year 2025, was published. The report confirms the continuing trend of warming that began during the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century. The consequences are serious: extreme weather, drought and flooding, and increased … Read more
Europe’s water reserves are under pressure. Satellite data show clear declines in water storage across large parts of southern and central Europe over the past two decades, while wetter trends dominate further north. These findings are worrying, policy-relevant and deserving of attention. Jan Verkade But when reporting on such results, precision matters. The recent Guardian … Read more
Climate sceptics, led by President Trump, were quick to jump on the bandwagon when extreme cold weather hit the US at the end of January 2026. Trump posted on his ‘Truth Social’ account: “Rarely seen anything like it before. Could the Environmental Insurrectionists please explain – WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???” He was promptly served … Read more
Coral reefs act as climate sensors: since the first bleaching was observed in the 1980s, they have consistently shown the impact of warming and acidification. Overfishing, nutrient pollution and disease have pushed these fragile ecosystems to a critical tipping point, if they have not already passed it. The question is whether recovery is still possible. … Read more
“Good” climate communication is often thought to consist of accurate facts: whether climate change exists (yes) and whether humans play a major role in it (absolutely). The counterpart is climate misinformation: the deliberate dissemination of incorrect information and misleading ideas about causes, solutions and those responsible. The assumption is that the former leads to more … Read more
Two years ago, the United Nations General Assembly concluded a historic treaty, the High Seas Treaty, an agreement to protect and preserve the biodiversity of the ‘high seas’ for future sustainable use. The term ‘high seas’ refers to oceans and seas outside territorial waters. If the treaty is properly implemented, it will play a key … Read more