XR SCIENTISTS - SF
About us
We are a group of scientists (currently consisting of those with backgrounds in wildlife ecology, physics, biostatistics, materials science, data science, and epidemiology/public health) who are concerned about the impact of climate change and environmental justice.
What We Do
We work in the following areas:
- Education (e.g. writing editorials, blogs, speaking/presenting on climate change impacts
- Provide support to other scientists who would like to get involved but are concerned about impacts to their career, job, etc.
- Provide a resource to XR and other like-minded organizations on fact checking, ensuring scientific accuracy of materials, etc.
- Get involved in public actions, including peaceful protests and other public-facing events
We are open to other ideas!
When We Meet
Every other week; Tuesdays 5:15 PM PST by Zoom. We are actively looking for more scientists to join us!
Check this page often for group activities and updates, relevant climate and scientist activist news and information specially about our group. If you’d like to join us, send us a message at xr-scientists-sf@xrsfbay.org!
Here's the thing - we are running out of time
Scientists have been warning about the coming climate disasters for a very long time. It's now more evident than ever that we were right. Many scientists can no longer "sit on the train tracks in their lawn chairs while nobody stops the train." We are taking to the streets, joining protests, and raising our voices in ever-louder ways.
These actions do not come easily to introverted scientists who naively thought for years that our data, reports, and talks would ignite a wartime effort to stop the impending climate disaster. But with politicians and the general public lacking any sense of true urgency regarding this emergency, we now feel that we have no other choice than to ocassionally yell and beat drums. History has shown that sometimes that is the only way to actually MOVE a society. Besides... joining a group and taking action is the best way we know to moderate our own gloom over the situation. Join the tribe, DO something, and then keep doing more. It helps.
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men (read "people") with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
- Calvin Coolidge
A Few Stories...
April 24, 2023: Our group participates in a direct action - a protest against Wells Fargo, one of the 7 large North American banks that continue to fund new fossil fuel extraction directly against the dire warnings from the International Energey Agency. While we all know that we can't close the taps of fossil fuels immediately, new extractions keep the price of these fuels artificially low (since supplies increase), while the true cost of burning fossil fuels gets dumped on all of us in terms of disaster relief, food shortages, species extinction, deadly heat dome events, etc. This is a false capitalism, since the global costs of climate change are "socialized" and not part of commodity pricing. Our goal is to reveal the banks' "greenwashing" as much as possible and provide a better understanding of the true costs of fossil fuels. Watch the movie HERE.
Scientist Rebellion: A scientist climate group, Scientist Rebellion, inspired by XR, launched a global campaign of direct action in April 2022. A member of our group joined the campaign and got arrested! Watch the movie HERE. If you'd like to read more about his experience, here is his story...
Take action! Thinking that climate is such a huge problem that you can't possibly make a difference? Wrong! Here are the lists, conveniently sorted from easiest-to-hardest, of things that you can do. No excuses. You'll feel great, and you WILL make a difference.
XR SF Bay Scientists compile climate change “Myths and FAQs”! Useful for conversations with the general public, friends, family and the at-least-a-little-open-minded opponents of climate action. It’s a living document, so send us your myths and questions and we’ll update it.
Think climate action is just some expensive, big government boondoggle propagated by greens and scientists for their own nefarious reasons? Need some level-headed talking points for that uncle from Oklahoma? Check out "A Conversation with Jerry Taylor: The Conservative Case for Acting on Climate." It will cost you an hour of your life, (skip ahead to the 3 minute mark to avoid the intro) but it's worth understanding the many reasons climate action makes sense for all of us - regardless of which side of the aisle you are on.
Why do and don’t scientists speak up about climate? We talked with one of our members about this question and more in the first of what we plan as a series of interviews. Check out Taking Flight with Dr. Jennifer Krauel: a bat researcher speaks about her struggles with climate change
Paul English's "Tracking California" program helped put together videos made by indigenous farmworkers in Oxnard that tell personal stories of resilience in the face of a changing climate. Have a listen to these powerful pieces from the Achieving Resilient Communities project at the Public Health Institute here...
A Word about Scientist Rebellion...
