Impact agenda ¡®enables climate change scholar-activists¡¯

A leading climate activist and scholar has credited 바카라사이트 research ¡°impact agenda¡± for enabling him to become a ¡°crusading academic¡±.

Rupert Read, reader in philosophy at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia, a Green Party campaigner and a leading figure in 바카라사이트 Extinction Rebellion movement, said that it was not always easy to combine activism and academia, adding that he had cut his working hours and salary at 바카라사이트 university in order to spend more time campaigning.

However, he said that 바카라사이트re were some ¡°genuine synergies¡± between 바카라사이트 two roles that made it possible to ¡°save two birds with one bird bath¡±.

For example, his impact case study for 바카라사이트 research excellence framework centres on 바카라사이트 ¡°precautionary principle¡±, especially in relation to 바카라사이트 environment. The principle encourages policymakers to adopt precautionary measures when scientific evidence about an environmental or human health issue is considered to be uncertain and 바카라사이트 stakes are high.

¡°Some of 바카라사이트 work that I do with Extinction Rebellion¡­is productive of impact,¡± he said.

¡°I get to talk about taking a ¡®precautious¡¯ approach to climate and to ecology¡­I get opportunities I o바카라사이트rwise wouldn¡¯t have had to reach large audiences through print, through broadcast.¡±

As such,?UEA has been ¡°very supportive¡± of his activism work, he said, which has included representing Extinction Rebellion via media outlets such as 바카라사이트 BBC¡¯s Question Time. This year, Dr Read was invited to UEA¡¯s annual reception for ¡°media stars¡± for 바카라사이트 first time.

Dr Read said that while?바카라사이트 impact agenda was ¡°incredibly imperfect¡±, he is ¡°glad that it exists¡±.

¡°It makes it easier for me to be a sort of crusading academic trying to use some of my work outside 바카라사이트 academy to help change 바카라사이트 world for 바카라사이트 better. The impact agenda has helped make that more possible for me than it would have o바카라사이트rwise been 15 years ago or so,¡± he said.

However, Dr Read said that 바카라사이트re were a number of ways in which universities could change in response to 바카라사이트 climate crisis,?including ¡°rethinking 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트y go after getting foreign students¡±.

¡°When you¡¯re making yourselves financially dependent on large numbers of students from China, 바카라사이트 US and so forth, you are baking in completely unsustainable levels of carbon emissions into 바카라사이트 academic system,¡± he said.

Instead of encouraging international students to travel to a far-away campus, universities should focus on launching institutional partnerships that allowed students to stay in 바카라사이트ir local area, he said.

Dr Read said that universities also needed to change 바카라사이트ir curricula and research focus, claiming that 바카라사이트re was ¡°still not nearly enough penetration of 바카라사이트 [climate] agenda in disciplines such as politics and economics¡±.

¡°There isn¡¯t nearly enough research, for example, into possible scenarios of societal collapse, nor into possible scenarios of very rapid adaptation and mitigation, which is increasingly clear is what we need,¡± he said.

Dr Read, who decided earlier this year to stop flying, also called for universities to have ¡°much stronger policies on encouraging academics to not travel by air¡± and good videoconferencing facilities.

While?system change was 바카라사이트 most urgent need, academics could show ¡°a little bit of leadership¡± in this area, he said.

¡°I¡¯m still surprised by 바카라사이트 number of my colleagues who go to conferences, including conferences on climate or environmental philosophy, by plane. I think that people should make a stronger effort to change 바카라사이트ir practices to fit what 바카라사이트y are talking about,¡± he said.

Dr Read admitted that Extinction Rebellion ¡°has some difficult challenges¡± ahead and said he was ¡°making 바카라사이트 argument within 바카라사이트 organisation that it would be wise for us to shift from protests that can be portrayed as targeting ordinary people to a rebellion that is very clearly focusing on 바카라사이트 rich corporations¡±.

The movement¡¯s recent protests in London came under fire for disrupting commuters on public transport.

However, Dr Read said that Extinction Rebellion, along with 바카라사이트 school strike for climate, was ¡°one of 바카라사이트 very few genuine hopes that we have at this point in history that we might possibly be able to turn things around in time to avert societal collapse¡±.

¡°It¡¯s essential that Extinction Rebellion does succeed and I would love more academics to put 바카라사이트ir minds into helping to figure out how it can, and also to join us and put 바카라사이트ir bodies on 바카라사이트 line,¡± he said.

¡°There is no better way of showing that one is scared about 바카라사이트 future and determined to change it than undertaking non-violent direct action with one¡¯s colleagues.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com