A SCIENTIST from Malvern is joining more than 100 colleagues from around the world to go on hunger strike against climate inaction.

Dr Tim Hewlett, who lives in Malvern and is a postdoctoral researcher in astrophysics, is taking part in a hunger strike as part of Scientist Rebellion, which encourages members of the scientific community to protest and raise awareness of climate change.

He said: "Scientists can no longer simply say that it’s an emergency, they must act like it. That means engaging in the most effective method for rapid social change: non-violent civil disobedience."

The aim of Scientist Rebellion, according to the movement, is to convince the public that the issue is so severe that immediate action needs to be taken, so Dr Hewlett will be on hunger strike in the coming weeks to raise awareness.

Scientist Rebellion plans to engage in educational disobedience, in which academics deviate from planned learning to teach their students and the public about the climate crisis and the role of civil disobedience in countering it. They will do hunger strikes, which demonstrate willingness to give something up for the greater good, and highlight the hunger and suffering which climate breakdown brings.

Others will paste scientific papers related to the crisis to public buildings, some committing criminal damage with paint. They target scientific institutions to drive a fundamental shift from tacitly supporting government toward resistance, and they target governments as the primary decision-makers in society, accountable to the people.

Demanding immediate action Politics, economics and society needs to change dramatically and rapidly, or billions face the prospect of drought, starvation, inundation and social collapse.

Governments must drive this change. “To choose to not rebel against those overseeing our extinction, and not make the kind of personal sacrifices that come along with that, will be seen with contempt and moral cowardice by future generations.

Mike Lynch-White MSci, Theoretical Physics PhD student turned climate activist, said: "Scientists can no longer simply say that it’s an emergency, they must act like it. That means engaging in the most effective method for rapid social change: non-violent civil disobedience”

Dr Kriti Mukherjee, glaciologist, said: "If scientists tell people we are in a life-threatening emergency, but continue with business as usual, the warning rings hollow and the science is undermined.

"The most effective means in modern history of rapidly transforming society is through non-violent civil disobedience - Scientist Rebellion acts in that tradition to demonstrate the severity of the crisis and give others the confidence to resist.

"Scientific consensus on climate change Scientists have advised the government, written papers, used the official channels to try to steer society away from calamity: during that time emissions have soared and the natural world has been decimated.

“All our science and innovations are ultimately meaningless if it only gives us a short term comfort followed by complete destruction of the civilisation. We need to act now if we want to save our Earth.”

Further information and links: https://linktr.ee/scientistrebellion