How Can Scientists Resist the Climate Status Quo? A Conversation Between Fernando Racimo and Frederik Appel Olsen
Should scientists and academics strive to be “neutral” deliverers of facts about rising greenhouse gasses, glaciers melting, and the collapse of biodiversity – or should they take to the streets and confront the political powers perpetuating these crises? And what happens when they do?
“… An argument against scientist-activism is about credibility … What’s interesting is that social scientific research on this question tends to indicate that scientists don’t lose credibility when they engage in societal issues, even as activists. If anything, credibility increases! This has also been my personal experience when I engage in actions. People come to me and they ask me about issues related to climate change even though I’m an evolutionary geneticist.”
The article is written by CApE writer Semine Long-Callesen and documents a conversation between Postdoc Frederik Appel Olsen and Associate Professor Fernando Racimo. The conversation took place on December 17, 2025, and was organized as part of the book launch of Racimo’s “Science in Resistance: The Scientist Rebellion for Climate Justice” (2025). It is part of an article series published by the Centre for Applied Ecological Thinking at the University of Copenhagen with resilience.org.
Read the full article "How Can Scientists Resist the Climate Status Quo?" on resilience.org.