Challenging the neutrality myth in climate science and activism
The authors reject Büntgen’s claim that climate science must avoid activism, arguing activism doesn’t inherently bias research and value‑free science is impossible. They call for redefining how values appropriately shape scientific communication and offer strategies to move beyond the myth of neutrality.
Subject Tags
- Climate impacts
- Social Sciences
Abstract
We argue that Büntgen’s (2024) claim that climate science must be separated from activism is fundamentally flawed. Activism does not inherently lead to biased science and striving for value-free science is both unattainable and undesirable. Instead, we advocate for redefining the boundaries of acceptable influence of values in scientific communication and offer practical strategies to move beyond the misleading myth of neutrality.
Citation
Van Eck, C.W., Messling, L. and Hayhoe, K., 2024. Challenging the neutrality myth in climate science and activism. npj Climate Action, 3(1), p.81. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-024-00171-9
TNC Authors
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Katharine Hayhoe
Chief Scientist,
The Nature Conservancy
Email: katharine.hayhoe@tnc.org