Sir, – In response to William Reville’s letter (July 8th), I respectfully disagree with his argument that universities should solely focus on teaching existing knowledge and conducting research without actively engaging in the implementation of their findings, particularly concerning urgent issues such as climate change.
To argue that universities should refrain from social activism and policy advocacy overlooks the urgency and scale of the climate crisis.
The comparison to the regulation of harmful food products, though illustrative, fails to capture the systemic and far-reaching impacts of climate change. Unlike isolated scientific findings, climate science encompasses a vast array of interconnected issues that affect every aspect of our lives, from health to economy to global security.
Moreover, advocating for climate action is not about aligning with an ideology but about responding to robust scientific evidence.
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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and numerous scientific bodies worldwide have consistently highlighted the need for immediate and sustained action to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. Universities, as bastions of knowledge and innovation, have a moral obligation to use their influence to promote policies that reflect this scientific consensus.
Universities should embrace a proactive role in addressing the climate crisis, leveraging their expertise and credibility to drive necessary societal changes.
It is not only a matter of fulfilling their educational and research missions but also of contributing to the broader societal good in an era of unprecedented crisis. – Yours, etc,
Dr CIARÁN O’CARROLL,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – I couldn’t read Prof William Reville’s letter dismissing the role of universities in public policy awareness and activism on climate change without recalling his own opinion piece in these pages entreating the need for the defence of western civilisation: “Just a minute Willie, some of you may say, we thought you wrote a science column? True, but some things are so important that, if they fall, almost everything else falls too; science included.” (“Our civilisation is under threat: we must defend it”, Science, June 20th). – Yours, etc,
Dr GAVIN DALY,
Dublin 1.