Crosspost: Q&A: Kate Marvel on the physics and emotions of climate change

Today's crosspost was originally published on Physics Today on November 19, 2025. In this interview by Jessica Duncombe, astrophysicist turned climate physicist Kate Marvel discusses her journey from astrophysics to climate science, her work at NASA, and being a writer.

(From Physics Today)

PT: How did you get interested in climate science?

MARVEL: Some contacts recommended I try climate modeling during my first postdoc, so I went and talked to climate modeler Ken Caldeira. We ended up writing this crazy paper together. It was about hypothetically putting wind turbines in the jet stream. If we did that, how much energy could be extracted before we shut down global wind?

I was intrigued because the research question was nuts. I came from astrophysics, this field that tries to explain the entire universe. And I found myself being surprised that we didn’t know how much wind we have in the jet stream. I liked climate science because it addressed questions that seemed big and interesting and expansive but also relevant.

I also came from a hypercompetitive theoretical-physics department during my PhD where every seminar felt like a blood sport. Going to a seminar in climate science, I noticed that people were asking questions about things they were curious about as opposed to feeling the pressure to know everything. I liked the culture a lot better.

Read Marvel's full interview at https://physicstoday.aip.org/news/q-a-kate-marvel-on-the-physics-and-emotions-of-climate-change

In March 2026, Marvel left NASA to work for Project Drawdown, a non-profit organization leading science-based climate solutions. Find out more about Project Drawdown at https://www.facebook.com/projectdrawdown and about Kate at marvelclimate.com. 

Astronomers for Planet Earth: Michelle Willebrands

This feature is part of our ongoing series about the amazing women at Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E), a global network of astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts dedicated to offering their unique perspective to the fight for climate justice. For this post, we'll hear from Michelle Willebrands, a project officer for the European Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (E-ROAD).

If you're interested in learning more about A4E's work combating global climate change and want to get involved, join them here at: https://astronomersforplanet.earth/join-us-1. And be sure to check out A4E's white paper on what astronomers (like you!) can do to address the climate crisis: Astronomers for Planet Earth: Engaging with the Public to Forge a Sustainable Future.

Michelle Willebrands is a project manager with E-ROAD with a focus on forging partnerships between European and African scientists.

What is your current career and how did you end up there?
I am the coordinator of the International Astronomical Union’s European Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (IAU E-ROAD) based at Leiden, the Netherlands. I did a master’s degree in astronomy and decided to specialize in science communication. During this specialization, I got the chance to work at the headquarters of this office in Cape Town and learn about the field of astronomy for development. After my studies, applying for this position was a great opportunity to continue working in this niche within astronomy and I was lucky enough to get the position. Now, I look at how astronomy can contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and set up projects and collaborations to do so.

What is your role in Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E)?
I have been involved fairly early on when the European chapter was established. I try to help out with the operations and across the various projects, including for example the recent Open Letter initiative. In general, I also try to connect A4E with the global network of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) that I am part of. Climate change and sustainability are crucial topics when addressing the sustainable development goals (SDGs), so this connection between A4E and the OAD is a very natural one to me.

What goals do you have for your role in A4E?
At A4E, I hope that I can keep contributing with the expertise and network that I have. One thing that matters to me a lot is the social justice aspect of the climate crisis. Currently, A4E does not represent astronomers from all over the world, although we are trying to engage with astronomers everywhere. I hope that we can achieve creating a diverse network with voices from all backgrounds and perspectives in the near future.

Describe the first time you made a personal connection between your passion for astronomy and the urgency of fighting climate change.
Climate change was a topic that I think I always connected to astronomy in outreach, but the time that the urgency of the climate crisis really hit me may actually coincide with that of some of the other members from Europe. One of the first conferences I attended in my current position was the 2019 annual meeting of the European Astronomical Society in Lyon, France, during which there was a heatwave. To try and keep the attendants comfortable there were plastic bottles with water everywhere you looked but it was still unpleasant to be with so many people in an old building. The combination of the extreme heat, the plastic litter and the fact that so many people had travelled (by train or airplane) to take part in the conference felt a bit ridiculous and almost immoral. It was during this conference that the precursor of what is now the European A4E chapter was first raised and I joined briefly afterwards.

How does your career in astronomy intersect with the fight against climate change?
In my position of E-ROAD coordinator, I am lucky enough that I can look at astronomy in the broadest sense possible: as a research field, in education and public engagement, the benefits it brings to society, but also the challenges we face in sustainable development and the role that scientists can play to address them. This means that I consider the work I do with A4E and combating climate change as a part of my astronomy career. Specifically, this translates to an educational program that we are setting up for young children called Pale Blue Dot. In this project, we use the awe-inspiring images of Earth as seen from space to teach children across the globe about the interconnectedness of our home planet and the need to work together in solidarity to protect it. Astronomy can offer a very powerful perspective on the uniqueness of the Earth and its climate which can be used in education and science communication to engage people everywhere in the fight against climate change.

Willebrands explores a local waterway, trimming the sails and steering the rudder in a wooden sailboat.

How can the astronomical community engage with the climate crisis movement?
As scientists, astronomers understand the science behind climate change and the urgency to act now. The astronomical community, like any scientific community, can be a role model in handling the climate crisis by changing their own behaviors on one hand and by engaging with the public to talk about climate change on the other. Astronomy is a field of research that has a relatively high footprint, so the astronomical community needs to reflect on the way that research is being done and adapt its practices to be more environmentally sustainable. I believe that this is our responsibility as scientists, but it is also simply necessary to make the field future-proof. Secondly, astronomers can (and should!) use the cosmic perspective on Earth to communicate and educate about the climate crisis. The sense of wonder about our vast Universe and the place of our home within it can unite people and instill a strong incentive to act against the climate crisis.

If you weren’t in the field of astronomy, what would you be doing?
My interests are very wide, so life could have taken me in a lot of different directions! I would love to work with my hands more, making furniture or blowing glass for example, or to take the circus sport I do as a hobby to a professional level. But I suppose I will always have a weak spot for sciences and STEAM fields, and working as a biologist or geologist also sounds terribly interesting. I am happy doing what I do but the world has a lot of amazing things to offer.

Do you have any advice for future astronomers who might also be interested in addressing the climate crisis?
My advice would be to realize that we can all do something and play our part. Whether you simply talk about it with your friends, incorporate climate change into classes for your students, or raise the topic with the governance of your institute, it is all worthwhile. And most importantly, keep focusing on the positive changes we can make, it can be overwhelming to try and create change. And anyone who is looking for advice or support is of course welcome to join A4E and strengthen the movement!

Astronomers for Planet Earth: Gina Maffey

This feature is part of our ongoing series about the amazing women at Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E), a global network of astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts dedicated to offering their unique perspective to the fight for climate justice. For this post, we'll hear from Dr. Gina Maffey, an interdisciplinary science communicator and founder of the Wildeor Foundation.

If you're interested in learning more about A4E's work combating global climate change and want to get involved, join them here at: https://astronomersforplanet.earth/join-us-1. And be sure to check out A4E's white paper on what astronomers (like you!) can do to address the climate crisis: Astronomers for Planet Earth: Engaging with the Public to Forge a Sustainable Future.

Dr. Gina Maffey is an experienced science communicator and interdisciplinary scientist with a guiding passion for the natural world. 

What is your current career and how did you end up there?

I currently sit as the chair of the Wildeor Foundation—a charity with the aim of Bringing Nature Back to Life. It’s been a very windy road getting here, but the path has never veered too far from environmental topics. Academically, I started in the UK with a BSc in Zoology, Masters in Ecology and Environmental Sustainability and a PhD in Environmental Science. However, during this time I also built up a portfolio of experience in science communication, including a British Science Association Media Fellowship. I began to wonder whether moving to another discipline would offer an opportunity to really understand and improve my science communication skill set. After working in South America for two years in environmental communication I accepted a part-time post in the Netherlands at the Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC (JIVE)—a European Radio Astronomy Institute—where I was introduced to a whole new universe of concepts, ideas and terminology. Throughout my time at JIVE I maintained a strong connection with the natural world, also working with conservation and outdoor skills organizations - and even spending a year living outside in some of the wonderful natural areas that the Netherlands has to offer. I was inspired by many of the conversations that I had with the astronomy community and a small group of us came together to establish the Wildeor Foundation, where we are keen to explore cross-disciplinary approaches to nature connection in everyday life.

What is your role in Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E)?
I am one of the co-founders of the European arm of A4E. This began in 2019 at the European Astronomical Society conference in Lyon—what started as a conversation with one astronomer on climate change quickly snowballed into our first official meeting by the end of the week. As we were establishing ourselves we came across the newly formed Astronomers for Planet Earth in the US; at this point, we met online and joined forces to form an international group—after all, there is only one planet we are fighting for! I continue to be actively involved in many different aspects of A4E, and currently this is focused on much of the background framework to ensure the long term sustainability of the movement.

What goals do you have for your role in A4E?
I really want to work towards astronomers having a key voice in the environmental movement. I continue to be inspired by the dedication and depth that astronomers engage with the climate crisis, you (astronomers) speak the language of data and you can see that data as part of a much greater and complex picture. The climate crisis may be our global society’s most pressing problem, but it sits alongside a plethora of environmental issues that require as many voices as possible to collectively shout that something needs to be done, now.

Dr. Maffey observes the delicate beauty of an elephant hawk moth.

Describe the first time you made a personal connection between your passion for astronomy and the urgency of fighting climate change.
For me, this sits the other way round. My passion for environmental issues has never waned, and engaging with the astronomy sector has only stimulated me further. To pin an actual moment in time is difficult, but the greatest catalyst was undoubtedly meeting the wonderful group of people at the 2019 European Astronomical Society in Lyon. Many of these individuals have become friends through the A4E movement and that social interaction in turn serves as an incredible motivator.

How does your career in astronomy intersect with the fight against climate change?
It has steered my career in ways that I could never have anticipated. I have been lucky enough to present and write about astronomy and climate change, which forces me to review and reflect on my own thinking and I am continually challenged by the discussions that occur through A4E. Above all though, it is influencing how the Wildeor Foundation is growing. It is now less an intersection and more a parallel, conjoined path.

How can the astronomical community engage with the climate crisis movement?
By understanding how environmental change will affect the conduct of astronomy. It is somewhat misleading to think of environmental topics under a disciplinary label. The environment should form the foundation of each action and decision that we take— what will the long term impact be? What is the true economic cost? Who will be affected by the decisions that we make now? Asking these kinds of questions embeds astronomy in both (local and global) social and environmental frameworks. It also demonstrates that there is a lot of room for change, and that, at the very least, astronomers have the power to make those changes in their own field.

If you weren’t in the field of astronomy, what would you be doing?
Investment banking.

No, I jest. I still think of myself as an outsider in astronomy, just as I do in ecology, environmental science and science communication. For me, the labels mean little, but my interest for nature runs deep. I know that wherever I was, even in investment banking, I would be fighting on behalf of the natural world.

Do you have any advice for future astronomers who might also be interested in addressing the climate crisis?
Join Astronomers for Planet Earth.
Start asking questions and challenge the status quo.
Finally, don’t be intimidated, there is an overwhelming amount of data on climate change, there are climate scientists, climate communicators, climate policy officers… the list goes on. It is impossible to read and know everything, the unifying factor is that those in the field trust what the data is telling them and understand that change has to happen now. The best thing you can do is support them and amplify their message.

Astronomers for Planet Earth: Victoria Grinberg

This feature is part of our ongoing series about the amazing women at Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E), a global network of astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts dedicated to offering their unique perspective to the fight for climate justice. For this post, we'll hear from Victoria Grinberg, an astrophysicist and liaison scientist at the European Space Agency's Science Division.

If you're interested in learning more about A4E's work combating global climate change and want to get involved, join them here at: https://astronomersforplanet.earth/join-us-1. And be sure to check out A4E's white paper on what astronomers (like you!) can do to address the climate crisis: Astronomers for Planet Earth: Engaging with the Public to Forge a Sustainable Future.

Dr. Victoria Grinberg is an astrophysicist researching two of the most extreme environments in our universe: accretion disks around black holes and massive stellar winds.

What is your current career and how did you end up there?
I am a newly-minted liaison scientist with the European Space Agency (ESA). I did my PhD in Germany, held postdoctoral positions in the USA and in the Netherlands, and had a fixed term appointment leading a junior research group (roughly similar to an assistant professorship) in Germany.

What is your role in Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E)?
I am involved in several of our working groups and am part of our ops team. I was one of the founding members of the European group.

What goals do you have for your role in A4E?
To make a difference!

Describe the first time you made a personal connection between your passion for astronomy and the urgency of fighting climate change.
For me, fighting climate change and being conscious of humanity’s future is actually a longer passion than astronomy. I was rather engaged as a high school student, but had to scale down during my studies and then the demanding postdoctoral period with several international moves. A very hot summer at a conference in Lyon and meeting several like-minded astronomers allowed me to combine both. I really needed that community—a lot of changes that need to be done cannot be done on a personal level, but have to be institutional and/or carried by the whole community. And to make them happen we need a lot of engaged people.

When she's not analyzing X-ray emission data from black holes, Dr. Grinberg creates fun and engaging science doodles on a variety of topics from surviving a PhD to portraits of women astronomers like Dr. Anna Walker. 

How does your career in astronomy intersect with the fight against climate change?
It is less my actual career and more my personal efforts to capitalize on my status as a scientist whose work the general public trusts and whose voice they want to hear— they allow me to reach a wider audience. And to be a (very imperfect!) example of what we can do.

How can the astronomical community engage with the climate crisis movement?
Listen. Amplify the message. Change our own practice as an example of what can be done. Contribute to general science literacy through outreach activities.

If you weren’t in the field of astronomy, what would you be doing?
Definitely some kind of science, but I don’t know which one. So many interesting possibilities out there!

Do you have any advice for future astronomers who might also be interested in addressing the climate crisis?
Look for like-minded people and build a support bubble for your climate crisis activities. Joining A4E is a good way to do so, but certainly not the only one. Don’t hold yourself and others to impossible standards, but try your best.

Astronomers for Planet Earth: Abigail Frost

This feature is part of our ongoing series about the amazing women at Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E), a global network of astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts dedicated to offering their unique perspective to the fight for climate justice. For this post, we'll hear from Abigail Frost, a postdoc at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

If you're interested in learning more about A4E's work combating global climate change and want to get involved, join them here at: https://astronomersforplanet.earth/join-us-1. And be sure to check out A4E's white paper on what astronomers (like you!) can do to address the climate crisis: Astronomers for Planet Earth: Engaging with the Public to Forge a Sustainable Future.

Dr. Abigail Frost is a postdoc researching stellar formation with the European Research Council's MULTIPLES project.  

What is your current career and how did you end up there?
I am a postdoctoral research associate in astrophysics at KU Leuven (Belgium).

What is your role in Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E)?
I am involved in a number of working groups in A4E and have recently been involved with writing a CAP article about the organization for the journal.

What goals do you have for your role in A4E?
I would like to help A4E’s presence become more known and to help it create positive sustainable change in astronomy.

Describe the first time you made a personal connection between your passion for astronomy and the urgency of fighting climate change.
When I heard about A4E. I was having a bit of a crisis of conscience because fighting for the planet is extremely important to me, but I spend my 9-5 (or longer) doing something completely separate from that. I worked hard to prove myself in my career and didn’t want to give that up, but I felt guilty. I heard about A4E at a conference and it was great, as I could finally link my career with my environmental passions.

Dr. Frost explores the vibrant beauty of a luscious, tropical garden.

How does your career in astronomy intersect with the fight against climate change?
Because I have the opportunity to do a lot of outreach with schools, I feel that this is an important avenue to help spread the news of the climate crisis and emphasize that while we can dream of going to Mars and beyond, none of that will be possible on a large scale unless we look after the Earth.

How can the astronomical community engage with the climate crisis movement?
Astronomers have a fortunate view in the public eye. Astronomy is particularly successful in outreach, meaning that our voices can be heard by many people. It’s up to us when we engage that we also use this platform to talk about protecting our Earth too.

If you weren’t in the field of astronomy, what would you be doing?
Working in environmental/climate science.

Do you have any advice for future astronomers who might also be interested in addressing the climate crisis?
Join A4E and get involved. Additionally, find your own ways to share information related to the climate crisis and push for change in your own household, department and city.

Astronomers for Planet Earth: Gabriele Betancourt-Martinez

This feature is part of our ongoing series about the amazing women at Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E), a global network of astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts dedicated to offering their unique perspective to the fight for climate justice. For this post, we'll hear from Gabriele Betancourt-Martinez, a postdoc at the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie.

If you're interested in learning more about A4E's work combating global climate change and want to get involved, join them here at: https://astronomersforplanet.earth/join-us-1. And be sure to check out A4E's white paper on what astronomers (like you!) can do to address the climate crisis: Astronomers for Planet Earth: Engaging with the Public to Forge a Sustainable Future.

Dr. Gabriele Betancourt-Martinez is a postdoctoral researcher working on the Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU)  in Toulouse, France.  

What is your current career and how did you end up there?
I’m a postdoctoral researcher in astrophysics at the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie in Toulouse, France. On paper I look like I’ve had a really straight and narrow path to research, but in reality there have been a lot of wiggles and potential zig-zags. The simplest answer is that I’ve been drawn to space and astronomy since I was little, and decided when I was 13 or so that I’d pursue the subject as a career. In college, as an astronomy and physics major, I learned about the sub-field of astronomical instrumentation, which blended two of my drivers: the creativity required to design and build novel instruments, and the wonder of asking and answering scientific questions about the universe. I went to a PhD program where I could work at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center on X-ray detectors that are designed to fly on satellites and observe objects like black holes and clusters of galaxies. Along the way, through other activities within the group, I also entered the field of laboratory astrophysics, which in my case, meant I was working in laboratories to recreate processes and plasmas that occur in space. My goal was to understand the atomic physics behind the X-ray spectra we measured, and to try to input this into astrophysical models to make them more accurate. When I was finishing up my PhD, I had a dream to move to California or France; it was just my luck that collaborators in Toulouse needed someone with my expertise, so I came here for a postdoc.

What is your role in Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E)?
I’d been on the lookout for a while for some way of getting more directly involved in the fight against the climate crisis, even including considering a career change. So when I came across A4E last summer, I was excited to dig into specific activities. I eventually found a channel in the Slack workspace for a project that looked interesting and got involved there. This eventually turned into becoming the lead organizer for our open letter (https://astronomersforplanet.earth/open-letter). I’ve also now joined the “operations” group, which is a smaller subset of active members that discusses the more programmatic and organizational aspects of A4E, such as the future of our organization, how to enable accepting donations, etc.

What goals do you have for your role in A4E?
I’d love to see our open letter spark long-lasting conversations at research institutions and astronomical societies around the world about what we can do to minimize our carbon impact. And beyond just conversations, I hope it encourages places to act and incorporate policies prioritizing sustainability for their travel reimbursement schemes, infrastructure, and so on. I’d also love to see A4E expand into a full-fledged nonprofit organization, and help this happen however I can. A big personal goal is to learn more from other members! So many A4E members are goldmines of information, and there is so much collective knowledge shared through webinars, posted articles and blog posts, and conversations on the Slack space.

Describe the first time you made a personal connection between your passion for astronomy and the urgency of fighting climate change.
Astronomy and nature were two of my earliest loves, though environmental action was always a hobby or way of life for me, and I chose to pursue astronomy as a profession. But something shifted as I was finishing up my PhD. My work felt really esoteric and disconnected from the urgent needs of our planet and society, and I started to feel like I wanted to pivot my career to address the climate crisis. I did a lot of soul searching and talked to a lot of people in climate science, climate solutions, and science policy. In the end I decided to stay in astrophysics research for a bit longer, but committed to finding a way to use my time and skills on both.

How does your career in astronomy intersect with the fight against climate change?
There are a few ways I’ve brought the two topics together. One thing I really enjoy doing is outreach talks. When talking about exoplanets, or possible life on other worlds, it’s simple to loop in information about the Earth, its uniqueness, and its fragility. Often students will ask me what my favorite planet is, and always seem surprised when I tell them it’s Earth! Next, as part of the A4E open letter process, we are seeking institutional endorsements to the letter, and I was able to get the letter approved by the environmental committee at my institute (of which I am a part), and then finally by the lab council. But in the day to day activities of my work, it can be simple things like recycling materials rather than throwing them out, or being careful about how I book my travel.

How can the astronomical community engage with the climate crisis movement?
I think an important thing for astronomers to bring is our perspective and our tools. This is one of the key tenets of A4E, actually. We regularly think about a much larger picture, and we are acutely aware of how vast the universe is and how rare places like Earth are. We’re also in a great position to talk about the climate crisis to others: astronomers are trusted in society (I can dig up the reference for this later if needed), if we talk about the climate crisis, it won’t seem like we’re just trying to advance our own careers, and many astronomers also teach large university classes, providing a wide and diverse audience. Travis Rector, an A4E co-founder, has a great blog post about it these aspects here: https://aas.org/posts/news/2021/03/why-and-how-astronomers-should-teach-climate-change. Besides engaging with the public on climate, we can also look inward and work within our research groups and institutions on sustainability initiatives, like putting into place travel policies that restrict carbon emissions, or employing data storage or computing practices that use less energy. There are all sorts of ways for everyone to get involved, at many different scales. I think the main thing is to decide what aspects of the climate crisis are most interesting to you, and thinking about how you see yourself fitting into this puzzle. This can look like engaging through a sustainability committee at your institute, organizing an event, writing a blog post, supporting and uplifting others that you see doing work you admire, and so on.

If you weren’t in the field of astronomy, what would you be doing?
Um...owning and operating a vineyard for natural wine in the south of France? Or maybe that’s for later :) More seriously (cough cough), I’ve been drawn to science policy for awhile, and there are some very cool nonprofits out there that are doing great work in climate, either supporting research or influencing policy, and also diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM, which is another topic very close to my heart. My postdoc position is over soon, so we’ll see where things take me next!

Dr. Betancourt-Martinez enjoys a sunny day on the slopes building an adorable snowman.

Do you have any advice for future astronomers who might also be interested in addressing the climate crisis?
We need all hands on deck right now; find your niche in the movement and join us! Working as a group will be a lot more effective than as individuals, so find like-minded people to amplify your message and actions.

Astronomers for Planet Earth: Imani Mairae Ware

This feature is part of our ongoing series about the amazing women at Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E),  a global network of astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts dedicated to offering their unique perspective to the fight for climate justice. For this post, we'll hear from Imani Mairae Ware, an undergraduate student studying astrophysics at San Francisco State University (SFSU).

If you're interested in learning more about A4E's work combating global climate change and want to get involved, join them here at: https://astronomersforplanet.earth/join-us-1. And be sure to check out A4E's white paper on what astronomers (like you!) can do to address the climate crisis: Astronomers for Planet Earth: Engaging with the Public to Forge a Sustainable Future. 

Imani Mairae Ware is an undergraduate at SFSU and the co-founder of Astronomers for Planet Earth 

What is your current career and how did you end up there?
Right now, I am attending San Francisco State University to study astrophysics for my Bachelor’s degree. I decided to study astrophysics after taking a couple of physics classes in high school with my amazing and inspiring teacher, William Lemei. Our class watched a TEDx talk by astrophysicist Dr. Alex Fillipenko about his dark energy discoveries and after that, I knew I wanted to study astrophysics. Although I love studying the sky and the physics of the universe, I also love to build structures and design real-world systems, like an engineer. So to get the best of both worlds, I planned to study astrophysics to get a more fundamental understanding of aerospace engineering to take to an industry job. Little did I know that astrophysics was more than a fundamental understanding of aerospace, but an in-depth analysis of physical and theoretical micro and macro systems. I’m so happy I chose this route because I now know more about this world and the universe than I could have ever imagined back in high school.

What is your role in Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E)?
I am one of the original members and co-founders of Astronomers for Planet Earth (A4E). While President of the Women in Physics and Astronomy Club, I helped organize A4E’s official debut panel session at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s 131st conference hosted at San Francisco State University in 2019. From there the co-founders and I worked on recruiting other astronomers passionate about climate activism and setting the foundation for this blossoming organization. As the word spread, we joined forces with a Europe-based group of astronomers focused on climate change, and from there we have coordinated social media content, membership events, conference talks, and calls to action for observatories around the world. As an undergraduate student taking online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, I haven’t been as active as I wanted to, but have contributed in any way I can. My next step is to focus on administrative structures to help streamline the onboarding process of new members.

What goals do you have for your role in A4E?
Since a large portion of my time in A4E has been setting up a structure and foundation to make operations easier in the future, the activism side of our mission has been slow to start. One of my goals is to initiate events and meetings to focus on implementing action-based movements. Most companies and organizations that flaunt their eco-friendly initiatives are all talk, no action. I do not want A4E to become one of those organizations and intend to push for more front-line climate activism. I also want to involve more youth and underrepresented groups in the organization to diversify the voices we include in the climate conversation. Since I am still one of a handful of undergraduate students active in A4E, I want to facilitate outreach events to bring more youth activists into A4E and foster a safe space for open discussion. Astronomy is for everyone and everyone is affected by climate change. Anyone who values both astronomy and climate change, regardless of age and background, should have their voices heard in A4E.

Mid-hike at Zion National Park, Imani Mairae Ware takes a moment to appreciate the beauty of the sandstone cliffs.

Describe the first time you made a personal connection between your passion for astronomy and the urgency of fighting climate change.
I don’t really have a specific moment when I made the connection, but after learning that traveling to other planets outside of our solar system is still science fiction, I knew we need to take care of Planet Earth since it’s the only one we have. There really is no Planet B. Most of the other planets and moons in our solar system are currently uninhabitable and will take decades before any colony could be established on those with promising terrain. Of course, interstellar travel is a future possibility, but right now, that technology doesn’t exist. That is why we must take care of our planet and mitigate anthropogenic climate change so we can eventually build the interstellar technology of sci-fi fantasies. We only have a couple of decades to even get close to righting the wrongs we’ve inflicted on this planet. After realizing that the climate change problem is more urgent than interstellar space travel, I decided that the astronomical perspective on climate change could help bring humanity’s focus back from the fantasies of the stars to the realities of the earth.

How does your career in astronomy intersect with the fight against climate change?
Astronomy and fighting climate change are not often connected, but since they are both passions of mine, I made sure to bring these two worlds together. One connection I can think of is that effectively observing space from the ground requires good atmospheric conditions, but as climate change makes the atmosphere less predictable, astronomers must advocate for the planet like we advocate for space science.

How can the astronomical community engage with the climate crisis movement?
Since astronomers have a unique perspective on the climate crisis, we should first create and share educational tools to provide cosmological context to our global problem while presenting effective, concrete solutions. The most effective space astronomers have to share this information is in the classroom and academic community. But since the love for stars and space is not limited to members of academia, astronomers also have the ability to inspire and include everyone into the conversation through the wonderfully curious lens of astronomy.

If you weren’t in the field of astronomy, what would you be doing?
If I weren’t in astrophysics, I would probably be studying aerospace engineering at another university since SFSU doesn’t have aerospace engineering. I would still be volunteering as a climate activist, regardless of my career path, since climate change is everyone’s problem to solve.

In her free time, Imani enjoys snowboarding on the slopes in Pinecrest, CA

Do you have any advice for future astronomers who might also be interested in addressing the climate crisis?
Check out the resources and information pages on the A4E website, join A4E, explore our slack space to connect with other members, and continue to apply climate solutions as often as you can! You are not alone in this fight!