On April 4th, Global Witness published the results of a survey of 468 climate scientists, and found 183 (39%) said they have experienced online harassment or abuse. For scientists who have published over ten academic papers, that number goes up to 49%. And out of the harassed scientists, 51% reported feeling anxiety, 48% reported a loss in productivity, and 21% reported experiencing depression. Jobs in academia are already thankless, so this additional barrier for climate scientists to do their work is extremely concerning. Ethan shares the findings of this survey, why it would be in the best interest of climate-skeptical cyberbullies to engage more respectfully, and some reflections on his experience interviewing and getting to know over 100 climate professors through The Sweaty Penguin in this week’s “Tip of the Iceberg.”

The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise.

Support the show and unlock exclusive merch, bonus content, and more for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin.

CREDITS
Writer: Ethan Brown, Velina Georgi, Mo Polyak, Madeleine Salman
Fact Checker: Owen Reith
Editor: Megan Antone
Producers: Ethan Brown, Hallie Cordingley, Shannon Damiano
Ad Voiceover: Megan Antone
Music: Brett Sawka

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the host and guests. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Peril and Promise or The WNET Group.