The Shadow of the War on Climate Science – Akshat Rathi

Ukrainian scientist Svitlana Krakovska had never met Russian researcher Oleg Anisimov before the virtual meeting organized by the United Nations last weekend. He was just another government representative standing there approving the summary of a terrifying new 3,500-page report that illustrates how unprepared the world is to deal with climate change.

Krakovska is now worried about the safety of her Russian counterpart. At the end of the closed-door meeting, Anisimov took the unexpected step of addressing the Ukrainian delegation to apologize for the Russian military invasion. “Anyone who knows what is going on cannot find any justification for this attack on Ukraine,” said an insider to the discussions and published reports of the meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The comments leaked to the media on February 27. In the face of some opposition to the war within Russia, it also emerged that the head of climate change research at the Russian State Hydrological Institute and someone representing the country in an official capacity would have expressed unease about the invasion. Anisimov, for his part, did not answer the questions.

Work under the bombs
“I’m worried about my Russian colleague,” said Krakovska, 53, a scientist who works for the Ukrainian Hydrometrological Institute and spoke to Bloomberg from her home in Kiev, where she was when the Russian military attacks began. . At the outbreak of the war, she wrote to the head of the IPCC that her delegation would continue to “work if we have an internet connection and no missiles over our heads”. But her group had to give up, she explained, after some colleagues were forced to seek escape from the Russian bombs.

His current situation is difficult: the building he lives in does not have a basement, Krakovska said, so he keeps himself safe by going to the bathroom in the center of the apartment whenever he hears explosions. When air raid sirens sound, she covers the windows with her clothes.

Krakovska studied in Russia and has relatives there. She is also angry about the war because she realizes that Russia is choosing to use her oil and gas money to arm itself and buy missiles rather than helping her own people. “I have traveled through Russia and many people live in poverty,” she said.

Anisimov’s apology for the Russian invasion came after Krakovska made his remarks at the IPCC meeting, followed by delegates from 195 countries, establishing a direct link between the war in his country and climate change.

“Someone could tell us that the IPCC is not a political body and that it should only evaluate the science related to climate change. I assure you that human-induced climate change and the war against Ukraine have direct links and the same roots. It’s about fossil fuels and humanity’s dependence on them, ”Krakovska told her colleagues, speaking in English. “Greenhouse gas emissions have changed the energy balance of the planet, while the ease of receiving energy from coal, oil and gas has changed the balance of power in the world. We cannot change the laws of the physical world, but it is our responsibility to change the laws of human civilization for a resilient climate future ”.

Years of work obscured
In his remarks, Krakovska recalled that the war that ravages his country will overshadow the years of scientific work of hundreds of researchers presented in the IPCC report published on February 28. She also suggested that “Ukraine could become the subject of study by groups vulnerable to climate change” on the basis of her current experience of “war and an increasing number of refugees”.

Krakovska in 2021 received an award from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskii for leading expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic. “I traveled the world and saw this beautiful planet,” she said in the interview. “And I want to keep it for my children”. Krakovska was among the authors of the previous IPCC report published in August. This time she attended the meeting as part of the Ukrainian government delegation, not as an author.

After hearing words of solidarity from delegations from Canada, the United States and many European countries, she realized she had to say something herself. The IPCC meetings are held under the auspices of the United Nations during which female scientists are careful to avoid political discussions.

“I didn’t want to undermine the credibility of the IPCC,” Krakovska said. “But then I realized that this war was not just a war against Ukraine. It is a war against humanity ”. That is why you spoke at the end of the IPCC meeting on the impact of the Russian invasion. Krakovska received many job offers from abroad. She says she appreciates them, but she has no intention of leaving. “Why should I? This is my home, ”she said. “I don’t want to be a refugee”.