Getting a PhD amidst the climate crisis might feel pointless. Here’s why it’s not
By: Felix Simon
Tags: Journalism, Climate Change, Activism, Academia, PhD

© Kitty Terwolbeck — CC BY 2.0

The Amazon, parts of Africa and the Arctic were recently burning. Indonesia is planning to relocate its capital because Jakarta is slowly going under. No matter where you look, the signs of the climate crisis are for everyone to see. At the same time, thousands of students around the UK are starting their PhDs this autumn and so do I.

For many of us, it’s an equally exhilarating and intimidating prospect. Exhilarating because it gives us the chance to work on topics and in fields we care about deeply and to which we hope to make, eventually, at least a tiny contribution. Intimidating, because most of us know that grad school will be hard and that the way ahead will be rocky, winding, and steep.

But beyond all the hopes and fears there’s something else looming in the background for some of us, a feeling hard to shake off these days, which was recently well encapsulated by Hilary Agro, a PhD student in Anthropology at the University of British Columbia: “Honestly, what is the point of doing a PhD in this era of crisis?” she wrote on Twitter. “Every second I spend reading about affect theory feels like a waste of time that could be spent taking to the streets.” Many in the comments agreed.

It’s a question that is not only bothering PhD students these days. What indeed is the point in getting a PhD if the end times for the planet are so rapidly approaching? Wouldn’t it make more sense to become a full-time activist and start to fight? It’s a tempting prospect, yet for me the answer to that is “No”. Getting a PhD isn’t pointless and it’s possible to fight climate change at the same time. But before you shred me to pieces, hear me out.

There’s no point in fighting global heating if we neglect everything else.

First, that everyone simply drops everything can’t be the option, as much as we would like it. The world doesn’t simply stop turning and other problems — diseases, inequality, hunger — that need addressing won’t go away. We will need academics and well-educated experts if we want to tackle these. There’s no point in fighting global heating if we neglect everything else. Quite the opposite. The origins of the climate crisis are complex and deeply interwoven with our modern, capitalist societies and all it’s concomitant problems. Merely protesting won’t help without experts pointing us towards what we should protest against and advising us on which changes we need to enforce.

Let us also think of the counterfactual. Would “not getting a degree” stop the climate crisis? It pains me to say it but I think that’s unlikely. Will getting it make the climate crisis worse? I think that is equally unlikely, as long as one is willing to take steps beyond all the usual ones (significantly reducing one’s carbon footprint, voting for green parties, donating, protesting). And herein lies, or so I posit, one answer to the question of what the point is in going for that advanced degree after all. It doesn’t have to be a binary choice of all or nothing.

For one, doing a PhD does not preclude one from becoming more active in fighting the climate crisis — perhaps, this period even offers more chances to do so than a regular 9-to-5 job. Many universities have activism groups these days and if not, it’s a good excuse to get one off the ground. And there remains a lot to be done at universities itself. Asking them do divest from fossil fuels, for instance, or lobbying them to go carbon neutral. Academic travel to conferences (often by plane) is not exactly good for the planet either, so why not try to push for more consciousness around this? Of course, it’s true that such activism won’t be possible for everyone. Not all students are funded or have the time and (mental) resources to spare. Some might have kids, partners, or relatives who depend on them. And while the cost of speaking out might be small to non-existent in most Western countries, doing so can be dangerous in other places. But if you are lucky enough to be in a position and place to do something, you can and should act.

Second, no matter the outcome, we will need scientists and experts in the future. And there’s always the chance that one’s PhD work will in some way help to make society a better place. Admittedly, it might be difficult to imagine how some fields and very niche topics will make a dent or any difference when it comes to the climate crisis. I am not sure if mine will — after all, I’ll be studying the rise of AI in journalism — not exactly a topic that lends itself to stopping the destruction of our planet.

Then again, my motivation is to help improving journalism through my work and if there’s one stakeholder in society that can make a difference when it comes to climate change it’s the media. For too long, they have negated their responsibility in this fight as Alan Rusbridger has argued in his recent book “Breaking News”. And who knows, maybe AI systems can help journalists in fact-checking climate change deniers on social media? Or perhaps they will aid personalisation efforts to inform people correctly about what is happening and how they can act, without unleashing a torrent of often depressing content on them that can easily lead to frustration, despair and passivity. I am yet to find out. But perhaps my and the work of countless other students will not be in vain, even if we don’t yet see how it might help.

Knowledge is our best weapon

Knowledge is still one of the best weapons we’ve got in this fight. Without science, we wouldn’t even know the full scale of the problem we are facing. Part of the reason why the climate crisis has become such a prominent topic as of late is that the labour and outreach activities of countless scientists and activists have finally begun to bear fruits. And even if we can’t all be studying the climate, the climate crisis is not limited to one field but intersects with many — from the study of the war on drugs to political communication. If anything, we need more interdisciplinary efforts, connecting researchers from different fields.

Despite many signs that the clout of experts is to some extent waining, scientists of all disciplines still carry trust and authority. Getting a PhD can make a difference in addressing the climate crisis — if one takes the right steps. Academics are in a unique and privileged position to raise awareness and compel people to act. In fact, we have a duty to do so.