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Astronomers for Planet Earth is a volunteer network of astronomers, astronomy students, and astronomy educators committed to bringing our voices to the struggle against climate change and for climate justice. The organization grew out of two groups that formed independently in 2019, one in North America and one in Europe.

The nearly 2000 members of Astronomers for Planet Earth (as of January 2024) hail from 76 countries: the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, China, New Zealand, Canada, Hungary, Chile, Germany, Netherlands, France, Denmark, Italy, Brazil, Serbia, Mexico, India, Australia, Ireland, Spain, Czechia, South Africa, Finland, Sweden, Uruguay, Bulgaria, Belgium, Austria, Colombia, Argentina, Nigeria, Portugal, Kenya, Pakistan, Philippines, Azerbaijan, Iran, Dominican Republic, Turkey, Japan, Namibia, Poland, Haiti, Rwanda, Tunisia, Ghana, Mozambique, Greece, Ukraine, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Croatia, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Cameroon, Paraguay, Sudan, Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Syria, Nepal, Malaysia, Uganda, Trinidad, Estonia, Mauritius, Senegal, Hong Kong, South Korea, Israel, Russia, Romania, Tanzania, and Cyprus.

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Founders

North America

Adrienne Cool

Adrienne Cool

San Francisco State University

Inspired by the young people in her life, Adrienne founded Astronomers for Planet Earth together with students at SFSU and Debra Fischer at Yale. Like astronomers everywhere, she spends a good deal of time contemplating things that are impossibly far away. She believes that this experience gives astronomers a distinct perspective on our home planet that can and should be harnessed in the struggle to combat climate change.
full info Inspired by the young people in her life, Adrienne founded Astronomers for Planet Earth together with students at SFSU and Debra Fischer at Yale. Like astronomers everywhere, she spends a good deal of time contemplating things that are impossibly far away. She believes that this experience gives astronomers a distinct perspective on our home planet that can and should be harnessed in the struggle to combat climate change.
Jessica Merritt Agnos

Jessica Merritt Agnos

San Francisco State University

Jessica Agnos is a master’s student at San Francisco State University, studying astrophysics with a research interest in galactic archaeology. Her undergraduate degree is in communications, with a concentration in video production, and she spends much of her time using these skills to communicate the need for urgent action in the face of the climate crisis. She is a founding and active member of Astronomers for Planet Earth and a member of the AAS Sustainability committee. She also helped establish a tutoring program with other members of the Physics and Astronomy department at SFSU to offer math support to local elementary school students. Her three children are her inspiration and fuel her passion to fight for a sustainable world.
full info Jessica Agnos is a master’s student at San Francisco State University, studying astrophysics with a research interest in galactic archaeology. Her undergraduate degree is in communications, with a concentration in video production, and she spends much of her time using these skills to communicate the need for urgent action in the face of the climate crisis. She is a founding and active member of Astronomers for Planet Earth and a member of the AAS Sustainability committee. She also helped establish a tutoring program with other members of the Physics and Astronomy department at SFSU to offer math support to local elementary school students. Her three children are her inspiration and fuel her passion to fight for a sustainable world.
Imani Mare

Imani Ware

San Francisco State University

Imani is an astrophysics undergraduate at San Francisco State University (SFSU), a strong supporter of women in physics and astronomy, and a climate change youth advocate. The need for more youth participation in climate activism and astronomy outreach inspired her to co-found A4E. She helped organize the debut A4E panel session at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s 131st conference hosted at SFSU. Within A4E, she also helps coordinate events, contributes to administrative operations, and acts as the undergraduate student liaison for A4E.
full info Imani is an astrophysics undergraduate at San Francisco State University (SFSU), a strong supporter of women in physics and astronomy, and a climate change youth advocate. The need for more youth participation in climate activism and astronomy outreach inspired her to co-found A4E. She helped organize the debut A4E panel session at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's 131st conference hosted at SFSU. Within A4E, she also helps coordinate events, contributes to administrative operations, and acts as the undergraduate student liaison for A4E.
Debra Fischer

Debra Fischer

Yale University

Debra is a Professor of Astronomy who has been detecting exoplanets since 1997. She leads the 100 Earths project using the EXPRES spectrograph, built by her team and now operating at the Lowell Discovery Telescope. Planets similar to Earth are hard to find and impractical destinations for humanity. The Earth is our only home. However, the quality of life on Earth is threatened by our use of fossil fuels. Debra wants to do everything possible to mitigate climate change for her children and for all living creatures on Earth. She believes that astronomers can work together to effect equitable solutions.
full info Debra is a Professor of Astronomy who has been detecting exoplanets since 1997. She leads the 100 Earths project using the EXPRES spectrograph, built by her team and now operating at the Lowell Discovery Telescope. Planets similar to Earth are hard to find and impractical destinations for humanity. The Earth is our only home. However, the quality of life on Earth is threatened by our use of fossil fuels. Debra wants to do everything possible to mitigate climate change for her children and for all living creatures on Earth. She believes that astronomers can work together to effect equitable solutions.
Chris McCarthy

Chris McCarthy

San Francisco State University

Chris is an exoplanet researcher, adjunct professor at SFSU, instructor for Astronomy & Physics courses, and a board member of the Mission Science Workshop. He contributes lecture presentations, links, news stories, and scientific research articles to A4E.
full info Chris is an exoplanet researcher, adjunct professor at SFSU, instructor for Astronomy & Physics courses, and a board member of the Mission Science Workshop. He contributes lecture presentations, links, news stories, and scientific research articles to A4E.
Wendy Crumine

Wendy Crumrine

University of Southern California

Wendy is an astrophysics PhD student studying theoretical cosmology at USC, with a bachelors in psychology from Harvard and a masters in astrophysics from SFSU. She has 15+ years experience teaching middle, high school and college science, and is passionate about opening young minds to an astronomical perspective—which helps young people comprehend the uniqueness, wonder and fragility of their planet Earth. Wendy’s passion is to nurture in them the desire to protect the ecological balances of their ‘only home’, as she volunteers with A4E’s video development, education and website working groups.
full info Wendy is an astrophysics PhD student studying theoretical cosmology at USC, with a bachelors in psychology from Harvard and a masters in astrophysics from SFSU. She has 15+ years experience teaching middle, high school and college science, and is passionate about opening young minds to an astronomical perspective—which helps young people comprehend the uniqueness, wonder and fragility of their planet Earth. Wendy’s passion is to nurture in them the desire to protect the ecological balances of their ‘only home', as she volunteers with A4E’s video development, education and website working groups.
Travis Rector

Travis Rector

University of Alaska Anchorage

Travis is a Professor of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where his primary area of research is in star formation. As an Alaskan he is experiencing firsthand the effects of climate change, as the Arctic is warming at twice the rate as the rest of the world. He is working to educate students and the public on how climate change affects them, and what we can do about it.
full info Travis is a Professor of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where his primary area of research is in star formation. As an Alaskan he is experiencing firsthand the effects of climate change, as the Arctic is warming at twice the rate as the rest of the world. He is working to educate students and the public on how climate change affects them, and what we can do about it.
Charli Sakari

Charli Sakari

San Francisco State University

Charli is an Assistant Professor at SFSU. Her research focuses on the creation of the elements and their distribution throughout the Galaxy. Understanding how elements form and the physics of stellar atmospheres is a crucial perspective for our situation on Earth.
full info Charli is an Assistant Professor at SFSU. Her research focuses on the creation of the elements and their distribution throughout the Galaxy. Understanding how elements form and the physics of stellar atmospheres is a crucial perspective for our situation on Earth.
Sarah DeVeny

Sarah Deveny

San Francisco State University, Texas Tech University

Sarah is a lecturer at SFSU and a PhD student at Texas Tech University. Her love of nature both here on Earth and in space has led her to be involved with A4E. With the hope to protect the only planet we have, she is always learning how to better communicate about climate change to her students and others. She works closely with the A4E members working group.
full info Sarah is a lecturer at SFSU and a PhD student at Texas Tech University. Her love of nature both here on Earth and in space has led her to be involved with A4E. With the hope to protect the only planet we have, she is always learning how to better communicate about climate change to her students and others. She works closely with the A4E members working group.
Jacob White

Jacob White

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Jacob is a Jansky Fellow at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. He specializes in star/planet formation, circumstellar disks, and the radio emission of main-sequence stars. Jacob is also passionate about science communication and regularly facilitates astronomy outreach events. While working as a postdoc in Hungary, he helped co-found Astronomers For Future which later merged with Astronomers for Planet Earth. Jacob strongly believes that astronomers can (and should) be doing more to help inform the public about the impacts of the climate crisis as well as reconciling their own actions with a carbon-constrained future.
full info Jacob is a Jansky Fellow at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. He specializes in star/planet formation, circumstellar disks, and the radio emission of main-sequence stars. Jacob is also passionate about science communication and regularly facilitates astronomy outreach events. While working as a postdoc in Hungary, he helped co-found Astronomers For Future which later merged with Astronomers for Planet Earth. Jacob strongly believes that astronomers can (and should) be doing more to help inform the public about the impacts of the climate crisis as well as reconciling their own actions with a carbon-constrained future.

Europe

Leo Burtscher

Leo Burtscher

Leiden University, The Netherlands

Leo is a staff scientist at Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands and works for ELT/METIS as calibration scientist. His scientific interests are in the field of high-resolution studies of active galaxies as well as infrared instrumentation for astronomy. Leo is convinced that everyone must do whatever is in their power to fight the climate crisis. As an astronomer he wants to share the view that Earth is the only home that we have and that we therefore need to take good care of her. Leo is one of the founders of the international group Astronomers for Planet Earth.
full info Leo is a staff scientist at Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands and works for ELT/METIS as calibration scientist. His scientific interests are in the field of high-resolution studies of active galaxies as well as infrared instrumentation for astronomy. Leo is convinced that everyone must do whatever is in their power to fight the climate crisis. As an astronomer he wants to share the view that Earth is the only home that we have and that we therefore need to take good care of her. Leo is one of the founders of the international group Astronomers for Planet Earth.
Tobi Beuchert

Tobi Beuchert

European Southern Observatory, Garching, Germany

Tobi carries a PhD in astrophysics and now works professionally in science communication, developing and producing videos (and podcasts), writing articles, or engaging in events. At the European Southern Observatory, he explains cutting-edge research to a broad audience including school classes in a museum setting and on stage in a planetarium. Tobi is devoted to global sustainability. His uses his experience as scientist, science communicator, and community builder to: communicate about environmental challenges with an astronomical perspective; provide maps in a tremendously complex world that help depict opportunities and solutions; build sustainable bridges between science & society and between science disciplines; listen to the public and work to (re)gain trust in science; empower global citizens.
full info Tobi carries a PhD in astrophysics and now works professionally in science communication, developing and producing videos (and podcasts), writing articles, or engaging in events. At the European Southern Observatory, he explains cutting-edge research to a broad audience including school classes in a museum setting and on stage in a planetarium. Tobi is devoted to global sustainability. His uses his experience as scientist, science communicator, and community builder to: communicate about environmental challenges with an astronomical perspective; provide maps in a tremendously complex world that help depict opportunities and solutions; build sustainable bridges between science & society and between science disciplines; listen to the public and work to (re)gain trust in science; empower global citizens.
Abhijeet Borkar

Abhijeet Borkar

Czech Academy of Sciences
Czech Republic

Abhijeet is a researcher at the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, Czechia. His work focuses on the study of supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies. He also works as a Support Scientist for the ALMA Observatory. Abhijeet has been active about environment and climate from his young age, as an avid hiker and a student in India, where he was keenly aware of the impact of human actions on the environment. He believes that we need collective action and systematic changes to mitigate the ongoing climate crisis, and as astronomers, it is our responsibility to promote action.
full info Abhijeet is a researcher at the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, Czechia. His work focuses on the study of supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies. He also works as a Support Scientist for the ALMA Observatory. Abhijeet has been active about environment and climate from his young age, as an avid hiker and a student in India, where he was keenly aware of the impact of human actions on the environment. He believes that we need collective action and systematic changes to mitigate the ongoing climate crisis, and as astronomers, it is our responsibility to promote action.
Victoria Grinberg

Victoria Grinberg

European Space Agency

Victoria is a professional astrophysicist and passionate science communicator. Her scientific interests are two of the most extreme environments in our universe: the vicinity of accreting black holes and neutron stars and the winds of the massive supergiant stars. The extremes of the universe and the depth of space have taught her profound humility towards our small, vulnerable, and unique planet.
full info Victoria is a professional astrophysicist and passionate science communicator. Her scientific interests are two of the most extreme environments in our universe: the vicinity of accreting black holes and neutron stars and the winds of the massive supergiant stars. The extremes of the universe and the depth of space have taught her profound humility towards our small, vulnerable, and unique planet.
Gina Maffey

Gina Maffey

Green Roots, Wildeor Foundation, The Netherlands

Gina is interested in the stories that we tell about the world around us. She holds a PhD in environmental science and has worked on conservation topics across the globe with different grass roots organisations. A position in science communication brought her together with an inspiring group of astronomers determined to make a difference, and the European arm of A4E was conceived. A universal perspective on the planet has inspired Gina to look at the world without borders and strengthened her resolve to forge a brighter future – the stories are currently being written.
full info Gina is interested in the stories that we tell about the world around us. She holds a PhD in environmental science and has worked on conservation topics across the globe with different grass roots organisations. A position in science communication brought her together with an inspiring group of astronomers determined to make a difference, and the European arm of A4E was conceived. A universal perspective on the planet has inspired Gina to look at the world without borders and strengthened her resolve to forge a brighter future - the stories are currently being written.
Iris Nijman

Iris Nijman

European Space Agency, Wildeor Foundation

Iris is a science communicator from the Netherlands, currently based in Leiden where she writes about the European Space Agency’s space science missions. She has also been a public information officer for NRAO, NOIRLab and ASTRON, as well as a freelance science journalist. Iris loves to work with astronomers on improving their communication skills, and believes that climate change communication is a crucial aspect of that. She is also a co-founder and board member of the Wildeor Foundation, which aims to bring nature back to life.
full info Iris is a science communicator from the Netherlands, currently based in Leiden where she writes about the European Space Agency’s space science missions. She has also been a public information officer for NRAO, NOIRLab and ASTRON, as well as a freelance science journalist. Iris loves to work with astronomers on improving their communication skills, and believes that climate change communication is a crucial aspect of that. She is also a co-founder and board member of the Wildeor Foundation, which aims to bring nature back to life.
Michelle Willebrands

Michelle Willebrands

Leiden University, The Netherlands

Michelle is a science communicator with a background in astronomy. As the coordinator of the IAU European Regional Office of Astronomy for Development, her work focuses on how astronomy can benefit society and contribute to sustainable development and the UN SDGs. She believes that astronomy offers a unique perspective on Earth that illustrates the need to work together to preserve our home planet and combat climate change.
full info Michelle is a science communicator with a background in astronomy. As the coordinator of the IAU European Regional Office of Astronomy for Development, her work focuses on how astronomy can benefit society and contribute to sustainable development and the UN SDGs. She believes that astronomy offers a unique perspective on Earth that illustrates the need to work together to preserve our home planet and combat climate change.
Violette Impellizzeri

Violette Impellizzeri

Leiden University, The Netherlands

Violette is the program manager of the Allegro ARC Node at Leiden Observatory. She previously worked at NRAO & ALMA Observatory as a science fellow and staff astronomer. Her scientific interests include studying supermassive black holes at high angular resolution. Over the last decade, she has grown passionate about climate concerns and now speaks about the uniqueness and fragility of our beautiful planet in all her public talks. During a particularly hot EAS meeting in Lyon in 2019, she co-founded the #AstronomersForFuture group, which later joined Astronomers for Planet Earth. The enthusiasm and positive energy of many amazing like-minded people in this group have given her hope that change is possible.v
full info Violette is the program manager of the Allegro ARC Node at Leiden Observatory. She previously worked at NRAO & ALMA Observatory as a science fellow and staff astronomer. Her scientific interests include studying supermassive black holes at high angular resolution. Over the last decade, she has grown passionate about climate concerns and now speaks about the uniqueness and fragility of our beautiful planet in all her public talks. During a particularly hot EAS meeting in Lyon in 2019, she co-founded the #AstronomersForFuture group, which later joined Astronomers for Planet Earth. The enthusiasm and positive energy of many amazing like-minded people in this group have given her hope that change is possible.v

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Overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrates that human activity — particularly the use of fossil fuels — is warming our planet’s surface and oceans, causing Earth’s climate to change in ways that threaten the future of human civilization world-wide.

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