Dr Samuel Finnerty
@samuelfinnerty.bsky.social
Wellcome Trust Funded Senior Research Associate @LancasterUni. Research Culture, Personal & Collective Identity, Moral Values, Prosocial Action, Climate Activism https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/psychology/about-us/people/samuel-finnerty#publications
Scientists are becoming more visible in public climate debates, but the effects of this engagement are far from straightforward. We often hear strong claims about credibility and trust, yet what does the evidence say? Our new preprint explores this osf.io/preprints/ps...
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November 19, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Scientists are becoming more visible in public climate debates, but the effects of this engagement are far from straightforward. We often hear strong claims about credibility and trust, yet what does the evidence say? Our new preprint explores this osf.io/preprints/ps...
Thread 1/n
Thread 1/n
Critique also emerged
“I’m playing the technophile argument […] that we’ll develop technologies to save the situation without having to change […] Unless we drastically reduce fossil-fuel consumption, it’s not gonna matter […] The Keeling curve is a perfect straight line.”
Scientist (carbon-capture)
“I’m playing the technophile argument […] that we’ll develop technologies to save the situation without having to change […] Unless we drastically reduce fossil-fuel consumption, it’s not gonna matter […] The Keeling curve is a perfect straight line.”
Scientist (carbon-capture)
November 17, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Critique also emerged
“I’m playing the technophile argument […] that we’ll develop technologies to save the situation without having to change […] Unless we drastically reduce fossil-fuel consumption, it’s not gonna matter […] The Keeling curve is a perfect straight line.”
Scientist (carbon-capture)
“I’m playing the technophile argument […] that we’ll develop technologies to save the situation without having to change […] Unless we drastically reduce fossil-fuel consumption, it’s not gonna matter […] The Keeling curve is a perfect straight line.”
Scientist (carbon-capture)
As one scientist put it:
“Technology […] is more tangible because it’s in the hands of scientists. […] It will raise profits and then that will push companies to invest. […] I have more hope on companies' greed than their altruism.”
“Technology […] is more tangible because it’s in the hands of scientists. […] It will raise profits and then that will push companies to invest. […] I have more hope on companies' greed than their altruism.”
November 17, 2025 at 11:59 AM
As one scientist put it:
“Technology […] is more tangible because it’s in the hands of scientists. […] It will raise profits and then that will push companies to invest. […] I have more hope on companies' greed than their altruism.”
“Technology […] is more tangible because it’s in the hands of scientists. […] It will raise profits and then that will push companies to invest. […] I have more hope on companies' greed than their altruism.”
We also heard from Stephen Reicher, whose keynote marked 50 years of social identity theory. He reminded us that while differences between individuals and groups are inevitable (and important for sense-making), discrimination is not. The content of an identity shapes outcomes—not general processes.
September 19, 2025 at 5:00 PM
We also heard from Stephen Reicher, whose keynote marked 50 years of social identity theory. He reminded us that while differences between individuals and groups are inevitable (and important for sense-making), discrimination is not. The content of an identity shapes outcomes—not general processes.
In between the talks I did manage to take in some of the sights. First time in Oxford and I must say it was gorgeous. Sadly as a big J.R.R. Tolkien fan I was disappointed that the Eagle and Child was not open, but will just have to go back for a pint there when it reopens.
September 19, 2025 at 4:46 PM
In between the talks I did manage to take in some of the sights. First time in Oxford and I must say it was gorgeous. Sadly as a big J.R.R. Tolkien fan I was disappointed that the Eagle and Child was not open, but will just have to go back for a pint there when it reopens.
As always, the best part of a conference was the people. Loved hanging out with the @crowdsidentities.bsky.social s.bsky.social group and hearing about the important work they’re doing—especially their research on the UK anti-immigrant riots: www.qeios.com/read/17ASAP
September 19, 2025 at 4:41 PM
As always, the best part of a conference was the people. Loved hanging out with the @crowdsidentities.bsky.social s.bsky.social group and hearing about the important work they’re doing—especially their research on the UK anti-immigrant riots: www.qeios.com/read/17ASAP
Presenting these papers at Oxford University was a career highlight.
They build on a broader ethnographic project I conducted on scientist-activists, tracing the “critical moments” when scientists transition into activism and how they manage/perform their scientist identity osf.io/preprints/ps...
They build on a broader ethnographic project I conducted on scientist-activists, tracing the “critical moments” when scientists transition into activism and how they manage/perform their scientist identity osf.io/preprints/ps...
September 19, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Presenting these papers at Oxford University was a career highlight.
They build on a broader ethnographic project I conducted on scientist-activists, tracing the “critical moments” when scientists transition into activism and how they manage/perform their scientist identity osf.io/preprints/ps...
They build on a broader ethnographic project I conducted on scientist-activists, tracing the “critical moments” when scientists transition into activism and how they manage/perform their scientist identity osf.io/preprints/ps...
Last week I was at the BPS Social Psych Conference @bps-social-psych.bsky.social in Oxford @ox.ac.uk The theme was Beyond Tribalism—bringing different traditions together organised by @shelleymckeown.bsky.social @swedishprotests.bsky.social @nascherme.bsky.social
Some reflections in a thread 👇
Some reflections in a thread 👇
September 19, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Last week I was at the BPS Social Psych Conference @bps-social-psych.bsky.social in Oxford @ox.ac.uk The theme was Beyond Tribalism—bringing different traditions together organised by @shelleymckeown.bsky.social @swedishprotests.bsky.social @nascherme.bsky.social
Some reflections in a thread 👇
Some reflections in a thread 👇
Now hearing from @maiensachis.bsky.social on children's climate emotions (which are sophisticated - they know what's going on) and how the parent interaction is key to whether these emotions are given space, whether they are reinforced etc. Some were angry, others anxious, while others were calm
June 16, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Now hearing from @maiensachis.bsky.social on children's climate emotions (which are sophisticated - they know what's going on) and how the parent interaction is key to whether these emotions are given space, whether they are reinforced etc. Some were angry, others anxious, while others were calm
And a call for justice for Palestine
June 16, 2025 at 7:19 AM
And a call for justice for Palestine
Now hearing from Dallas O'Dell on public support for Regrowth
Link to comment here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
And empirical work here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Link to comment here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
And empirical work here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
June 16, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Now hearing from Dallas O'Dell on public support for Regrowth
Link to comment here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
And empirical work here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Link to comment here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
And empirical work here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Hearing from @anasabherwal.bsky.social on trust spillover - how trust, or lack of it, has consequences for trust in other institutions e.g., scientists, CDC, etc. Really interesting research from the US collected over many years looking at the effect of the change in presidency from Trump to Biden
June 16, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Hearing from @anasabherwal.bsky.social on trust spillover - how trust, or lack of it, has consequences for trust in other institutions e.g., scientists, CDC, etc. Really interesting research from the US collected over many years looking at the effect of the change in presidency from Trump to Biden
At Brockholes nature reserve for our Wellcome Trust project day. Beautiful space replete with various bird species, but as you can see here, this should all be covered in water. 90 year low for water levels in Lancashire. Deeply concerning that records break year after year
May 13, 2025 at 12:55 PM
At Brockholes nature reserve for our Wellcome Trust project day. Beautiful space replete with various bird species, but as you can see here, this should all be covered in water. 90 year low for water levels in Lancashire. Deeply concerning that records break year after year
Climate damages litigation is a popular avenue (in US at least)
April 30, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Climate damages litigation is a popular avenue (in US at least)
Now hearing from Ben Franta of @oxfordsmithschool.bsky.social about climate litigation, taking on fossil fuel companies for damages, adaptation costs, and corporate malfeasance. Big increase in cases across the world. A concrete way of holding companies to account for their deception #Climate
April 30, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Now hearing from Ben Franta of @oxfordsmithschool.bsky.social about climate litigation, taking on fossil fuel companies for damages, adaptation costs, and corporate malfeasance. Big increase in cases across the world. A concrete way of holding companies to account for their deception #Climate
Hearing from Liesbeth van Tongeren, prominent Dutch politician and environmental advocate, former director of Greenpeace, on what we can do politically. It is not a lack of ideas, it is a lack of joint implementation.
#PluralisticIgnorance #ClimateAction
#PluralisticIgnorance #ClimateAction
April 30, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Hearing from Liesbeth van Tongeren, prominent Dutch politician and environmental advocate, former director of Greenpeace, on what we can do politically. It is not a lack of ideas, it is a lack of joint implementation.
#PluralisticIgnorance #ClimateAction
#PluralisticIgnorance #ClimateAction
Hearing from the wonderful Prof. Joyeeta Gupta on Climate Justice, Safe, and Just Planetary Boundaries. Particularly like global constitution project - anyone can suggest values, key principles, institutional structures, they would like to see in a global constitution globalconstitution.org/essays/
April 29, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Hearing from the wonderful Prof. Joyeeta Gupta on Climate Justice, Safe, and Just Planetary Boundaries. Particularly like global constitution project - anyone can suggest values, key principles, institutional structures, they would like to see in a global constitution globalconstitution.org/essays/
There is hope, provided we keep going and pushing until the change comes. It might not seem like that we are making progress, but history teaches us that others felt similarly before moments of great change. Keep up the fight
April 28, 2025 at 6:43 PM
There is hope, provided we keep going and pushing until the change comes. It might not seem like that we are making progress, but history teaches us that others felt similarly before moments of great change. Keep up the fight
Tim talking about various tipping points here. We're in unprecedented times
April 28, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Tim talking about various tipping points here. We're in unprecedented times
In Amsterdam for the Complexity School on Climate Change. Looking forward to hearing from Tim Lenton on Positive Tipping Points tonight
April 28, 2025 at 6:07 PM
In Amsterdam for the Complexity School on Climate Change. Looking forward to hearing from Tim Lenton on Positive Tipping Points tonight
Today we (Lancaster University Social Processes Group) @lancasteruni.bsky.social hosted Dr. Steve Westlake @steveclimate.bsky.social (Bath University) where he spoke about his Cardiff based research into the power of leadership for changing climate related behaviours.
#ClimateChange #Psychology
#ClimateChange #Psychology
March 12, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Today we (Lancaster University Social Processes Group) @lancasteruni.bsky.social hosted Dr. Steve Westlake @steveclimate.bsky.social (Bath University) where he spoke about his Cardiff based research into the power of leadership for changing climate related behaviours.
#ClimateChange #Psychology
#ClimateChange #Psychology
I don't know why I expected this government to be better than the last on climate, more fool me.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
January 31, 2025 at 8:04 AM
I don't know why I expected this government to be better than the last on climate, more fool me.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...