A Researcher's Withdrawal: Scientific Doubts and Institutional Pressure in the Early 2000s Climate Change Debate

This paper examines the experience of a researcher involved in climate change studies around the year 2000, highlighting the dilemma between scientific doubts and institutional or societal pressures. The researcher questioned the scientific basis of the carbon dioxide-driven global warming theory but faced difficulties publicly challenging it. As a result, the researcher temporarily withdrew from the field. This case illustrates the realities that scientists face under institutional and societal influences and emphasizes the need to reconsider the freedom of science and the structure of research institutions.