We are two passionate researchers with experience in environmental science, finance, statistical analysis, software development and science communication. We use these skills to provide insight into various aspects of climate obstruction and climate justice, always firmly based on the facts.
Linda Knoester, MSc.:
• has a deep understanding of the climate and ecological crisis and its relationship to human systems through her studies in environmental science and sustainable development.
• has worked with a wide variety of people in different cultural settings: from financial sector clients, academics, technical modellers and designers to military representatives, refugee camp residents, activists, volunteers and outdoor enthusiasts.
• is committed to refugees and climate justice in her spare time: for example, she spent more than six months in Greece supporting refugees and coordinated a local climate action group with Aaron.
• is passionate about combining environmental science with technical models and tools to make a concrete positive impact; for example, she worked on integrating climate risk into existing financial tools and developed a new methodology to assess the impact of land use on ecosystem services.
Dr.-Ing. Aaron Pereira:
• has a background in mechanical engineering, did a PhD in industrial robotics and also has experience in software development, artificial intelligence and aerospace robotics.
• has more than 9 years of experience planning and conducting research and statistical analysis in academia and extensive experience in science communication: his research has been published in several scientific journals and he has spoken about space technology at numerous experiment livestreams, outreach events and in articles and podcasts.
• is committed to refugees and climate justice in his spare time; for example, he started a programme offering free tutoring to young migrants and co-created the podcast Rebel Radio NL, which discussed climate science, activism, (neo)colonialism and the biodiversity crisis, among other topics.
• is passionate about using data to highlight different aspects of the climate crisis and counter greenwashing, and is particularly interested in the intersection of climate change and migration.
Research partners
Lynn Vanheule
We work together with independent researcher Lynn Vanheule in some of our projects, like the Climate Obstruction NL conference and researching policy of universities around external collaborations.
See her LinkedIn
Veerle van Onzenoort
Veerle is a student International Relations and Organisations at Leiden University and supports our Mapping Fossil Ties project by entering new fossil ties into our database and other research tasks.
See her LinkedIn
Our work
Action-oriented research around greenwashing and other forms of climate obstruction.
Our concrete activities include research, data analysis & visualisation, development of web apps & websites, and science communication. Additionally, we lead workshops, facilitate discussions, and coordinate projects, coalitions and decentralised (‘transdisciplinary’) research.
Climate Obstruction
Climate obstruction is an umbrella term for various obstacles which stand in the way of effective and just climate mitigation. According to Ekberg et al. (2022), these range from ‘literal denial of anthropogenic climate change to the opposition, delay or dismissal of effective climate policies, at corporate, governmental, societal and individual levels (…).’ We are part of the Climate Obstruction NL research network. Linda coordinates the network together with Martijn Duineveld (Associate Professor at Wageningen University) and Alexander Beunder (Platform for Authentic Journalism).
Climate Justice
The wealthiest companies, countries, and people in the world bear by far the greatest responsibility for the climate and ecological crisis. The richest 10% of people globally contribute to half of greenhouse gas emissions, while the poorest and most vulnerable people are the hardest hit by the impacts of climate change (Oxfam/SEI, 2023). The transition to a post-fossil society must happen in a fair way: not everyone is equally responsible or equally affected – both by the consequences of climate change and by the changes in our society. Moreover, the solution to one problem (energy transition) can exacerbate another problem (e.g., energy poverty or exploitation related to resource extraction for batteries). To prevent this, it is important to consider the interests of all people, including the most vulnerable.
Background Story
Linda comes from a background in environmental sciences and worked on integrating climate risks and sustainability into financial tools. Aaron holds a PhD in robotics and was most recently working in space robotics research at the German Aerospace Centre and European Space Agency.
Since 2019, we have worked together on a variety of projects around climate action and migrant justice – through this, we discovered that we share the same vision and form a very strong team. In 2022, we decided to leave our jobs to fully dedicate ourselves to work that aligns with our values. Since then, as Solid Sustainability Research, we have been using our analytical, technical, social, and creative skills to expose greenwashing and other forms of climate obstruction.