Over the past few decades, John Church has made indispensable contributions to the global understanding of climate change.

He specialized in sea level rise and described why waters are rising and how this will affect countries and marine ecosystems.

His work is one of the longest standing studies of atmospheric change, with measurements taken regularly since 1976 that serve as an essential benchmark.

But he will soon be fired, along with 274 other scientists, by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization (Csiro).

The dismissals are part of the organization’s restructuring. Apparently, studying why climate change is happening and what its effects are is no longer important. Resources will be shifted to finding solutions for living in an altered climate.

In other words, the organization is surrendering to climate change and, instead of seeking to slow and reverse its effects, it will focus on adapting to the consequences.  

To the global science community, this shift is disgrace.

More than 3,000 scientists from 60 countries are petitioning Church’s removal and the elimination of his area of study.

Without a robustly detailed understanding of sea level rise, countries will have a much harder time coping with the consequences in the years to come.

It’s truly baffling that one of the most esteemed climate scientists in the world is being cut right after the world agreed to get serious about climate change. On Earth Day, countries signed the historic COP21 climate plan  and agreed to sweeping environmental initiatives.

Why would Australia get rid of such an influential figure at a time like this?

Church still has time to appeal his firing and the ruling could potentially be reversed.

If Australia wants to save face--and help the world combat climate change--then they’ll reinstate Church and his fellow climate scientists.

You can call on the Australian government to make the right decision by making the case on social media to #HireChurch.