Lecture

Climate Change: Urgency and Collective Action

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In course

HUM-428: Science, technology and environment I

The aim of the course is to acquire the concepts and methods of Science and Technology Studies in order to learn how to decode the interweaving of science and technology in society by applying these elements to the general issues of innovation. ...

Description

This lecture discusses the urgent need for action on climate change, as highlighted by scientists endorsing mass civil disobedience. It explores the historical temperature data, future warming scenarios, and the increasing frequency of deadly temperatures. The lecture emphasizes the importance of individual and collective actions in influencing broader systems, including personal behaviors, social networks, organizational efforts, and cultural norms. It also addresses the impact of obedience to authority and conformism on environmental actions. References to influential studies on pro-environmental behavior and collective efficacy are provided, along with opportunities for further discussion and engagement.

Instructor

Dominique Vinck

Official source

Related concepts (15)

Climate change denial

Climate change denial or global warming denial is dismissal or unwarranted doubt that contradicts the scientific consensus on climate change. Those promoting denial commonly use rhetorical tactics to give the appearance of a scientific controversy where there is none. Climate change denial includes doubts to the extent of how much climate change is caused by humans, its effects on nature and human society, and the potential of adaptation to global warming by human actions.

Climate change

In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to Earth's climate. The current rise in global average temperature is more rapid than previous changes, and is primarily caused by humans burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuel use, deforestation, and some agricultural and industrial practices increase greenhouse gases, notably carbon dioxide and methane.

Politics of climate change

The politics of climate change results from different perspectives on how to respond to climate change. Global warming is driven largely by the emissions of greenhouse gases due to human economic activity, especially the burning of fossil fuels, certain industries like cement and steel production, and land use for agriculture and forestry. Since the Industrial Revolution, fossil fuels have provided the main source of energy for economic and technological development.

Environmental movement

The environmental movement (sometimes referred to as the ecology movement), is a social movement that aims to protect the natural world from harmful environmental practices in order to create sustainable living. Environmentalists advocate the just and sustainable management of resources and stewardship of the environment through changes in public policy and individual behavior. In its recognition of humanity as a participant in (not an enemy of) ecosystems, the movement is centered on ecology, health, and human rights.

Scientific consensus on climate change

There is a strong scientific consensus that the Earth is warming and that this warming is mainly caused by human activities. This consensus is supported by various studies of scientists' opinions and by position statements of scientific organizations, many of which explicitly agree with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) synthesis reports. Nearly all actively publishing climate scientists say humans are causing climate change. Surveys of the scientific literature are another way to measure scientific consensus.

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