In Climate Obstruction: How Denial, Delay and Inaction are Heating the Planet, Kristoffer Ekberg, Bernhard Forchtner, Martin Hultman and Kirsti Jylhä bring together crucial insights from environmental history, sociology, media and communication studies and psychology to help us understand why we are failing to take necessary measures to avert the unfolding climate crisis.
They do so by examining the variety of ways in which meaningful climate action has been obstructed. This ranges from denial of the scientific evidence for human-induced climate change and its policy consequences, to (seemingly sincere) acknowledgement of scientific evidence while nevertheless delaying meaningful climate action. The authors also consider all those actions by which often well-meaning individuals and collectives (unintendedly) hamper climate action. In doing so, this book maps out arguments and strategies that have been used to counter environmental protection and regulation since the 1960s by, first and foremost, corporations supported by conservative actors, but also far-right ones as well as ordinary citizens.
This timely and accessible book provides tools and lessons to understand, identify and call out such arguments and strategies, and points to actions and systemic and cultural changes needed to avert or at least mitigate the climate crisis.
Author(s): Kristoffer Ekberg, Bernhard Forchtner, Martin Hultman, Kirsti M. Jylhä
Publisher: Routledge/Earthscan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 153
City: London
Cover
Endorsement Page
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome to a heating planet?
Understanding climate obstruction
What we do – and what we do not do in this book
Notes
Chapter 2: The foundations of climate obstruction
Introduction
Fossil capital and the geopolitical weight of oil
Scientific knowledge and the idea of “beneficial climate change”
A new conflict emerges
The gospel of adaptation and proactive strategies from the fossil fuel industry
Neoliberal countermovement and economics
Shifting responsibility, the politics of global warming
Economy against decarbonisation
The PR campaign begins
Summary
Notes
Chapter 3: Organised climate obstruction
Introduction
Assembling the climate denial machine
The funding and creation of primary obstruction
Conservative Think Tanks
Front groups and coalitions
Astro-turf organisations and the mobilisation of public opinion
What effects by the propaganda?
Conspiracy theories and attacks on science
A countermovement turned into a governing body
Summary
Notes
Chapter 4: The far right and climate obstruction
Introduction
“A convenient scam”: why some in the far right deny the scientific evidence for anthropogenic climate change
“It’s the economy, stupid” (and all this alarmism and hysteria)
The far right and climate change: voting behaviour and government activity
Summary
Notes
Chapter 5: The public and climate obstruction
Introduction
Attitude-behaviour gap and structural obstacles
Epistemic and interpretative disagreement on climate change
Identities and ideological resistance to climate change mitigation
Summary
Notes
Chapter 6: Conclusion
Introduction
Commonalities in the landscape of obstruction
Overcoming obstruction
Acting here and now
Changing cultures, engaging in society
The need for speed
Notes
Index
