https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00368504231201372
Interesting paper. It correctly identifies the source of our problems: behavioral patterns, culture and power structures glorifying consumption and pronatalism. Authors recognize that targeting only symptoms of #overshoot (like #ClimateChange) with incremental technological interventions is a losing strategy.
@fluffykittycat @jackofalltrades ! Thank you for pointing this out, @fluffykittenspambot.
1/2 đ aside comment first: i think you joined a conversation yesterday, @jackofalltrades, about whether people should be held accountable for their âlikesâ and âboostsâ, and whether those really reflect your opinions: my biggest downfall here is boosting and liking without reading things properly, whilst rushing round doing something else. In this instance:
@fluffykittycat @jackofalltrades
2/4 I did quickly click on paper, thought, âhmm, behavioural science, not my thing, but who knows, maybe interestingâ - but failed to see âpronatalismâ even though it was in your toot! That is indeed a bit of bad take/red flag. Do still need to read, but in general, i find political economy the most important for explaining climate delay; for example W Daviesâ LRB review of B Christopherâs âThe Price is Wrongâ. So important.
#FollowTheMoney 𧔠26/n An outstanding review by Will Davies (my Goldsmiths colleague) of Brett Christopherâs âThe Price is Wrongâ: about our neoliberal political economy (using a Braudelian distinction btw âthe marketâ and âcapitalismâ - SO useful) and how this explain why investments in fossil fuels continue to vastly outstrip those in renewables. Key point: Capitalism IS rent-seeking. #ClimateEmergency https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v46/n07/william-davies/antimarket
@fluffykittycat @jackofalltrades
3/4 I am, by the way, a (sadly not very active) member of CSSN (climate social science network), all reearchers look at causes of #ClimateDelay or #climatedelayism - a lot of interesting stuff here. Again, mostly about political economy, power structures and climate politics
@fluffykittycat @jackofalltrades
4/4 Having said this, I am also very interested in psychology work on climate delayism/denial, in particular on #disavowal suxh as Sally Weintrob - see great overview in this paper, written by Aaron (i did the part on the neoliberal university). And continue to be open to other takes (though not âpronotalismâ. But must read).
[Apologies this has turned into a 4-part reply! My heart sometimes sinks when i see this yet i do it myself!]
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1237076
Despite thousands of higher education institutions (HEIs) having issued Climate Emergency declarations, most academics continue to operate according to âbusiness-as-usualâ. However, such passivity increases the risk of climate impacts so severe as to threaten the persistence of organized society, and thus HEIs themselves. This paper explores why a maladaptive cognitive-practice gap persists and asks what steps could be taken by members of HEIs to activate the academy. Drawing on insights from climate psychology and sociology, we argue that a process of âsocially organized denialâ currently exists within universities, leading academics to experience a state of âdouble realityâ that inhibits feelings of accountability and agency, and this is self-reenforcing through the production of âpluralistic ignorance.â We further argue that these processes serve to uphold the cultural hegemony of âbusiness-as-usualâ and that this is worsened by the increasing neo-liberalization of modern universities. Escaping these dynamics will require deliberate efforts to break taboos, through frank conversations about what responding to a climate emergency means for universitiesâ â and individual academicsâ â core values and goals.
@pvonhellermannn @fluffykittycat
Thank you for a thoughtful reply, Pauline.
The authors of the paper place pronatalism in the context of the political economy and power structures:
"Pronatalism is a set of social and institutional pressures placed on people to have children, often driven by forces such as patriarchy, religion, nationalism, militarism and capitalism."
That's why I thought this to be an interesting perspective on the topic.
It is not the sole focus of the paper though.
1/3
@pvonhellermannn @fluffykittycat
As I understand it, it is not at all clear if we can feed 8 billion people without fossil fuels. Statistics like these:
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/world-population-with-and-without-fertilizer
or calculations like these:
https://www.resilience.org/stories/2003-10-02/eating-fossil-fuels/
suggest the answer is no.
If that is correct then reducing population by having less children sounds like the most humane solution. Certainly more humane than famine or war.
2/3
Estimates of the global population reliant on synthetic nitrogenous fertilizers, produced via the Haber-Bosch process for food production. Best estimates project that just over half of the global population could be sustained without reactive nitrogen fertilizer derived from the Haber-Bosch process.
@pvonhellermannn @fluffykittycat
We live in a world of no easy answers. On one hand we have papers like these that take an honest look at both consumption and population levels. On the other, there are ideologues like Musk that say there are not enough people in the world, that technology can solve all problems and that humanity is destined to colonize space.
3/3
Jack of all trades
Fluffy Kitty Cat
Pauline von Hellermann