Guest essay by Eric Worrall
“We worry that overemphasis on science may hamper the design of effective climate solutions.”
Why science needs the humanities to solve climate change
August 1, 2019 10.33pm AEST
Steven D. Allison Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine
Tyrus Miller Dean, School of Humanities, University of California, Irvine…
Many people view climate change as a scientific issue – a matter of physical, biological and technical systems. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s most recent assessment report, for example, is a vast compendium of climate science, threats and potential solutions.
Yet modern climate change is also a human problem caused by the collective behaviors of people – mostly the wealthy – around the world. Japanese economist Yoichi Kayasummarizes this viewpoint in an elegant equation known as the Kaya Identity: Global greenhouse gas emissions are the product not just of energy use and technology, but also human population size and economic activity.
Of course, science is essential for understanding climate change, and technology is critical for solving the problem. But the IPCC report spends little more than 10 pages on climate ethics, social justice and human values. We worry that overemphasis on science may hamper the design of effective climate solutions.
In our view, solving the world’s climate problems will require tapping into brainpower beyond science. That’s why the two of us – an ecologist and a humanities dean – are teaming up to rethink climate solutions. Recently we developed a program to embed humanities graduate students in science teams, an idea that climate research centers are also exploring.
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So far, scientific facts have not motivated Americans to support the huge societal transformations needed to stop climate change. Some reject the scientific consensus on global warming because it makes them feel bad or clashes with their personal experience of the weather.
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By tapping into what moves people, the emerging field of environmental humanities can help spur climate action. Scholars of history, philosophy, religious studies, literature and media are exploring many aspects of humans’ relationship with the Earth. An entire literary genre of climate fiction, or “Cli-Fi,” depicts often-apocalyptic visions of climate impacts on humanity. Social scientists have worked out how civilizations like the ancient Maya and medieval Icelanders dealt with climate shocks.
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Read more: https://theconversation.com/why-science-needs-the-humanities-to-solve-climate-change-113832
Frankly I think they’re onto something. Imagine if IPCC conferences gave more attention to the humanities.
IPCC conferences could become a new global version of the Eurovision song contest, with continuous mainstream media coverage of performers. Artists from all around the world could compete to express their climate angst through song, dance and showers of green confetti.
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Okay, I have to take responsibilty for this. A few weeks ago I asked the rhetorical question, could I get a grant for “Climate Change – The Ballet”. I meant it as a joke, but it seems that thoughts are powerful things, and ideas take on a life of their own. I released a ridiculous concept into the ether, and somebody received it and thought it a good idea.
I’m so, so sorry.
Give it a try, tell us how you go – you’d could say something like “In Soviet times ballet was recognised and elevated because of its ability to cross political divides, as an expression of pure art which brought people together without triggering reflexive tribal political triggers. Now once again we face a situation where political polarisation is impeding vital climate action. Its time once again to explore the beauty of ballet, to overcome right wing resistance to renewables and vital economic reforms”.
There is nothing more to this than that the humanities want to tap into all of the funding that’s being squandered anyway.
Has there been any scientific research on the effect of rain dances on rainfall? A whole new field of grant funded scientific research is opening up.
Dancing with the climate is not a new idea…
My first question is, “what scientific facts show that Global Warming is real and an issue that needs to be addressed.” The second question is “How will Dance change the answer to the first question?”. Will dance propose and test a Null Hypothesis and show that the alternative hypothesis is real or not? I somehow doubt that.
And one can also ask how an activity that produces no useful goods or services should be engaged in when we want to eliminate all wasteful activity. Dance surely falls into this category. I often use the example of decorative flames and fire places that burn NG with no purpose but to show off a flame or light at a restaurant or mall. If CAGW was real, this type of activity would be the low hanging fruit to eliminate. But no one even thinks about it let alone mentions it.
Dance is not the sort of movement with which I associate CACA.
What about
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTrMgCe9O3U
Just a number away
How do they know dancing doesn’t cause climate change? I certainly didn’t realize it was powerful enough to stop CC.
Do some dances cause warming and others cause cooling? More study is needed!
If you turn clockwise it causes warming as it negates the coriolis effect in the northern hemisphere dampening the Low Pressure Zones which bring cooling. If you turn Counterclockwise it enhances the low pressure cells to enhance cooling
I put it to you that whiffs in baseball are helping to induce the “butterfly effect” and thus contribute to hurricane formation and intensity. By extending your logic, it is self-evident that MLB should ban all the lefties, and switch-hitters required to bat only right-handed in the northern hemisphere.
Nah they run the bases counterclockwise thereby enhancing low pressure cells and magnifying the Cooling effects.
And as for the wiffs and the butterfly effect, it has yet to be proven that wiffs can in fact create conditions necessary for the formation of Hurricanes but there is a strong correlation between the amount of wiffle ball played and it’s affect on projected hurricane paths
Well…as long as you ask. All dancers get sweaty. It certainly doesn’t cool you off.
…if you turn on the fan in a room…
High School thermodynamics
But its how you feel about it that counts…NOT!
So I can’t wait for “Climate Change – the Musical”… songs like
Imagine there’s no carbon… you can do it if you try..
Racket Mann
All you need is ice
Gimme, gimme, gimme (your money it’s midnight)
The Consensus takes it all
Bored already
Bored in the USA!
There is the big chorus number ‘Climate Emergency’ which would end Act 1. This would involve the whole cast including the bad guy which would be a banker or head of a big oil company. There is great potential.
I wonder if Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick are available
Don’t be Stupid, be a Smarty CO2 is just the starty
The original was better:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Producers_(1967_film)
Mel Brooks is a comic genius. Yes, he still lives, aged 93. His beloved wife Anne Bancroft (“Beauty and the Beast”) died in 2005.
Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder and the rest of the cast were great, too.
Mostel was one of the few funny Communists.
Lucille Ball joined the Party only to satisfy her grandfather’s deathbed wish.
This makes perfect sense to me. Climate Change is an emotional argument first and foremost. The humanities is the perfect home for it. Move it out of climatology proper and create a BACC degree under the Psychology department so they can get the help and emotional support they desperately need. Then real climatologist can get back to serious work.
I am sure they are right. Let me think……..
“what moves people”
I know! What moves people is commercial aviation! They want to enlist all the airlines of the world to “spur climate action”.
Book your vacation today. Sign up for frequent flyer miles, fly far, fly often. Do your bit to Spur Climate Action.
The Climate “Elite” are doing their part by flying to Italy for the Google Climate Summer Camp.
http://joannenova.com.au/2019/08/114-private-jets-flying-into-google-global-summer-camp-party-thing/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQv1ul1sT7U
Summer heights high (Mr G funny dance )
“Why science needs the humanities to solve climate change?” Because humanitities think with their emotions. If you can make a compelling enough emotional image, you might be able to impact a few. The science is not valid or convincing so they need to scare them. The dancing is just an attempt to put to music how these people feel and has no bases in science.
“Humanities” want on the CO2 gravy train. Hypocrisy and lies cross all boundaries! Will dance for climate alms.
There is money in it for all and you must get in your claim in case there is a Green New Deal Bonanza payoff.
Is this from The Onion?
Seems to be a splinter group of the “soft degree sciences” who don’t realize that they can confer on themselves the title of “climate scientist” as long as they have a buddy who will claim he did a peer review whatever they might have written that contains both ecological and temperature references…say maybe a play with “Hot child in the City” as one of the musical numbers.
By the look on the dancers’ faces I don’t think they would do “Singing In The Rain”.
Or:
“I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm”
“Climate Nervous Breakdown”
That does it! I am starting an effort to control Climate Change through drinking BEER. Think about it, all those cold beers absorbing that awful heat – it’s bound to work!
And I can watch the loonies dance while I am at it.
Here is a new Broadway play idea.
Revenge of the Arts and Soft Sciences……. double billed with Cats
which one is the “B” sider?
“Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Earth System Science” – All at the same time ? Wow !
Even better “In our view, solving the world’s climate problems will require tapping into brainpower beyond science.”
Now we’re getting somewhere, stripper poles and dancers at the future climate junkets.
Actually, I myself have wholly on my own and without any dancing figured out how the Mayas and the medieval Icelanders dealt with with climate change. They didn’t. And were wiped out.
“…Social scientists have worked out how civilizations like the ancient Maya and medieval Icelanders dealt with climate shocks….”
Not entirely sure I know what the author is talking about in the statement above regarding the medieval Icelanders and the Maya civilization, but did these social scientists work out how well the Maya Civilization dealt with the climate shock of drought? There is some science out there that says drought may have played a significant role in the Mayan collapse…
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/drought-maya-civilization-03082018/
“…Evans and colleagues analyzed the different isotopes of water trapped in gypsum — a mineral that can form on the bottom of lakes during periods of severe drought. They found that annual precipitation levels decreased between 41% and 54% during the period of the Maya civilization’s collapse, with periods of peak drought corresponding to a 70% reduction in rainfall….”.
Is that what the social scientists worked out?
“Global greenhouse gas emissions are the product not just of energy use and technology, but also human population size and economic activity.”
Gotta give them credit, that is one of the best examples of double speak I have read in a long time.
Perhaps they just don’t know that economic activity is what uses energy and technology.
Hands up all those who would pay to watch interpretive dance.
A former Miss USA in my Human Biology program organized a dance to demonstrate the Central Dogma, ie DNA-RNA-protein synthesis. I’ve always regretted not joining her effort and portraying at least a phosphate group, if not a ribose sugar, nucleobase or amino acid.
But what would have been my motivation?
BTW, the full structure of the ribosome, the body within cells in which amino acids are stitched together into proteins under RNA instructions, was only fully elucidated in this century. An Indian-British-American, an American and a female Israeli-American (the latter two crystalographers) were awarded the 2009 Chemistry Nobel for this achievement.
The theateah, the theateah, what’s HAPPENED to the theateah?
What we’re dealing with here is a special type of stupid. And we all know what can’t be fixed…other than the climate that is.
“So far, scientific facts have not motivated Americans to support the huge societal transformations needed to stop climate change. Some reject the scientific consensus on global warming because it makes them feel bad or clashes with their personal experience of the weather.”
The climate change crisis is presented as if it were a scam and defended by a parade of logical fallacies! I have never heard a warmest accurately describe the nature or motivations of a climate crisis skeptics. Instead, they construct ignorant straw men arguments like the one above. Educated climate crisis skeptics are skeptical because they are scientifically literate. They know exactly why the AGW theory is scientifically weak. They also are well aware of the lack of scientific integrity practised by those pushing a climate crisis.
Skeptics who do not have a science based education may not be aware of all of the scientific reasons to doubt a CO2 driven climate crisis, but they are well aware of human nature, and they can tell when they are being scammed. Perhaps the biggest reason why the warmest’s are not trusted is that the warmest’s keep acting like they are not trustworthy! No one is a climate crisis skeptic because they ‘feel bad’ or because ‘it clashes with their personal experience with the weather’. That’s nonsense! The fact that skeptics are always mischaracterized and personally attacked by warmests, is just one more indication that the whole issue is a scam.