Table Of ContentCUlTURE, POllTICS AND
CllMATE CHANGE
Focusing onculturalvaluesandnorms astheyaretranslatedintopoliticsandpolicy
outcomes, this book presents a unique contribution in combining research from
varieddisciplines andfromboththedeveloped anddeveloping world.
This collection draws from multiple perspectives to present an overview
of the knowledge related to our current understanding of c1imate change
politics and culture. lt is divided into four sections - Culture and Climate
Change Communication, Media as Actors and Contributors to Climate Politics
andPolicy,Climate PoliticsandPolicy,andEmergingResearchinClimate Politics
andPolicy- eachfollowedbyacommentaryfromakeyexpertinthefield.Thebook
includes analysis ofthe challenges and opportunities for establishing successful
communicationonclimatechange among scientists,themedia,policy-makers, and
activists.
With an emphasis on the interrelation between social, cultural, and political
aspects of climate change communication, this volume should be of interest to
studentsandscholarsofclimatechange,environment studies,environmentalpolicy,
communication, culturalstudies,media studies,politics, andsociology.
DeseraiA.Crow isanAssistantProfessorintheEnvironmentalStudiesProgram,
CenterforScienceandTechnologyPolicyResearchandCenterforEnvironmental
Journalismatthe University ofColorado, USA.
Maxwell T. Boykoff is Fellow in the Cooperative Institute for Research in
Environmental Seiences (CIRES) and anAssistant Professor atthe University of
Colorado, USA.
Thispage intentionallyleftbank
CUlTURE, POllTICS AND
CllMATE CHANGE
How information shapes our
common future
Edited by Deserai A. Crow
and Maxwell T. Boykott
Firstpublished2014
byRoutledge
2ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,Oxon,OXI44RN
andbyRoutledge
711ThirdAvenue,NewYork,NY10017
Routledge isanimprint oftheTaylor& FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness
©2014 selectionandeditorialmaterial, DeseraiA.Crowand Maxwell1.
Boykoff;individualchapters,thecontributors
TherightofDeserai A.Crowand Maxwell1. Boykofftobeidentifiedas
authorsoftheeditorialmaterial,andoftheindividualauthorsasauthorsof
theircontributions, hasbeen assertedbythem inaccordancewith sections
77and78oftheCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct 1988.
Allrights reserved.Nopartofthis bookmay bereprintedorreproducedor
utilisedinanyform orbyanyelectronic,mechanical,orothermeans,now
knownorhereafterinvented,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orin
any informationstorageorretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwriting
fromthepublishers.
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublication Data
Acataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefrom theBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Culture,politicsandclimatechange:how informationshapesourcommon
future /editedbyDeseraiA.CrowandMaxwell1.Boykoff.
pages cm
Includesbibliographicalreferencesand index.
I.Climaticchanges- Public opinion.2.Climaticchanges- Political
aspects. 3.Mass mediaandtheenvironment.4.Environmental
responsibility. I.Crow, Deserai A., 1975-
QC903.C87 2014
304.2·5-dc23 2013036830
ISBN13:978-0-415-66148-5(hbk)
ISBN13: 978-0-415-66149-2(pbk)
ISBN13:978-0-203-07340-7(ebk)
TypesetinTimesNewRoman
byHWATextand Data Management,London
ForJason,Anderson,andJosephine.
D.C.
InmemoryofCarl M. Moore.
M.B.
'This important new book explores the cultural politics of climate change. With
dispatches from the front lines of diverse fields and geographies, the authors
provide someofthefirstmaps ofthisfastevolving landscape underlying some of
themost important decisions humanity will make inthe21stcentury.'
AnthonyLeiserowitz, YaleUniversity, USA
'Climatechange isthe most important environmental challenge wefaceyet there
has been littlepolitical action to address the problem. Thisvolume examines the
reasons forinaction, byconsideringdifferent culturalandethicalperspectivesand
howthemedia plays arole intranslatingandpresentingscientificinformation. It
provides the most comprehensive assessment available, byleading experts inthe
field.'
RaymondBradley, University ofMassachusetts, Amherst, USA
'Ifyou can'tkeep upwith the firehose of daily informationand communication
about climate change, much lessmake sense ofwhatitallmeans andwhat ittells
usaboutnotjustourclimate, butalsoaboutourculture,themedia, andthepolitics
that choreograph our dance around the burning question ofwhatto do about the
problem, then Irecommendyoufindacomfortable chair,stepbackfromtheheat,
and read this book. Here are some great people trying to sort out the complex
terrain of media and culture that lies between our everyday lives and the "grand
stage" of climate change politics and policy-making. lt isnot all pretty, but it is
helpful, andtherefore hopeful.'
Susanne Moser,Susanne Moser Research & Consulting, Starford; USA
'The onlything more complex than the climate system isthe tangle ofmeanings
we'vewrapped around it.Thevariedperspectivesgathered inthisimportant book
goalongwaytoward unsnarling the cultural politics ofclimate change-thefirst
stepinweaving the stories andpolicies we'lI needto move forward.'
Jean Goodwin, lowa State University, USA
'Fromcitizens'perspectivesoverthe"old" and"new"mediaallthewaytopolitics
and decision-making- Crow and Boykoff'svolume isan excellent example ofa
societal turn in the analysis of climate change, and deals with its most pressing
issues.'
Mike Schaler, University ofZurich, Switzerland
CONTENTS
L~toffigu~s x
Listoftables Xl
Listofcontributors XII
Acknowledgements XVII
Introduction 1
DeseraiA. Crow andMaxwell T Boykoff
PART I
Culture and c1imatechange communication 21
1 Beyond 'gloom and doom' or 'hope and possibility': making
room for both sacrifice and reward in ourvisions ofa
low-carbon future 23
CherylHall
2 Polarbears, Inuit names, and climate citizenship: understanding
climate change visual culture through green consumerism,
environmental philanthropy, and indigeneity 39
Doreen E. Martinez
CommentaryonPart I:Beyond climate, beyond change 55
Mike Hulme
viii Contents
PART 11
Media asactorsand contributors to c1imate politics
and policy 61
3 #Climatenews: Summitjoumalism and digital networks 63
Matthew Tegelberg, Dmitry Yagodin andAdrienneRussell
4 TVweathercasters and climate education inthe shadow of
climate change conflict 83
VanessaSchweizer, Sara Cobb, William Schroeder,
Grace Chau andEdwardMaibach
5 Re-examiningthe media-policy link: climate change and
governmentelites inPeru 102
Bruno Takahashi andMarkS. Meisner
Commentary on Part I1: Climate change - media 121
Joe Smith
PART 111
Climate politicsand policy 127
6 Climate science, populism, and the democracy ofrejection 129
MarkB. Brown
7 Explaining information sources inclimate policy debates 146
DallasJ Elgin andChristopherM Weible
8 Navigatingcontroversies insearch ofneutrality: analyzing
efforts bypublic think tanks to inform climate change policy 163
Jason Delborne
Commentary on Part III: Beyond polarization - the limits to
technocratic and activist approaches to climate politics 180
Matthew C.Nisbet
PART IV
Emerging researchin c1imate politicsand policy 187
9 Goveming subjectivities inacarbon constrained world 189
Matthew Patersan andJohannes Stripple
Contents ix
10 Making climate-science communicationevidence-based:
allthe way down 203
DanM Kahan
CommentaryonPart IV:Rethinking climate change
communication 221
Alison Anderson
Index 228
