From ignorance to action on climate change. Bowden, V. & Nyberg, D. In The Routledge International Handbook of Changes in Human Perceptions and Behaviors, pages 349–364. 2024.
doi  abstract   bibtex   
Observing the broad shift from climate change denial to ignorance over the last decade, this chapter outlines how perceptions of climate change have altered, and how they might further develop into meaningful action. Although the political and economic motivations for resisting action on climate change has been well illustrated, the past decade has seen an increasing acceptance that climate change is occurring. This acceptance, however, has failed to result in emission reductions. Rather, increasing use of fossil fuels and investment in unproven technologies suggests an ignorance of the urgency of the issue. In this chapter, we use the sociology of ignorance to understand how climate change, even in the face of increasing danger from its worst impacts, has been deprioritized as a concern. We outline three barriers in responding to the issue: the notion that humans are separate from the environment, a mistrust of science, and disempowerment of individuals. In response, we suggest strategies to further deepen perceptions of both the urgency of the issue and the possibilities for change. We argue that through an interdisciplinary understanding of how these barriers are formed and the social processes through which they can be overcome, we can gain insight into the potential for a shift beyond ignorance, and toward urgent action on climate change. © 2024 Taylor & Francis.
@incollection{bowden_ignorance_2024,
	title = {From ignorance to action on climate change},
	abstract = {Observing the broad shift from climate change denial to ignorance over the last decade, this chapter outlines how perceptions of climate change have altered, and how they might further develop into meaningful action. Although the political and economic motivations for resisting action on climate change has been well illustrated, the past decade has seen an increasing acceptance that climate change is occurring. This acceptance, however, has failed to result in emission reductions. Rather, increasing use of fossil fuels and investment in unproven technologies suggests an ignorance of the urgency of the issue. In this chapter, we use the sociology of ignorance to understand how climate change, even in the face of increasing danger from its worst impacts, has been deprioritized as a concern. We outline three barriers in responding to the issue: the notion that humans are separate from the environment, a mistrust of science, and disempowerment of individuals. In response, we suggest strategies to further deepen perceptions of both the urgency of the issue and the possibilities for change. We argue that through an interdisciplinary understanding of how these barriers are formed and the social processes through which they can be overcome, we can gain insight into the potential for a shift beyond ignorance, and toward urgent action on climate change. © 2024 Taylor \& Francis.},
	booktitle = {The {Routledge} {International} {Handbook} of {Changes} in {Human} {Perceptions} and {Behaviors}},
	author = {Bowden, V. and Nyberg, D.},
	year = {2024},
	doi = {10.4324/9781003316602-25},
	pages = {349--364},
}

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