Climate Change Flashcards
(12 cards)
Climate change, the environment, and society
Climate change is not just a matter of climate science. The science of society can help us better understand the causes and consequences of climate change
What are the social drivers of climate change?
Industrial production
Population
Consumption
How is industrial production a social driver for climate change?
Massive increases in wealth and a variety of new social (and environmental) problems
Industrial production based on fossil fuel energy
Division of labor leads to economic growth due to the usage of fossil fuels by factories
Leading to a rise of temperature (climate change)
How is population a social driver for climate change?
Every person has needs; the more people we have, the more we have to produce to meet those needs
Also leads to consumption growth
How is consumption a social driver for climate change?
The richest 10% of the world’s population are responsible for 52% of carbon emissions
The poorest 50% are responsible for just 7% of emission
What is the impact of climate change on society?
Extreme weather events
What are social consequences of extreme weather events and increasing temperatures?
Disrupts agriculture, decreased food supplies
Reduces and pollutes water supplies
Economic impacts
Political impacts
Health and Illness
Experiences of loss
What are the unequal impacts of natural disasters?
People who have more resources are better equipped to:
avoid trouble before an event
cope during an event
recover faster after an event
Differential impacts of climate change across class and race/ethnicity
What are societal responses to climate change?
Doing and communicating science
Public opinion
Pressures from the private sector
Policy responses
Technological innovation
Geoengineering
Social movements
What is the National Flood Insurance Program?
The federal government requires people who have federally backed home mortgages to buy (federally subsidized) flood insurance if they live in high-risk flood zones
What was the reading about?
The government adjusts the flood maps and insurance pricing to reflect newly understood risks
How sociology helps us understand climate change?
Climate change intersects with social inequalities
Climate losses present societies with political, economic, and moral dilemmas. Social processes will determine how losses are valued, who is compensated, and who is held responsible.
Human societies caused the problem of climate change. Human societies are only entities capable of solving the problem at a sufficiently large scale.
