Overview

In Climate Obstruction: How Denial, Delay and Inaction are Heating the Planet, Kristoffer Ekberg, Bernhard Forchtner, Martin Hultman and Kirsti Jylhä bring together crucial insights from environmental history, sociology, media and communication studies and psychology to help us understand why we are failing to take necessary measures to avert the unfolding climate crisis. They do so by examining the variety of ways in which meaningful climate action has been obstructed. This ranges from denial of the scientific evidence for human-induced climate change and its policy consequences, to (seemingly sincere) acknowledgement of scientific evidence while nevertheless delaying meaningful climate action. The authors also consider all those actions by which often well-meaning individuals and collectives (unintendedly) hamper climate action. In doing so, this book maps out arguments and strategies that have been used to counter environmental protection and regulation since the 1960s by, first and foremost, corporations supported by conservative actors, but also far-right ones as well as ordinary citizens. This timely and accessible book provides tools and lessons to understand, identify and call out such arguments and strategies, and points to actions and systemic and cultural changes needed to avert or at least mitigate the climate crisis.

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9781032019253

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Reviews

Efforts to obstruct climate action are a major factor in delaying meaningful reductions in carbon emissions. This new book captures the latest peer reviewed literature and weaves an entertaining, easy to read and chilling narrative about how a number of concentrated efforts by vested economic and ideological interests have successfully worked to imperil the planet. Read this book carefully when you develop new measures to advance climate action. Robert J. Brulle, Brown University, USA Climate Obstruction: How Denial, Delay and Inaction are Heating the Planet is an authorative introduction laying out the key definitions and components of climate obstruction. To a lay reader and an audience familiar with the topic they encapsulate a clear summary of what obstruction is usefully using a three-part typology to identify and help understand the complexity of climate obstruction and why it manifests. A fantastic text and well-needed read to help understand the history of and continuing role that climate obstruction plays in delaying the required changes to mitigate the climate crisis. Ruth E McKie, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK This is the book we've been needing: Climate Obstruction gives us big concepts to understand why we haven't acted on climate change, and to figure out how we might. Obstruction comes in different types, and overcoming each requires understanding and strategies specific to each. From a history of understanding and responses to climate science to documentation of the complex denial apparatus and contemporary obstruction to a look at the psychological side of well-meaning people getting in the way, Climate Obstruction makes a genuine, pathbreaking contribution. J. Timmons Roberts, Brown University, USA

Efforts to obstruct climate action are a major factor in delaying meaningful reductions in carbon emissions. This new book captures the latest peer reviewed literature and weaves an entertaining, easy to read and chilling narrative about how a number of concentrated efforts by vested economic and ideological interests have successfully worked to imperil the planet. Read this book carefully when you develop new measures to advance climate action. Robert J. Brulle, Brown University, USA Climate Obstruction: How Denial, Delay and Inaction are heating the planet is an authorative introduction laying out the key definitions and components of climate obstruction. To a lay reader and an audience familiar with the topic they encapsulate a clear summary of what obstruction is usefully using a three-part typology to identify and help understand the complexity of climate obstruction and why it manifests. A fantastic text and well-needed read to help understand the history of and continuing role that climate obstruction plays in delaying the required changes to mitigate the climate crisis. Ruth E McKie, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK

Author Information

Kristoffer Ekberg is a researcher at Chalmers University of Technology. His work focuses on the political history of climate change and the environment, corporate anti-environmentalism as well as social movements and utopian thought. Bernhard Forchtner is Associate Professor at the School of Media, Communication and Sociology and member of the Institute for Environmental Futures, University of Leicester, UK. He works on the far right and environmental communication. Martin Hultman is Associate Professor in science, technology and environmental studies at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. He leads Center for Studies of Climate Change Denial (CEFORCED), as well as research groups analyzing Gender & energy and Ecopreneurship. Kirsti M. Jylhä is a researcher at the Institute for Future Studies, Stockholm, Sweden. Her work focuses on psychological obstacles and drivers of climate engagement (e.g., climate change beliefs and emotions) as well as sociopolitical attitudes and ideologies.

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