Geographies of Climate Change Reconsidered

Question 1

What is a wicked problem and how does it relate to climate change?

Answer 1

• Complex problems in which science can not address the issues alone
• Contention over definition
• No objective truths
• Divergent framings
• Coined as a push back against positivist scientific methods that could be applied to produce solutions

Rittel and Webber (1973)

Question 2

What is super wicked problem?

Answer 2

• Time is running out –> CC often framed by imminents and endpoints
• Those seeking to end the problem are also causing it
• No central authority
• Policies discount the future irrationally –> disregard of future dangers with decisions being made on short term goals

Levin et al. (2007)

Question 3

What makes response to climate science so difficult?

Answer 3

• Uncertainty and variability
  
  • Causes and impacts
  • Scales (temporal and spatial)
  • Data and models
• But there are clear and consistent messages about where climate is heading
• Take human agency into account

Question 4

What is climate mitigation?

Answer 4

Reducing sources and increasing sinks for anthropogenic gas emission that lead to climate change

IPCC, 2013

Question 5

What is climate adaption?

Answer 5

Reducing detrimental impacts of climate change

IPCC, 2013