Dale Jamieson

Still time to learn something

Reason in a Dark Time: Why the Struggle Against Climate Change Failed and What It Means for Our Future by Dale Jamieson (Oxford University Press, $29.95).

Dale Jamieson, a professor of environmental studies and philosophy at NYU, has written a comprehensive analysis of exactly why and how the arguments about the need for action to mitigate the effects of human-induced climate changed failed so catastrophically—and one need look no further than recent front page headlines about the rapidly-collapsing Antarctic ice sheet to recognize that it failed—still has a great deal to offer our understanding of the relationship between science and public policy.

That is, in fact, Reason in a Dark Time's raison d’être.

First, he provides an overview of how exactly climate science evolved, and how the problem of climate change was initially addressed. This is a comprehensive historical sketch. Then, as a philosopher, he examines the obstacles—from those inherent in “the tragedy of the commons” to just plain outright greed—that prevented widespread acceptance of the established science, as well as any effort to change economic and industrial behavior (let alone the personal behavior involved in things like dependence on cars).

But more importantly, he looks at how American society in particular understands (or rather, doesn’t understand) and responds to science. These insights, accompanied by his philosophical discussion of human rights and climate change (including a chapter titled “Ethics for the Anthropocene”) offer a way going forward.

Because even though climate change cannot be stopped, this isn’t over. There are still the issues of adapting to and—as Jamieson notes—making efforts to alter the impact of climate change through geoengineering. We still have some major ethical decisions to make, and understanding how our rational minds have failed us thus far may allow us to make headway during the next phase of this slow-moving, inter-generational crisis.

Jamieson’s book is neither too optimistic nor too pessimistic; it is, above all, rational and reasonable (which are not always the same things). That makes it required reading for those of us who understand that climate change is real and human engagement in dealing with it is not optional.

Kel Munger on Lit/Rant: http://litrant.tumblr.com/post/86493227175/still-time-to-learn-something-reason-...… (more)