Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T16:51:35.290Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Most Important Topic Political Scientists Are Not Studying: Adapting to Climate Change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 April 2014

Debra Javeline
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Few, if any, political scientists currently study climate change adaptation or are even aware that there is a large and growing interdisciplinary field of study devoted not just to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions but to reducing our vulnerability to the now-inevitable impacts of climate change. The lack of political science expertise and research represents an obstacle for adapting to climate change, because adaptation is fundamentally political. Technical advances in adaptations for infrastructure, agriculture, public health, coastal protection, conservation, and other fields all depend on political variables for their implementation and effectiveness. For example, adaptation raises questions about political economy (adaptation costs money), political theory (adaptation involves questions of social justice), comparative politics (some countries more aggressively pursue adaptation), urban politics (some cities more aggressively pursue adaptation), regime type (democracies and authoritarian regimes may differently pursue adaptation), federalism (different levels of government may be involved), and several other fields of study including political conflict, international development, bureaucracy, migration, media, political parties, elections, civil society, and public opinion. I review the field of climate change adaptation and then explore the tremendous contributions that political scientists could make to adaptation research.

Type
Reflection
Information
Perspectives on Politics , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , June 2014 , pp. 420 - 434
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adger, W. Neil, Paavola, Jouni, Huq, Saleemul, and Mace, M.J., eds. 2006. Fairness in Adaptation to Climate Change. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Adger, W.N., Agrawala, S., Mirza, M.M.Q., Conde, C., O’Brien, K., Pulhin, J., Pulwarty, R., Smit, B. and Takahashi, K.. 2007. “Assessment of Adaptation Practices, Options, Constraints and Capacity,” in Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ed. Parry, M.L., Canziani, O.F., Palutikof, J.P., van der Linden, P.J. and Hanson, C.E.. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, pp.717–743. Available at http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg2/ar4-wg2-chapter17.pdf.Google Scholar
Aldrich, Daniel P. 2012. Building Resilience: Social Capital in Post-Disaster Recovery. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aldy, Joseph E., and Stavins, Robert N., eds. 2009. Post-Kyoto International Climate Policy: Summary for Policymakers. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Anderegg, William R.L., Prall, James W., Harold, Jacob, and Schneider, Stephen H.. 2010. “Expert Credibility in Climate Change.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107(27): 12107–9.Google Scholar
Baer, Paul. 2011. “International Justice.” In The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society, ed. Dryzek, John S., Norgaard, Richard B., and Schlosberg, David. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Bättig, Michèle B., and Bernauer, Thomas. 2009. “National Institutions and Global Public Goods: Are Democracies More Cooperative in Climate Change Policy?” International Organization 63(2): 281–305.Google Scholar
Berrang-Ford, Lea, Ford, James D., and Paterson, Jaclyn. 2011. “Are We Adapting to Climate Change?” Global Environmental Change 21: 25–33.Google Scholar
Bichard, Erik, and Kazmierczak, Aleksandra. 2012. “Are Homeowners Willing to Adapt to and Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change?” Climatic Change 112: 633–52.Google Scholar
Bicknell, Jane, Dodman, David, and Satterthwaite, David. 2009. Adapting Cities to Climate Change: Understanding and Addressing the Development Challenges. London: Earthscan.Google Scholar
Blackburn, Amanda, and Stone, Bruce. 2003. “The Environment and Minor-party Insurgency in Australian Politics: The Case of Logging and the ‘Liberals for Forests.’” Australian Journal of Political Science 38(3): 293–509.Google Scholar
Boin, Arjen, McConnell, Allan, and Hart, Paul ’T, eds. 2008. Governing after Crisis: The Politics of Investigation, Accountability, and Learning. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Bradbury, Roger. 2012. “A World without Coral Reefs.” New York Times, July 13.Google Scholar
Broder, John M. 2009. “Climate Change Seen as Threat to U.S. Security.” New York Times, August 9.Google Scholar
Brooks, Thom. 2013. “Climate Change Justice.” PS: Political Science and Politics 46(1): 9–12.Google Scholar
Brown, Oli, and Crawford, Alec. 2009. “Rising Temperatures, Rising Tensions: Climate Change and the Risk of Violent Conflict in the Middle East.” International Institute for Sustainable Development, 1–36, http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2009/rising_temps_middle_east.pdf.Google Scholar
Brown, Oli, Hammill, Anne, and McLeman, Robert. 2007. “Climate Change as the ‘New’ Security Threat: Implications for Africa.” International Affairs 83(6): 1141–54.Google Scholar
Brysse, Keynyn, Oreskes, Naomi, O’Reilly, Jessica, and Oppenheimer, Michael. 2013. “Climate Change Prediction: Erring on the Side of Least Drama?” Global Environmental Change 23(1): 327–37.Google Scholar
Burke, Marshall, Miguel, Edward, Satyanath, Shanker, Dykema, John, Lobell, David. 2009. “Warming Increases Risk of Civil War in Africa.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106(49): 20670–74.Google Scholar
Busby, John W. 2007. “Climate Change and National Security: An Agenda for Action.” Council on Foreign Relations, CSR No.32, November.Google Scholar
Busby, John W. 2008. “Who Cares about the Weather? Climate Change and U.S. National Security.” Security Studies 17(3): 468–504.Google Scholar
Caldeira, K., and Wickett, M.E.. 2003. “Anthropogenic Carbon and Ocean pH.” Nature 425 (September 25): 365–65.Google Scholar
Christoff, Peter, and Eckersley, Robyn. 2011. “Comparing State Responses.” In The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society, ed. Dryzek, John S., Norgaard, Richard B., and Schlosberg, David.. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Dalby, Simon. 2009. Security and Environmental Change. Cambridge, UK: Polity.Google Scholar
Davenport, Coral. 2013. “Why It Finally Makes Political Sense to Talk about Climate Change.” National Journal, July25. http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/why-it-finally-makes-political-sense-to-talk-about-climate-change-20130725 .Google Scholar
de Brito, Rafaela. 2010 “Climate Change as a Security Issue in the European Union.” Portuguese Journal of International Affairs 3: 41–50.Google Scholar
Dean, Cornelia. 2012. “With Warming, Peril Underlies Road to Alaska.” New York Times, July 23.Google Scholar
“Decision Making in a Changing Climate—Adaptation Challenges and Choices.” 2010-2011. World Resources Report, http://pdf.wri.org/world_resources_report_2010-2011.pdf.Google Scholar
Dietz, Simon. 2011. “From Efficiency to Justice: Utility as the Informational Basis of Climate Strategies, and Some Alernatives.” In The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society, ed. Dryzek, John S., Norgaard, Richard B., and Schlosberg, David. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Dolsak, Nives. 2001. “Mitigating Global Climate Change: Why Are Some Countries More Committed Than Others.” Policy Studies Journal 29(3): 414–36.Google Scholar
Dunlap, Riley E., and McCright, Aaron M.. 2008. “A Widening Gap: Republican and Democratic Views on Climate Change.” Environment 50(5): 26–34.Google Scholar
Duus-Otterstrom, Goran, and Jagers, Sverker C.. 2012. “Identifying Burdens of Coping with Climate Change: A Typology of the Duties of Climate Justice.” Global Environmental Change, 22(3): 746–753.Google Scholar
Ebi, Kristie L. 2010. “ABCD of Adaptation.” Congressional Briefing, January 8. http://www.ametsoc.org/atmospolicy/climatebriefing/jan2010.html, accessed 1/9/2014.Google Scholar
Egan, Patrick J., and Mullin, Megan. 2012. “Turning Personal Experience into Political Attitudes: The Effect of Local Weather on Americans’ Perceptions about Global Warming.” Journal of Politics 74(3): 796–809.Google Scholar
Farber, Daniel A. 2011. “The Challenge of Climate Change Adaptation: Learning from National Planning Efforts in Britain, China, and the USA.” Journal of Environmental Law 23(3): 359–82.Google Scholar
Fischlin, A., Midgley, G.F., Price, J.T., Leemans, R., Gopal, B., Turley, C., Rounsevell, M.D.A., Dube, O.P., Tarazona, J., Velichko, A.A.. 2007. “Ecosystems, Their Properties, Goods, and Services.” In Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ed. Parry, M.L., Canziani, O.F., Palutikof, J.P., van der Linden, P.J. and Hanson, C.E..,. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Ford, James D., Berrang-Ford, Lea, and Paterson, Jaclyn. 2011. “A Systematic Review of Observed Climate Change Adaptation in Developed Nations.” Climatic Change 106: 327–36.Google Scholar
Gardiner, Stephen M. 2011. “Climate Justice.” In The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society, ed. Dryzek, John S., Norgaard, Richard B., and Schlosberg, David. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Gardiner, Stephen M, Caney, Simon, Jamieson, Dale, and Shue, Henry. 2010. Climate Ethics: Essential Reading. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Giddens, Anthony. 2009. The Politics of Climate Change. Malden, MA: Polity Press.Google Scholar
Gillis, Justin. 2013. “Heat-Trapping Gas Passes Milestone, Raising Fears.” New York Times, May 10.Google Scholar
Gleditsch, Nils Petter. 2012. “Whither the Weather? Climate Change and Conflict.” Journal of Peace Research 49(1): 3–9.Google Scholar
Goulden, Marisa, Conway, Declan, and Persechino, Aurelie. 2009. “Adaptation to Climate Change in International River Basins: A Case Study of the River Nile.” Hydrological Sciences Journal 54(5): 805–28.Google Scholar
Habib, Benjamin. 2010. “Climate Change and Regime Perpetuation in North Korea.” Asia Survey 50(2): 378–401.Google Scholar
Hansen, L.J., Biringer, J.L., and Hoffmann, J.R.. 2003. Buying Time: A User’s Manual for Building Resistance and Resilience to Climate Change in Natural Systems. WWF Climate Change Program, Berlin.Google Scholar
Harrison, Kathryn, and Sundstrom, Lisa McIntosh, eds. 2010. Global Commons, Domestic Decisions: The Comparative Politics of Climate Change. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Hiskes, Richard P. 2009. The Human Right to a Green Future: Environmental Rights and Intergenerational Justice. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Howarth, Richard B. 2011. “Intergenerational Justice.” In The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society, ed. Dryzek, John S., Norgaard, Richard B., and Schlosberg, David. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Hsiang, Solomon M., Burke, Marshall, and Miguel, Edward. 2013. “Quantifying the Influence of Climate on Human Conflict.” Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1235367.Google Scholar
Hunter, Malcolm L, Jr. 2007. “Climate Change and Moving Species: Furthering the Debate on Assisted Colonization.” Conservation Biology 21(5): 1356–58.Google Scholar
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 2007a. “Summary for Policymakers.” In Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ed. Solomon, S., Qin, D., Manning, M., Chen, Z., Marquis, M., Averyt, K.B., Tignor, M. and Miller, H.L.. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 2007b. “Summary for Policymakers.” In Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ed. Parry, M.L., Canziani, O.F., Palutikof, J.P., van der Linden, P.J. and Hanson, C.E... Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 2007c. “Appendix 1: Glossary.” In Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Javeline, Debra, Hellmann, Jessica J., Castro Cornejo, Rodrigo, and Shufeldt, Gregory. 2013. “Expert Opinion on Climate Change and Threats to Biodiversity.” Bioscience 63(8): 666–73.Google Scholar
Jones, Nicola. 2011. “Climate Change Curbs Crops.” Nature, May 5.Google Scholar
Jordan, Andrew, ed. 2010. Climate Change Policy in the European Union: Confronting the Dilemmas of Mitigation and Adaptation. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Karl, Thomas R., Melillo, Jerry M., and Peterson, Thomas C., eds. 2009. “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States.” A State of Knowledge Report from the U.S. Global Change Research Program. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Keller, Ann Campbell. 2009. Science in Environmental Policy: The Politics of Objective Advice. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Keohane, Robert O., and Victor, David G.. 2011. “The Regime Complex for Climate Change.” Perspectives on Politics 9(1): 7–23.Google Scholar
Krosnick, Jon A. 2010. “The Climate Majority.” New York Times, June 8.Google Scholar
Kunreuther, Howard, and Useem, Michael, eds. 2010. Learning from Catastrophes: Strategies for Reaction and Response. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wharton School Publishing.Google Scholar
Lewis, Joanna I. 2009. “Climate Change and Security: Examining China’s Challenges in a Warming World.” International Affairs 85(6): 1195–213.Google Scholar
Mace, G., Masundire, H., and Baillie, J.. 2005. “Biodiversity.” In Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Current States and Trends, vol. 1, ed. Hassan, R., Scholes, R., and Ash, N.. Washington, DC: Island Press.Google Scholar
MacLean, I. M. D., and Wilson, R. J.. 2012. “Recent Ecological Responses to Climate Change Support Predictions of High Extinction Risk.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108(30): 12337–42.Google Scholar
Maddison, David. 2007. “The Perception of and Adaptation to Climate Change in Africa.” World Bank, policy research working paper 4308, August, http://elibrary. worldbank.org/docserver/download/4308.pdf?expires=1343229378&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=32E9B55DF9BFB6A566D1A17DBEDBFCF2.Google Scholar
Mandleni, B., and Anim, F.D.K.. 2010. “Climate Change Awareness and Decision on Adaptation Measures by Livestock Farmers in South Africa.” Journal of Agricultural Science 3(3): 258–68.Google Scholar
Matthew, Richard A., Barnett, Jon, McDonald, Bryan, and O’Brien, Karen L., eds. 2011. Global Environmental Change and Human Security. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Moser, Susanne C. 2009a. “Communicating Climate Change and Motivating Civic Action: Renewing, Activating, and Building Democracies.” In Changing Climates in North American Politics, ed. Selin, Henrik and VanDeveer, Stacy D.. Cambridge: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Moser, Susanne C. 2009b. “Good morning, America! The explosive U.S. awakening to the need for adaptation.” NOAA, CEC, http://www.csc.noaa.gov/publications/need-for-adaptation.pdf, accessed 1/9/2014.Google Scholar
Mullin, Megan. 2009. Governing the Tap: Special District Governance and the New Local Politics of Water. Cambridge: MIT Press.Google Scholar
“National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy.” 2012. http://www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/pdf/NFWPCAS-Final.pdf.Google Scholar
National Research Council. 2010. “Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change: America’s Climate Choices.” Panel on Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.Google Scholar
Neumayer, Eric. 2003. “Are Left-wing Party Strength and Corporatism Good for the Environment? Evidence from Panel Analysis of Air Pollution in OECD Countries.” Ecological Economics 45: 203–20.Google Scholar
Orr, J.C., Fabry, V.J., Aumont, O., Bopp, L., Doney, S.C., Feely, R.A., Gnanadesikan, A., Gruber, N., Ishida, A., Joos, F., Key, R.M., Lindsay, K., Maier-Reimer, E., Matear, R., Monfray, P., Mouchet, A., Najjar, R.G., Plattner, G.K., Rodgers, K.B., Sabine, C.L., Sarmiento, J.L., Schlitzer, R., Slater, R.D., Totterdell, I.J., Weirig, M.F., Yamanaka, Y., and Yool, A.. 2005. “Anthropogenic Ocean Acidification over the Twenty-first Century and Its Impact on Calcifying Organisms.” Nature 437 :681–86.Google Scholar
Ostrom, Elinor. 1990. Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Perrow, Charles. 2007. The Next Catastrophe: Reducing Our Vulnerabilities to Natural, Industrial, and Terrorist Disasters. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Pittock, A. Barrie, and Jones, Roger N.. 2009. “Adaptation to What and Why?” In The Earthscan Reader on Adaptation to Climate Change, ed. Lisa, E. Schipper, F. and Burton, Ian. London: Earthscan.Google Scholar
Reardon, Sara. 2011. “Climate Change Already Hurting Agriculture.” Science, 5 May.Google Scholar
Richardson, Anthony J., and Schoeman, David S.. 2004. “Climate Impact on Plankton Ecosystems in the Northeast Atlantic.” Science 305(5690):1609–12.Google Scholar
Roberts, Dexter. 2010 “Drought in China Hits the Energy Sector.” Bloomberg Business Week, April 22.Google Scholar
Roberts, J. Timmons, and Parks, Bradley C.. 2007. A Climate of Injustice: Global Inequality, North-South Politics, and Climate Policy. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Salehyan, Idean. 2008. “From Climate Change to Conflict? No Consensus Yet.” Journal of Peace Research 45(3): 315–26.Google Scholar
Schipper, E. Lisa F. 2009. “Conceptual History of Adaptation in the UNFCCC Process.” In The Earthscan Reader on Adaptation to Climate Change, ed. Schipper, E. Lisa F. and Burton, Ian. London: Earthscan.Google Scholar
Schreurs, Miranda A. 2011. “Climate Change Politics in an Authoritarian State: The Ambivalent Case of China.” In The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society, eds. Dryzek, John S., Norgaard, Richard B., and Schlosberg, David. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Selin, Henrik. 2010. Global Governance of Hazardous Chemicals: Challenges of Multilevel Management. Cambridge: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Spoon, Jae-Jae. 2009. “Holding Their Own: Explaining the Persistence of Green Parties in France and the UK.” Party Politics 15: 613–34.Google Scholar
Tryhorn, Lee M., and Lynch, Amanda H.. 2010. “Climate Change Adaptation in the Alpine Shire of Australia: A Decision Process Appraisal.” Policy Sciences 43(2): 105–27.Google Scholar
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 2009. “An Overview of Investment and Financial Flows Needed for Adaptation.” In The Earthscan Reader on Adaptation to Climate Change, ed. Schipper, E. Lisa F. and Burton, Ian. London: Earthscan.Google Scholar
Vanderheiden, Steve, ed. 2008. Political Theory and Global Climate Change. Cambridge: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Wald, Matthew L., and Schwartz, John. 2012. “Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling.” New York Times, July 25.Google Scholar
Webber, Michael E. 2012. “Will Drought Cause the Next Blackout?” New York Times, July 23.Google Scholar
Western Governors’ Association. 2010. “Climate Adaptation Priorities for the Western States: Scoping Report.” June, http://www.westgov.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=128&Itemid=62.Google Scholar
Whitmarsh, Lorraine. 2008. “Are Flood Victims More Concerned about Climate Change than Other People? The Role of Direct Experience in Risk Perception and Behavioural Response.” Journal of Risk Research 11(3): 351–74.Google Scholar
Whitmarsh, Lorraine, and O’Neill, Saffron. 2010. “Green Identity, Green Living? The Role of Pro-Environmental Self-Identity in Determining Consistency across Diverse Pro-Environmental Behaviours.” Journal of Environmental Psychology 30(3): 305–14.Google Scholar
Whitmarsh, Lorraine, Seyfang, Gill, and O’Neill, Saffron. 2011. “Public Engagement with Carbon and Climate Change: To What Extent Is the Public ‘Carbon Capable’?” Global Environmental Change 21: 56–65.Google Scholar
Young, Oran R., King, Leslie A., and Schroeder, Heike. 2008. Institutions and Environmental Change: Principal Findings, Applications, and Research Frontiers. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar