Climate activism is crucial for any sustained progress on climate action. I will discuss this from two systemic perspectives in social science: political economy and science communication. I will explore what the terms "fossil capitalism" and "captured state" mean in reality and for activism, in particular through the lens of the political economy of dependence on cars. I will build on this systemic understanding to draw lessons for the role, potential and necessity of social organizing and a...

What kind of actions are most effective in shifting cultures and systems at the rate, scale, speed, and depth that is called for today?  With more and more attention on climate activism, it is worth considering the qualities of agency that are most effective at generating change. In this talk, I will consider the relationship between individual change, collective change and systems change and argue for a “fractal” approach to climate activism.   O’Brien, K.,Selboe, E. an...

Climate activism has been hitting the streets since the early 2000s, but has come in notable peaks and troughs. What is it that causes those peaks and troughs? And where might we expect climate activism to go next after the latest wave of civil disobedience? What allowed these new waves of climate activism (Extinction Rebellion and Fridays for Future) to emerge and flourish? The talk will focus mostly on the British case, exploring frictions and factions and undercover policing as demotivatin...

Scholars, journalists, and activists continue to debate the role of emotional messaging in climate change communication. This talk will consider existing theory and research on the role of emotions, especially fear and hope, in public engagement and activism around climate change. Particular attention will be paid to how media, including both news and entertainment, evoke emotions about climate change, with the potential to both activate and alienate publics.Borum Chatto...

Is academic climate advocacy to be celebrated or derided? There are various flavours of climate advocacy and activism among academic researchers. Some facilitate engagement about their research; others abstain under pressure from their scientific peer communities not to over-reach beyond their research specialty. A literature review suggests there are three advocacy approaches: avoidance of all advocacy (Type 0), advocacy for (scientific) evidence (Type I), and advocacy for policy outcomes (T...