The phenomenon of climate change is still characterized by large uncertainty and ambiguous vocabulary. Thus rational discussion is difficult. In this workshop, Professor Meadows will discuss the theory and demonstrate the practice of using simple, manual games easily to convey important features of climate change.Dennis Meadows, et. al., The Climate Change Playbook, Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, VT 2016.Chapter 4: ”Why Systems Surprise Us,”...

Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary study of mind, embracing psychology, computer modeling, neuroscience, linguistics, anthropology, and philosophy. Its intellectual roots are in the 1950s when cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence began. Its organizational roots are in the 1970s when the term “cognitive science” was introduced and the Cognitive Science Society was formed. Cognitive science combines ideas and methods from multiple fields to address important questions about ...

Abstract: Concern about the weather ranges from local, short-term weather reports to projections of global, centuries-long climate trends. The formal models required to provide these various data differ enormously according to the desired time horizon and geographic scope. Professor Meadows will discuss some theoretical considerations and illustrate different approaches.“Part II. Modeling paradigms” in The Electronic Oracle, Computer Models and Social Decisions, D. Meadows a...

The presentation will first explain what a system is and will then give some basic notions about how to build a model of a system. It will insist on the role of entropy and negentropy in systems, describe the different components of the modeling of an environmental system and show how modeling has contributed to understand climate change. Finally, it will put the modeling of our environmental problems in an evolutionary perspective, address its cognitive foundations and get to the ethical dim...

In order to win the world war against climate change, one will have to incentivize billions of people and enterprises to implement a myriad of micro- and macro-actions to reduce global emissions. The problem is that these stakeholders will bear 100% of the cost, and basically 0% of the benefits, which will mostly goes to future generations. This so-called externality and free-rider problems have only one solution which is unanimously supported by economists. They propose to implement the poll...

Integrating the social sciences into knowledge production about climate change is widely recognized as difficult, for various reasons. But political science presents a particular sort of problem for such integrated knowledge production. When produced for policy-oriented processes, where policy-makers may themselves get to revise and approve the text of a document (as is the case for IPCC reports), knowledge focused on explaining and evaluating the performance of political systems on climate c...

The behavioral sciences were in at the beginning of the systematic study of climate change. However, for the ensuing quarter century, they largely faded from view, during which time public discourse and policy evolved without them. That disengagement, and the recent reengagement, suggest lessons for the future role of the behavioral sciences in climate science and policy. Looking forward, the greatest promise lies in projects that make behavioral science integral to climate science by (a) tra...

This lecture is will describe a research program directed at uncovering the cognitive mechanisms involved in non-expert understanding and use of information to make decisions under uncertainty. It will begin by providing background on the key principles of human information processing, including its strengths and limitations, that form the basis of the cognitive approach. Then it will focus on issues related to decision-making under uncertainty, from an applied perspective, in the context of ...

Research on environmental decision-making provides a strong basis for understanding decision that have consequence for climate. In particular, three traditions of research, the rational actor model, environmental social psychology and the heuristics and biases approach have each explored what shapes consequential decisions. I will review each approach, delimiting its strengths and limits. However, we lack a synthesis across these traditions, or even a strong understanding of which approach ap...

Typical arguments for why we have not yet come close to achieving our climate and sustainability goals have to do with the power of vested interests, resistance to change, and ignorance of the true state of affairs. This presentation explores three other possible reasons (reliance on baseline thinking; a lack of attention to development pathways, and a focus on individual conscious choice) and suggests alternative approaches to all three. The paper concludes that rather than trying to change ...

One of the relatively unexplored dimensions of climate denial is the power of its narrative in attracting adherents. We investigate the properties of its narrative, using various tools from applied narratology and discourse analysis, and demonstrate how and why it resonates with many and how it isolates this social movement from effective dialogue. One interesting finding is that climate denial may be founded upon a 'genetic' metanarrative that is, at its core, not even about climate itself, ...

The level of ecological degradation caused by human activities now presents such a risk of global instability that we have no choice but to rethink in depth the way our modern societies are organized. This requires not only transforming our lifestyles but also reassessing the structure of our sociotechnical systems and our spatial planning strategies. Doing so requires that the actors of sustainable development take into account in their reasoning and decision-making the human dimension, alon...

A complete policy response to climate change, habitat destruction, plastic pollution, and other Anthropocene challenges requires action by governments, industries, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals. Attempts to drive change at the individual level often confront reactions like “Why should I bother altering my behavior? And if I do change, will my actions make a difference?” In this talk I discuss the drivers and predictors of individuals’ perceptions of the risk of climate change...

1-Flourishing, not sustainability, is the right vision for the future2- The Right Way to Flourish. Reconnecting with the Real WorldThe call to sustainability has failed to rouse the world to the urgent need for critique and remedial action. In its place, flourishing is the proper normative vision to put Planet Earth on a viable trajectory, halting the present downward spiral of environmental and social deterioration. Flourish...

Political organizations across various scales are engaged in addressing climate change through the design of policies (e.g., a carbon tax), plans (e.g., Adaptation Plans) and institutions (e.g., the Green Climate Fund), the development of new technologies (e.g., electric vehicles), the creation of scientific knowledge, or the support of new norms and behaviors (e.g., limiting flying or eating vegetarian). This toolbox for climate governance keeps expanding, but is currently missing an importa...

H. sapiens is a self-described intelligent species, yet seems committed to destroying its own habitat. Human-induced climate change, driven by carbon-dioxide and other GHG emissions, is one of several well-known threats to global civilization. Nevertheless, 34 climate conferences and half a dozen major international agreements in the past 50 years have failed to produce even a ripple in the curve of exponentially increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Climate change is accelerating. This ...

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...

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...