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Climate Change and Society 1st Edition

by Pro John Urry (Author)
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 10 ratings
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This book explores the significance of human behaviour to understanding the causes and impacts of changing climates and to assessing varied ways of responding to such changes. So far the discipline that has represented and modelled such human behaviour is economics.
Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0745650376
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0745650371
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Polity
  5. Publication date
    June 13, 2011
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    5.98 x 0.51 x 9.02 inches
  8. Print length
    224 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Urry challenges sociologists to entertain the social blockages to coming to terms with climate change, social costs of not doing so, and major social rearrangements entailed by a genuine, Copernican ecological turn."
American Journal of Sociology

"A must read for those interested in or working on climate change research and policy making."
Choice

"Deftly drawing together a wide range of materials from Hollywood cinema to the complexity sciences, Urry's analysis combines sobering warnings about potential impending catastrophes, with hints at reasons for optimism about the possible emergence of innovative low carbon lifestyles ... a well-argued, detailed example of what sociologists can do when they turn their attention to climate change."
Sociology

"As debates rage in the UK on the efficiency of wind farms or whether fracking should be given the green light, this book is a timely reminder of how human reliance on the convenience of oil is irrefutably unsustainable."
LSE Review of Books

"A tour de force! Urry shows the centrality of the social - both to comprehend the meaning of the carbon catastrophe that besets us and, thereby, to discover the possibility of a post-carbon society. Essential reading for all."
Michael Burawoy, University of California, Berkeley

"Climate change will affect more than the environment. It will change social institutions as well. In addition to economic science and to the environmental sciences, John Urry gives us insights from the social sciences. It is urgent that we pay attention."
David Stark, Columbia University, author of The Sense of Dissonance: Accounts of Worth in Economic Life

From the Back Cover

This book explores the significance of human behaviour to understanding the causes and impacts of changing climates and to assessing varied ways of responding to such changes. So far the discipline that has represented and modelled such human behaviour is economics.

By contrast Climate Change and Society tries to place the &;social&; at the heart of both the analysis of climates and of the assessment of alternative futures. It demonstrates the importance of social practices organised into systems. In the fateful twentieth century various interlocking high carbon systems were established. This sedimented high carbon social practices, engendering huge population growth, increasing greenhouse gas emissions and the potentially declining availability of oil that made this world go round. Especially important in stabilising this pattern was the &;carbon military-industrial complex&; around the world.

The book goes on to examine how in this new century it is systems that have to change, to move from growing high carbon systems to those that are low carbon. Many suggestions are made as to how to innovate such low carbon systems. It is shown that such a transition has to happen fast so as to create positive feedbacks of each low carbon system upon each other. Various scenarios are elaborated of differing futures for the middle of this century, futures that all contain significant costs for the scale, extent and richness of social life.

Climate Change and Society thus attempts to replace economics with sociology as the dominant discipline in climate change analysis. Sociology has spent much time examining the nature of modern societies, of modernity, but mostly failed to analyse the carbon resource base of such societies. This book seeks to remedy that failing. It should appeal to teachers and students in sociology, economics, environmental studies, geography, planning, politics and science studies, as well as to the public concerned with the long term future of carbon and society.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Polity; 1st edition (June 13, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0745650376
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0745650371
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.51 x 9.02 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

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John Urry

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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
10 global ratings

Top review from the United States

Ryan R. Sargeant
5.0 out of 5 stars An overview of climate change and sociology
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2013
I have not yet finished this book, but I noticed no one else has provided a review, so I thought I should review the portion I have read.

If you are looking for a book that empowers you to argue convincingly for or against climate change, this probably isn't the right book for you.

This book attempts to address the relationship between social structures and climate change. It doesn't appear to be a description of the underlying science of climate change, but rather a discussion of how societies are designed around a high carbon emissions lifestyle and how climate change will impact these societies in the future.

Many of the arguments presented by the author rely very heavily on arguments presented in other books. The author clearly identifies his sources and often presents several different perspectives regarding a single topic. To some extent, this book feels like an extensive literature review of previously published books. I appreciate the work the author has done to summarize a variety of different arguments in a single, concise book.

The book seems to be intended for an audience with a background/interest in sociology. That is not an area I am very familiar with, but I think the author does a good job accommodating a broader audience. This book has given me much to think about.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Gary White
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book for the general reader, informed layman or specialist
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2011
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
John Urry is a sociologist and has written a worthy book that looks at the impact of climate change and how we might respond to it as a society. Unsurprisingly, it looks at a sociological approach to the impact rather than taking the economic approach of many authors.
There are 10 chapters, looking at the facts and figures of climate change, modelling scenarios, possible catastrophes, our high carbon 'addiction', oil dependency, the politics of climate management, dealing with catastrophes, adopting low carbon lifestyles, future scenarios and 'selling' future models to society.
It's a well written book, taking into account latest best practice in terms of climate modelling and presenting some challenging and though-provoking scenarios and suggestions. Highly recommended.
One person found this helpful
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Dotty Dot
2.0 out of 5 stars Very academic read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2011
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
I found this book very difficult to read. It is fine if you are a professor of sociology (as the author) but for the layman very complex. I ploughed through this one page at a time & had to put it down to try to work out the message on practically every page. This was a serious important message for mankind but why did it have to be written in such a complicated way? Surely the stamp of a good author is to be able put across a complicated message in simple terms? A great pity because Professor Urry is trying to convey an urgent climate change message vital for society!
2 people found this helpful
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Mr. R. G. A. Thomas
3.0 out of 5 stars too academic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 18, 2011
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
This book does not have an author ..... it is simply a very loose collection of the varied and diverse opinions of other people on the topics to do with climate change - similar to what you might have collected with a Google search. If that is what you want then fine.
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J. R. Atkinson
4.0 out of 5 stars A difficult read but well worth the effort
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 8, 2011
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
This is primarily an academic work and can be quite difficult to read as it does not flow that well in places. However, this is the only criticism I have. Most of the book is well written and is a fascinating look at the social element to climate change. If you are interested in climate change this is definitely worth a read but is not really appropriate as an introductory work to climate change. The book contains some excellent research and has some important ideas on how climate change can be tackled going forward.
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Andrew Dalby
3.0 out of 5 stars Too academic for me
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2011
Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
The author presents the climate crisis and the need for a human response in a social rather than an economic or ecological perspective. By invoking the social aspects he argues we are more likely to be able to create an appropriate response. I would agree that you have to change the way we all act and what we all want and that the social aspect is very important. But it is important to reach out and make this aspect accessible and this is where the book fails compared to a much less academic book such as "Do Good Lives Have to Cost the Earth?" or compared to the articles of George Monbiot.

So while the arguments are carefully made it is too hard going for a lay reader and it is only really suited to those studying academically.
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