Description
Book SynopsisA key point in the book is the need to focus more seriously at the energy problem as the real problem behind global warming. The failure of global climate policies to reduce CO2 emissions and halt climate change has led an increasing number of scientist and activists to lose confidence in democracy's ability to handle climate change and led them to look to more authoritarian measures to meet the problem. The book documents these trends, also from a historical perspective, criticize them and sketches more democratic alternatives.
Table of ContentsPART I. The climate threat and democracy
Chapter 1. The point of departure
A global failure
A gloomy picture
Will we have to discard democracy to save the world?
My point of departure
What about the precautionary principle?
Democracy
The two sides of the climate problem
Chapter 2. The climate problem and climate policy
The mechanisms behind global warming
Global warming versus climate
An example: “We have only 12 years”
What does the IPCC say?
Climate policy
A wicked problem
From Rio via Kyoto to Paris
A failing model
Goal management of the global temperature
The global strategy and the frustration with democracy
Part II. Antidemocratic threats
Chapter 3. The antidemocratic heritage and the dream about “Eco dictatorship”
Historical roots – society as a threat against nature
The ecological heritage of the environmental movement
The extreme to the right – eco fascism
Eco fascism to-day
Chapter 4. The current climate debate and the threat to democracy
The deep-ecology roots of the current climate debate
Anti-democratic activism
The vision of the expert-governed meritocracy
Climate change as a threat against free debate and critical research
Critique of the antidemocratic answer to the climate problem
Are authoritarian regimes doing better?
Is an authoritarian climate coup likely?
Chapter 5. Popular climate uproar and the undermining of democracy
The car-based society
Climate uproar to “save the climate”
The road toll uproar
The ferry uproar
The wind power uproar
The popular uproar against climate hysteria
Unrealistic climate goals and the undermining of democracy
The problem with the person-focused climate policy
The polarized climate debate and the undermining of democracy
Chapter 6. The “non-political” solution of the climate problem
What is climate engineering
A global heatshield
Historical retrospect
A problematic strategy
The search for knowledge
The democratic problem
PART III. DEMOCRATIC ALTERNATIVES
Chapter 7. A wicked problem
The crisis strategy
Why do climate policies become so conflict-ridden?
A little bit of theory
The theory and climate policies – wind power as an example
About theory and practice
Lenin and Thunberg or Brox (for info: Brox is a Norwegian professor)
About future generations
About eating an elephant
Chapter 8. Contributions to democratic answers to the climate problem
About taking bites of the elephant
Carbon tax rather that emission quotas
Green growth
A green New Deal
What about nuclear power?
Finally, some points about adapting to a changing climate
No “quick fix”
Chapter 9. The dream about Paradise
About recreating Paradise
Forward towards the past
Paradise lost
The climate problem, democracy and defence of the open society
References
Notes
Keywords
