The Atmospheric Commons

The Atmospheric Commons: Towards a Usable History of Climate Science

Die Veranstaltung findet auf Englisch statt:

Contemporary science and policy have turned adapting to climate change into a zero-sum game that pits communities against each other in a competition for international aid. Implicit is the assumption that change begins on the global level, setting the parameters to which local communities must reactively adapt.

Deborah Coen’s new book, Stewards of the Sky, shows that this problem has deep historical roots: for over two centuries, scientists have tried and failed to predict how people will respond to the vagaries of weather and climate. On the sidelines of this tragic quest, Coen has found a forgotten alternative: a grassroots atmospheric science. She will present an overview of this research and an explanation of her method, which she calls usable history of science.

The series „On Environment“ is organized by the Chair of Environmental Humanities at the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society.