Slow Response, Major Consequences - An Academic Essay
retrieved from democracynow.org
Anon / May 28 2020
(7 min read)
“Hubristic” has been an adjective used to describe humankind’s attempts to conquer nature. The mere notion was seen as an insult, something that would have tremendous repercussions in the future. In this day and age, Earth is faced with the looming prospect of climate change. It is precisely that idea of domination that has brought about this outcome. However, despite the evidence all pointing to this fact, the response has been quite slow. Sociologist C. Wright Mills’ theory of sociological imagination provides a framework through which to analyze the causes of the latent response to this pressing crisis. Defined by the author as “the awareness of the relationship between personal experience and the wider society”, the theory tries to draw certain conclusions on a given issue through a deep analysis of the wider social context, the behaviour of the “actors” involved, their motives, and the social norms that helped it into existence. (Mills, 1959) Additionally, given its efforts to raise awareness about the issue, the documentary “Chasing Ice” will assist in contextualizing how the issue is perceived, as well as its effects.
Firstly, the social context helps to show how and why this issue is perceived differently from country to country. One contributing factor is the economy. Highly developed countries have more advanced environmental policies. Having a stance on climate issues is seen as a luxury. Nations that have solved other, more pressing social problems, can afford to have a clear stance on said issues. The irony is, of course, that underdeveloped nations are the ones most likely to be affected first by any changes in the climate. Regardless, due to how the economy of a country is structured, its policies towards the environment often follow suit. For instance, China is regarded as one of the biggest carbon emission emitters in the world. Its government previously saw environmental policies as a plot to impede the economic growth of the country. In recent years, however, they have changed their course and adopted most of these policies. Despite this, due to the heavy consumption of electricity and coal (conditioned also by its enormous population), carbon emissions have risen steadily during the past couple of years. (Tidman, 2019) Nations of the African continent, which are going to be affected first by any changes in the climate, have had no means to respond effectively to the upcoming crisis. This is primarily due to their limited economic capabilities and a vast array of internal problems that are rampant in them.
Secondly, the individuals involved help shape public opinions. The political climate, particularly the one permeating the so-called Western world, has contributed to climate change denialism. The more recent phenomenon is the rise of right-wing populism. The idea is often intimately tied to nationalism and social conservativism. A major aspect is the denunciation of the “detached” liberal and cosmopolitan elites that are impervious to the suffering of ordinary people. Climate scientists are often lumped together with said elites. The issue itself has become politicized and is generally perceived as a socially liberal agenda by them. While it is an issue impacting society at large, the narrative perpetuated by populist politicians gives the impression that what these scientists espouse goes against national interests. Moreover, a large portion of their voting bloc is comprised of blue-collar workers from the manufacturing and mining industry, two sectors that are often blamed for affecting these changes in the climate. Though a small segment of the society, these politicians pander to their sensibilities. It stands to reason that any effective climate policy would be contrary to their interests. Recent examples of said politicians railing against climate issues include the President of the United States, Donald Trump, whose administration famously withdrew from the Paris Agreement in recent years. (Lockwood, 2019). Others, like Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, have tried to minimize the impact of climate change and spoken out against what they perceived as “climate change hysteria”.
Lastly, there is the overall issue of progress and technological development. The cognitive dissonance displayed by society at large is due to the fact that their lives are intimately tied to the objects that helped make this crisis come into existence in the first place. As many experts have pointed out, the issue is not one of lack of information. Most people are aware that there is a problem but they are not quite clear on the solutions. For instance, travelling by plane has become essential commodities for most people, the absence of which will be sorely felt, despite the damage it will cause to the environment. In their Dialectic of Enlightenment, Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno spoke against this domination of nature. Their main criticism was the use of instrumental rationality to achieve said domination. This process results in the alienation of human beings from their surroundings. In their view, nature, when viewed from a positivist perspective, loses its awe and is reduced to something to something that can be studied and, afterwards, exploited. (Horkheimer and Adorno, 1969) This phenomenon is widely pervasive today. Human beings have lost touch with their surroundings and are instead fixating on their daily routines, without any regard for the overall picture. While there is awareness about climate change, the notion itself remains distant for ordinary people. It is something that needs to be dealt with in the future and, therefore, something that does not affect them directly. By not dealing with the repercussions of their actions, they avoid any feelings of guilt or anxiety that would follow. Besides, they do not feel the need to disrupt any of their activities.
It is precisely because of said attitudes why “Chasing Ice” came to be. It chronicles the efforts James Balog, an environmental photographer, who initiates an expedition to Greenland, Iceland, and Alaska to capture footage that will show the real-life effects of climate change. “Chasing Ice” opens with news footage from various U.S. networks. One of them is Fox News, a well-known conservative outlet. The anchors are all expressing doubts about the legitimacy of the claims made by climate experts. Balog himself was initially doubtful about the entire prospect as well. What changed his perspective was his personal experience while travelling north. The purpose of his expedition, “Extreme Ice Survey”, was to collect data on the changes of glaciers. Through many trials and tribulations, his crew manages to capture the largest glacier calving ever filmed. It is a harrowing sequence that clearly shows how the problem has deteriorated, the repercussions of which are bound to be felt sooner than expected. Balog continues to give lectures on this issue and actively tries to raise awareness among the populace. This method, while risky for the people involved, is highly effective. Viewers get to finally view the issue of climate change as an abstract and distant notion. Instead, by viewing its immediate effects, they can finally understand the dangers it poses.
While awareness about climate change is steadily on the rise, as evidenced by various protests in recent years, there is still work to be done regarding this issue. The rise in the number of natural disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires, might help give a sense of the immediacy of the situation. In particular, after the dust has settled on the new COVID-19 crisis and research conducted upon its origins manage to link it to changes in the environment, it might make the public finally take the climate crisis more seriously and demand an immediate and effective response to combat it.
References and Bibliography
Horkheimer, M. and Adorno, T., (1969). Dialectic of Enlightenment, trans. J. Cumming, New York: Seabury Press 1972.
Lockwood, M. (2019). Right-Wing Populism and Climate Change Policy. Retrieved from https://www.oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk/blog/right-wing-populism-and-climate-change-policy
Mills, C. Wright. (1959) The Sociological Imagination. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Orlowski, J. director. (2012) Chasing Ice. Submarine Deluxe.
Tidman, Z. (2019). What different countries are doing around the globe to tackle the climate crisis. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change-crisis-global-strikes-countries-targets-paris-agreement-a9114086.html
