Bison
‹ Back To All Questions
Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis?

Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis?

Background

In the wake of superstorm Sandy and an election process that all but ignored climate change, HumansandNature.org looks ahead.  As Obama begins his second term, our Scholars and Contributors initiate a critical discussion, reflecting on if—and how—the “last, best hope on earth” can tackle one of the most critical challenges the world faces. We invite you to join the conversation and share your thoughts on how we can reshape the democratic process and meet the climate crisis.

Additional Contributors
Daniele Archibugi

Can a World Parliament Save the Environment?

New York, 1 June 2023. Finally, the UN headquarters in New York, after the renovation works that lasted for a decade, are reopened for the inaugural session of the World Parliamentary Assembly (WPA).… Full Response ›
Daniele Archibugi, Research Director - Italian National Research Council (CNR) & Professor - University of London
Peter G. Brown

Democracy in the Anthropocene

Contemporary science radically reframes a fundamental idea at the heart of democratic theory and practice: that each person is free to act as he or she wishes so long as that action does not harm othe… Full Response ›
Peter G. Brown, Professor - McGill University
Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber

Expanding the Democracy Universe

In 1969, almost a quarter of a century after the collapse of the Nazi terror regime, the former German Chancellor and later Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Willy Brandt coined a legendary phrase: “Le… Full Response ›
Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber, Founder & Director - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Vandana Shiva

Earth Democracy: Responding to the Crisis of Democracy and the Climate Crisis

Earth democracy recognizes that we share the earth and are its caretakers. I want to argue here that when we take earth democracy seriously, we can understand how to negotiate the contradictions betwe… Full Response ›
Vandana Shiva, Director of the Foundation for Science, Technology & Ecology - Board Member International Forum on Globalization
Daniel Aldana Cohen

Democracy or Eco-Apartheid

Only a powerful, visionary movement can save us from green enclaves for elites and misery for the rest. At 12:57 a.m. on November 15, 2011, I got a text message reading, “OccupyNYC: URGENT &hel… Full Response ›
Daniel Aldana Cohen, PhD Candidate - New York University
Maude Barlow

Democracy Itself Is the Solution to the Climate Crisis

Can democracy in crisis deal with the global warming crisis? Yes! But only by addressing the crises of democracy and climate together. I see four steps. Reign in the Power of Big Oil The crisis of… Full Response ›
Maude Barlow, National Chairperson - Council of Canadians
Bill McKibben

Currencies of Movement Are the Key

Can our democracy deal with global warming? The early returns would indicate that the answer is no. We’ve known about climate change for a quarter century, and so far we’ve done all but n… Full Response ›
Bill McKibben, Founder - 350.org & Schumann Distinguished Scholar - Middlebury College
Michael Menser

The Participatory Metropolis, or Resilience Requires Democracy

The ecological and democracy crises are essentially place-based. What “self-rule” and sustainability look like depend upon the history and aspirations of the people pursuing them in a part… Full Response ›
Michael Menser, Assistant Professor - Brooklyn College
Robyn Eckersley

The Tyranny of the Minority

The United States has expended considerable resources and lives to make the world safe for democracy, but the looming climate crisis provides grounds for reflecting on whether US democracy is capable… Full Response ›
Robyn Eckersley, Professor - University of Melbourne & Fellow - Academy of the Social Sciences, Australia
Tim Hayward

Why Taking the Climate Challenge Seriously Means Taking Democracy More Seriously

The question of how well democracy is suited to dealing with serious environmental problems has always been a fundamental one for environmental political theorists. After early flirtations with ideas… Full Response ›
Tim Hayward, Professor - University of Edinburgh & Director - Just World Institute
John Dryzek

Deliberative Democracy and Climate Change

Contemporary political systems fail to address climate change effectively to the degree that they lack deliberative capacity. Deliberative capacity can be defined as the degree to which a system hosts… Full Response ›
John Dryzek, Professor & Australian Research Council Federation Fellow - Australian National University
‹ Back to All Questions

Join the Conversation (25)

Post a Comment
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
David Kyler on 5-7-2013 at 9:12AM
Response to Democracy in the Anthropocene
Impressive thinking with formidable obstacles to implementation.

I fear that too many profound choices are commonly assumed to be inevitable 'givens' -- foremost among them that continued use of fossil fuels is politically preordained -- locking humanity into a dangerously ... Read More
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Kate on 5-9-2013 at 10:18AM
Response to Democracy in the Anthropocene
David, thank you for this thoughtful and probing response!

I believe that community is essential to stimulate the eternal vigilance you write of. The closer our living communities are knit, the more apparent become the effects of the actions we undertake. Sensing and knowing full well... Read More
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
David Freud on 3-14-2013 at 4:24AM
Response to Can a World Parliament Save the Environment?
Too long. Doesn't answer the question. Fails to take account of the problem with democracy which is that individuals vote for self interest not the common good - witness the recent behaviour of the MEPs on the subject of common agricultural policy reform which would have linked payment to ... Read More
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Pete on 3-12-2013 at 3:00PM
Response to Democracy in the Anthropocene
"...each person is free to act as he or she wishes so long as that action does not harm other persons." It seems like this is still a true statement as long as one truly makes sure no harm is done to others, current or future. Read More
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
owen gaffney on 3-4-2013 at 2:11PM
Response to Expanding the Democracy Universe
Global democracy is likely a keystone innovation on the transition to a sustainable civilization. It could come sooner than we think. Schellnhuber has written at length about the dangers of tipping points in natural systems. We need to push towards this tipping point - a global democracy - in ... Read More
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Brooke Hecht on 3-5-2013 at 1:56PM
Response to Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis?
Owen, I think your comment on democracy and "tipping points" really is straight to the point. You might be interested in the videos offered through our Ecological Economy and Governance project. These videos explore different pathways for democracy--and economics: ... Read Morewww.humansandnature.org/EcologicalEconomyandGovernance
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Peter on 3-4-2013 at 7:25AM
Response to Expanding the Democracy Universe
Dear Professor Schellnhuber,

if you are interested in democratizing the UN-System you might want to take into consideration the concept of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA).

I am sure the experts of the http://www.unpacampaign.org would be happy to discuss... Read More
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
James Harbinger on 2-27-2013 at 5:44AM
Response to Expanding the Democracy Universe
"Put in different numbers, the expert information identifying humankind as the primary cause of contemporary climate change outweighs the contradicting assertion by a ratio of 99.87% to 0.17%."

This is quite disingenuous, Professor Schellnhuber chooses to use only those ... Read More
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Noam Goldstein on 2-22-2013 at 1:49PM
Response to Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis?
Yes, it is possible. But only with granting access to good quality information and knowledge to the most people.
If democracy is the 'dictatorship of the majority', and yet the majority can be manipulated by a better informed minority, then the 'Tyranny of the Minority' ... Read Moreexposed by Prof. Eckersley above becomes a fact.
And how to bring more information to the masses? Well, investing in Education (and not military or subsidies to oil industry/monocultures) as a priority seems to be a way.
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Brooke Hecht on 2-26-2013 at 6:46PM
Response to Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis?
We hope that forums like this one can contribute to building such a thinking community (of the "masses"). To this end, check out Bill McKibben's post on this site: "Currencies of Movement are the Key."

www.humansandnature.org/mckibben

Thanks... Read More for your contribution to the development of good ideas! Education is clearly a critical piece.
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Emma Kendall on 2-6-2013 at 8:18PM
Response to Democracy or Eco-Apartheid
Thanks Daniel for this illuminating piece. I am intrigued by the term 'eco-apartheid' - may we rail against it. Read More
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Brooke Hecht on 2-6-2013 at 7:46PM
Response to Democracy or Eco-Apartheid
Daniel, you are clearly keeping it real. Your post makes me think of a great TED talk--related/parallel to the case you make here: http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_wilkinson.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-10-25&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email Read More
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Pete on 2-1-2013 at 6:12AM
Response to Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis?
Practically speaking, we probably need to deal with entitlement reform first in order to free up material time and resources for implementing climate change solutions. Entitlements by themselves will bankrupt the country. One of the many problems with our democracy today is the high voter turn out... Read More of elderly Americans. High voter turn out means power, and the this large group of Americans is not very constructive when it comes to entitlement reform. It's ironic that the democratic party is less open to entitlement reform while also being more open to climate change solutions. In a world of scarcity, they are linked...
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Jack on 2-1-2013 at 11:57AM
Response to Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis?
"One of the many problems with our democracy today is the high voter turn out of elderly Americans."

I thought the death panels were going to take care of that.
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Dave Coulter on 1-30-2013 at 9:09AM
Response to Why Taking the Climate Challenge Seriously Means Taking Democracy More Seriously
I agree with the premise that sacrafice is certainly unpopular with many voters, and certainly in the United States. It seems that all presidents have learned from the experience of Jimmy Carter, who was roundly chastized for reducing the speed limit to 55 mph!

I'm not old ... Read More
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Janice Thomson on 1-23-2013 at 12:42PM
Response to Deliberative Democracy and Climate Change
Thank you for this wonderful series of articles! For more evidence that involving the public in meaningful deliberation has the potential to change attitudes and behaviors toward tackling climate change, see this 2012 report from Involve (UK). ... Read More
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Kate on 1-28-2013 at 4:49PM
Response to Deliberative Democracy and Climate Change
Janice, this is inspiring stuff! Thank you for sharing it here. Hopefully more readers will connect to the idea of deliberative democracy. It's always wonderful to see great ideas in motion. Read More
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Rick Chamberlin on 1-21-2013 at 4:53PM
Response to Currencies of Movement Are the Key
Bill McKibben balancing seriousness, sarcasm and sincerity as well as he ever has. Had we listened to him when he wrote "The End of Nature" almost 3 decades ago, we would be well ahead of where Germany is today and pulling most of the rest of the world behind us. Read More
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Dave Coulter on 1-22-2013 at 1:24PM
Response to Currencies of Movement Are the Key
Rick,

You're right on the mark. might enjoy this piece from last summmer by the late (great!) Alexander Cockburn:

http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/06/22/failure-in-rio/

DC Read More
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Dave Coulter on 1-21-2013 at 4:52PM
Response to Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis?
It is true that democracy can indeed be slow to respond to a crisis, but look how fast the US government moved in the wake of the 9-11 attacks. Whether you liked or disliked those post-attack outcomes, you had to admire how spry all the actors suddenly became when there was truly a crisis.
... Read More
I believe that many people simply don't think there is a big environmental crisis. Global warming, sinking islands and melthing glaciers do not (yet, anyway) seem to have moved people quite the same way that burning rivers or smog once did. One of the most discouraging things for me was the recognition that the two major candidates barely discussed these concerns in their televised debates.

My goodness, I would have loved for them to say what their concerns were for global warming, never mind what happened at Fukushima. Never mind the several other major troubling environmental trends (deforestation, depletion of the seas, over-population, etc) that barely get a blip beyond forums like this one!

I think democracy can work well in a crisis, when there is a sense of common purpose. Will we ever reach that point?
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Kate on 1-28-2013 at 4:36PM
Response to Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis?
Dave, your question resonates with a growing community. Coming together to address the climate crisis in a real way means dealing with the crisis in democracy.

Tim Hayward discusses the ties between these two issues in a great essay here: ... Read Morehttp://www.humansandnature.org/democracy---tim-hayward-response-54.php
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Pete on 1-18-2013 at 5:45AM
Response to Currencies of Movement Are the Key
There needs to be a serious backing of a third party from the environmental movements (green party or other). Once the Democratic party realizes it might lose elections by having 3-5% (making up the number) of the vote go to a third party, they will be forced to do the right thing. Read More
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Kate on 1-18-2013 at 9:58AM
Response to Currencies of Movement Are the Key
This could definitely be one (potentially exciting) outcome of Bill's idea for harnessing the influence of "currencies of movement." But would the threat of losing control ensure that our elected representatives act fast enough to make a difference when it comes to climate change?
Read More
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Jack Lomax on 1-18-2013 at 1:57AM
Response to Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis?
If democracy means an informed and active citizenry then yes it is the only worth while tool for dealing with the global present and future threat. But if it means the chance to vote for one side of a farce duopoly every few years guided by a MSM which has become the total tool of capitalism and ... Read Morethe dirty dollar brigade then it is a farce best circumvented and exposed.
Reply
User Gravitar Image
Flag?
Kate on 1-28-2013 at 4:46PM
Response to Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis?
Your comment about this 'farce' is a feeling that I imagine is shared by many people. Watching the way money and power play into this is disheartening and has the effect of discouraging many from becoming engaged as citizens in a democratic nation.

You might be inspired to ... Read Moreread Bill McKibben's essay in this series and employ the idea of a "currency of movement" to the challenge of climate change: http://www.humansandnature.org/democracy---bill-mckibben-response-53.php
Get your picture by comments?

Get a picture next to your comments! Visit Gravatar.com and link a picture to your email address.

Weigh in with your thoughts!

All fields required unless otherwise noted.






Copyright © 2013 Center for Humans & Nature. All Rights Reserved.
www.humansandnature.org