Introduction: Power, Knowledge and the Social Construction of Climate Change

Climate change has come to have numerous meanings “on our wonderful blue planet earth” (Toepfer 2005). Over the last twenty years, small steps have been taken to recognize, conceptualize and address climate change while scientific, political, economic and rhetorical battles rage. Recently we have taken tangible actions concerning climate change as illustrated in February 2005 when the Kyoto Protocol came into force. Yet, the treaty, requiring a binding commitment by member states to change their climate impacting behavior, has faced enormous criticism from multiple sources during its construction, ratification and implementation phases. The existence of climate change, its potential impacts and even the efficacy of current measures remain in contention.