ABSTRACT

The Hartwell Approach to Climate Policy presents a powerful critique of mainstream climate change policies and details a set of pragmatic alternatives based on the Hartwell Group’s collective writings from 1988-2010. Drawing on a rich history of heterodox but increasingly accepted views on climate change policy, this book brings together in a single volume a series of key, related texts that define the ‘Hartwell critique’ of conventional climate change policies and the ‘Hartwell approach’ to building more inclusive, pragmatic alternatives.

This book tells of the story of how and why conventional climate policy has failed and, drawing from lessons learned, how it can be renovated. It does so by weaving together three strands of analysis. First, it highlights why the mainstream approach, as embodied by the Kyoto Protocol, has failed to produce real world reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and delayed real meaningful progress on climate change. Second, it explores the underlying political, economic, and technological factors which form the boundary conditions for climate change policy but which are often ignored by policy makers and advocates. Finally, it lays out a novel approach to climate change guided centrally by the goal of uplifting human dignity worldwide—and the recognition that this can only succeed if pursued pragmatically, economically, and with democratic legitimacy.

With contributions from leading scholars in the field, this work presents a original critique of climate policy and a constructive primer for how to improve it.

chapter |6 pages

Introduction

Another book on climate change policy?

part 1|64 pages

The road not taken

part 2|123 pages

An emerging critique

chapter 10|17 pages

Social Science and the Absence of Nature (2000) *

Uncertainty and the reality of extremes

chapter 12|9 pages

Disasters, Death, and Destruction (2006) *

Making sense of recent calamities

part 3|32 pages

The end of the pipe

part 4|17 pages

From climate crisis to energy challenge

part 6|24 pages

Beyond Hartwell