Nature-Culture Dualism in International Climate Change Discussions Elise Downing Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change Conference University of Oregon May 2012
Overview How does society define nature? How is our social conception of nature visible in international climate change governing documents? – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report of 2007
Nature and People Separation between humans and nature is part of cultural history of the West – Development of the city – Systems of Knowledge – Legal and Government Institutions Human-Nature Dualism or Nature-Culture Dualism
“Anthropogenic Climate Change” Human caused shifts in how the global climate system functions Contradicts human-nature dualism
On the International Stage Continued human-nature separation in: – Language – Structure – Content
Language UNFCCC ““Adverse effects of CC” means changes in the physical environmental or biota resulting from CC which have significant deleterious effects on the composition resilience or productivity of natural and managed ecosystems or on the operations of socio-economic systems or on human health and welfare
Structure and Organization IPCC Report 2007, Summary for Policy Makers, p 16.
Content, Science, Carbon Emissions Kyoto Protocol, Article 10, discussing adaptation “c. Cooperate in the promotion of effective modalities for the development, application and diffusion of, and take all practicable steps to promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, the transfer of, or access to, environmentally sound technologies, know-how, practices and processes pertinent to climate change”
Conclusions Yes: Human systems are affected by climate change. No: Humans fundamentally live within environmental constraints. Yes: Humans are changing the climate with carbon and GHG emissions No: Humans influence the climate and environment outside of those factors.
Conclusions Dualism > Holism Anthropogenic Climate Change = Carbon Emissions