The Climate Change Agenda: A Political Impasse?

On 13 October, we welcome Irvine Lapsley (Business School, University of Edinburgh) to SKAPE as part of our seminar series. Please find the abstract here:

We are surrounded by evidence of the impact of climate change . Examples of extreme weather can be seen across the globe . The wild fires in Australia, California , Greece , Algeria , Italy , Portugal … in the summer of 2021 Sicily recorded a temperature of 49.5c but its usual highest summer temperature is 38c.

Also there have been floodings in Belgium and Germany in which entire towns have virtually been destroyed and in  which houses have been swept away and in which roads have been replaced by gaping holes . There have also been less dramatic floods in the U.K. in London and Edinburgh this summer .

If we add to these events over three decades of scientific research in climate change in which global warming has consistently been predicted we would expect an international emergency effort to be in place . Of course there is the Pandemic which hampers many activities in society .

However it is suggested here that the lack of international progress on tackling climate change has been a political impasse between climate change deniers and climate change reformers . This paper makes suggestions on enhancing climate change policies and actions .

All SKAPE seminars will take place online via Zoom in autumn 2021 (for link details, please email the Co-Directors – if you are already a member/associate member of SKAPE, then you will receive a Zoom link two days before the start of the event).