Mike Hulme Featured in Süddeutsche Zeitung
04.09.2014
In an interview conducted by Christopher Schrader of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Carson Fellow Mike Hulme talks about the climate change debate and what we should do about it.
Concerns about climate change have led to a sense of worldwide crisis, and there has been a tendency to turn to science to provide us with answers. Hulme argues that this is the wrong approach. Scientific consensus cannot bring us any closer to agreeing upon the appropriate course of action: This is a political process in which everyone involved has different ideas about what the most effective options are, what should be regulated, and what risks are acceptable.
Therefore, he suggests, we need to respond more pragmatically. Instead of arguing about how to halt climate change, it is important to develop strategies for responding to its effects. We can help the victims of climate-related catastrophes, such as floods, storms, or droughts, without engaging in the debate about whether climate change is causing such events to increase. We need to fight the symptoms because we can’t fight the cause.
One important outcome of the climate change debate is the growing awareness that humans are capable of triggering enormous changes that affect the whole planet. This shift in thinking helps us to reflect upon our behaviors and responsibility.
Read the full interview (in German)