This thesis is about the burden-sharing question concerning climate change. And whether the Structural Injustice approach can offer a more nuanced perspective. Thereby, arguing for a fourth...Show moreThis thesis is about the burden-sharing question concerning climate change. And whether the Structural Injustice approach can offer a more nuanced perspective. Thereby, arguing for a fourth principle the Imperfect responsibility to Pay Principle (IRPP).Show less
Since the 1980s, archaeological research has unraveled many mysteries about the life in ancient settlements along the Eastern Mediterranean coast, with Atlit-Yam being its prime example. This...Show moreSince the 1980s, archaeological research has unraveled many mysteries about the life in ancient settlements along the Eastern Mediterranean coast, with Atlit-Yam being its prime example. This fishing village was occupied at least nine-and-a-half-thousand years ago and has since then been exposed to a rapidly changing climate and rising sea-levels after the Last Glacial Maximum. Interdisciplinary scientific fields, such as geoarchaeology and paleoclimatology have played an important role in the process of achieving a greater understanding of the relationship between our predecessors and a changing natural environment around them. During the writing process of this essay, it came forward that climate change, and especially a sharp temperature fluctuation during the late ninth-millennium B.P. had notable consequences to the people living at Atlit-Yam, which in turn affected the subsistence economy of the village. The fishing economy that most likely revolved around one specific rare fish; the effort to construct the earliest man-made fresh water wells on the planet and even attempts to brace for the seawater by artificially raising the ground water table and constructing dikes are all examples of responsive behaviour towards climate change during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic C period, when Atlit-Yam enjoyed occupation. All of these, and a comparison between two other Neolithic sites on the Israeli coast have provided an additional perspective on the subsistence economy of Atlit-Yam in contrast to climate change. More attention is shifting towards ancient climate adaptations in coastal areas, and its research potential is underlined by the BEFOREtheFLOOD project funded by the European Research Council. Researchers from the University of Haifa, Israel, are working on the follow-up questions that arose from earlier research regarding this topic.Show less
This paper investigates the responsibilities of the private sector in climate change mitigation within a capitalist system. It examines the incentives inherent in capitalism that drive corporate...Show moreThis paper investigates the responsibilities of the private sector in climate change mitigation within a capitalist system. It examines the incentives inherent in capitalism that drive corporate behaviour, particularly the pursuit of profit maximization, and how this affects the sector’s ability to engage in environmental sustainability. The research reveals that while companies can undertake certain green initiatives autonomously, their efforts are constrained by the need for profitability. Consequently, the paper argues that government intervention is essential to facilitate and enhance the private sector’s contributions to climate change mitigation. By analysing various academic perspectives, such as business sciences, environmental sciences, and legal sciences, as well as political sciences, this paper concludes that the division of responsibility between the state and private businesses is clear-cut: it is the government’s role to set moral and legal boundaries within which businesses must operate. This study contributes to the dialogue on corporate environmental responsibility by highlighting the limitations of private sector initiatives and the crucial role of government in enabling meaningful progress in climate change mitigation.Show less
Urban heat is a critical challenge faced by cities all around the globe, as they are working towards becoming resilient and sustainable in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 11. The...Show moreUrban heat is a critical challenge faced by cities all around the globe, as they are working towards becoming resilient and sustainable in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 11. The effects of climate change are expected to exacerbate the already severe health risks associated with urban heat, whereas mitigation measures come with wide-ranging benefits beyond urban heat itself. However, urban heat does not affect each region in the same way, and the efficiency of mitigation approaches can differ significantly. This paper aims to understand where research on urban heat is happening globally and investigate factors that play a role in spatial disparities through bivariate analyses. The results point towards research funding being a major factor in a region's research output. Another factor relating to both the occurrence of urban heat and research on urban heat is the size of the population. Africa and Oceania, in particular, have been found to be widely underrepresented, as well as regions in the tropical climate zone. Further research is needed to get a better understanding of these differences, and, on a larger scale, broad action is necessary to promote and accelerate research on and led by the global south.Show less
With the awareness of climate change our experience of literature has fundamentally changed. Using the heideggarian notions of world and earth, as well as key insights of Timothy Morton regarding...Show moreWith the awareness of climate change our experience of literature has fundamentally changed. Using the heideggarian notions of world and earth, as well as key insights of Timothy Morton regarding the experience of climate change and the experience of literature according to Maurice Blanchot, this thesis tries to show how our experience of literature has changed. The literary texts may have stayed the same, the way in which we read them has certainly not. The awareness of climate change has forced us to recognize that we are connected to and have a bearing on everything else on earth. This awareness makes it so that we read literary texts according to this awareness.Show less
Archaeological heritage are under threat by climate change all over the world and its resulting impacts are happening so quickly and within so many different physical and socio-cultural contexts,...Show moreArchaeological heritage are under threat by climate change all over the world and its resulting impacts are happening so quickly and within so many different physical and socio-cultural contexts, that it is impossible for any single organization or discipline to combat. For this reason, many researchers around the world have developed various methods and options in engaging the public’s help through community-based and citizen science research, including community archaeology and community-based heritage projects to better preserve our cultural heritage. This thesis presents five diverse case studies from Alaska, Scotland, Florida, Australia, France and Guadeloupe to highlight how collaboration and community archaeology are building better practices to manage coastal archaeological heritage. The case studies are compared and analyzed with a five-part methodology, based on underlying components they all share. In the end I will determine the most common factors attributing to a successful community archaeology project and discussing how we can enlist the public’s help in our battle against climate change.Show less
This thesis analyses the role of political factors in conflict arising from climate change through a single case study of the farmer-herder conflict in Laikipia, Kenya. A better understanding of...Show moreThis thesis analyses the role of political factors in conflict arising from climate change through a single case study of the farmer-herder conflict in Laikipia, Kenya. A better understanding of climate change and conflict is necessary, as there is no clear consensus among scholars. This thesis uses political ecology that states that political factors, such as politicised ethnicity, access to land tenure, and perception of identity have a direct influence on conflict. It criticises the environmental scarcity theory, which states that resource scarcity due to climate change directly influences conflict. Mixed methods are used to analyse the role of political factors. The process tracing method is used to test whether power relations in politics influence conflict and the qualitative content analysis method is used to support process tracing by providing inside into the political factors presented in three major Kenyan newspapers. The results show that perception of identity, access to land tenure, and politicised ethnicity all contribute to a negative impact on the ability of pastoralists to access and influence the distribution of resources. This causes the competition for resources to become violent. The findings also show there is indirect link between climate change and conflict. These findings are in line with political ecology theory. Therefore, this thesis contributes to the theory and discussion in the literature about climate change and conflict.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
Indonesia is one of the countries vulnerable to the impact of climate change due to its geography. Climate change has threatened the agriculture industry and the country’s ability for food security...Show moreIndonesia is one of the countries vulnerable to the impact of climate change due to its geography. Climate change has threatened the agriculture industry and the country’s ability for food security which can be a severe problem in the future. However, there are problems with how the government of Indonesia is trying to manage the impact of climate change on agriculture, especially on rice paddy farming, due to the impacts of the past neo-liberal policy (the green revolution) and challenges within the political reformation after the downfall of the Soeharto regime. In this thesis, I am trying to explore the implications and the causes of agricultural and climate issues management problems in Indramayu, Indonesia, by utilizing Aryo Danusiri’s (2018) visual methods of menjaring (trawling) and berburu (hunting). In understanding the implications, I was using the trawling method where I argue that climate change and agricultural management problems in Indonesia are creating a precarious situation for the rice paddy farmers, in line with Anna Tsing’s (2015: 20) statement of precarity being the condition of our time. Lastly, I was using the hunting method where I found out that ‘sectoral ego’ problems within the government and aggressive neo-liberal politics as one of the major causes.Show less
South Korea’s positioning in the international climate change discourse is ambiguous. It’s considered a role model on green growth and combatting climate change whilst having increasing emissions....Show moreSouth Korea’s positioning in the international climate change discourse is ambiguous. It’s considered a role model on green growth and combatting climate change whilst having increasing emissions. Using realist theory, this research lays bare the benefits of this ambiguous position. Protecting its non-Annex I status whilst promoting green initiatives allows South Korea to avoid international criticism and taking on (more) responsibility on combatting climate change. At the same time, promoting the notion that South Korea is a ‘role model’ on combatting climate change raises its international standing, allows it to enact multiple leadership roles, and thus increases its political autonomy. Ultimately, the case of South Korea is notable because it lays bare how one can position itself in the global climate change discourse.Show less
This thesis adopts a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the role played by droughts in Mozambique to try and assess their impact on the society. More precisely, it reviews the evolution of...Show moreThis thesis adopts a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the role played by droughts in Mozambique to try and assess their impact on the society. More precisely, it reviews the evolution of natural resource management practices in the country from the pre-colonial times to the contemporary period, it analyses actual testimonies coming from inhabitants of Maputo, and it investigates the political and environmental framework set in place by the government. In the end, it is found that there still is a significant gap between the actions which the government plans to implement and the actual social outcome generated by droughts.Show less
The Purpose of this thesis is to answer the research question: ‘How did the agenda setting of the VVD evolve from 2006 to 2021 regarding climate issues?’ The VVD had the largest mandate in the...Show moreThe Purpose of this thesis is to answer the research question: ‘How did the agenda setting of the VVD evolve from 2006 to 2021 regarding climate issues?’ The VVD had the largest mandate in the Lower House for the past 10 years and also supplied the Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The VVD is usually characterised as a right-wing liberal party, with a huge emphasis on the economy, the market and liberty. At the same time, the discussion on climate change has come up strongly and has become an important topic of Dutch politics. The research on this phenomenon shows more and more the necessity of political action, in order to reverse the trend. The relationship between these two is the subject of this thesis, for the reason that it has hardly been studied, but the vision of the VVD is crucial for the formation of Dutch climate policy. Therefore this research will analyse the vision of the VVD in regard to climate change.Show less
The Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement was perceived as a blow for the environmental movement. The decision to withdraw was justified by the Trump administration...Show moreThe Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement was perceived as a blow for the environmental movement. The decision to withdraw was justified by the Trump administration on the premise that it would protect US jobs and its economy. In the span of eight years the US went from extensively regulating the fossil-fuel industry to deregulating and withdrawing from the most comprehensive international climate agreement. This drastic policy change will be explored in this thesis. More specifically, the factors that contributed to the decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement by the Trump administration. By using Kingdon’s (1995) Multiple Streams Framework, it will explore how the problem, political and policy stream contributed to this decision to withdraw. Furthermore, the role of the politicisation of the policy advisory systems will be explored in the policy stream. Every stream has different indicators/concepts which will be analysed. In doing so, it will strive to explore which factors did contribute to the decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement by the Trump administration.Show less
This thesis examines the EU ETS and analyzes the Scheme's ability to support the EU’s climate leadership, which is founded on the principle of ‘leading by example’. As this is the most prominent...Show moreThis thesis examines the EU ETS and analyzes the Scheme's ability to support the EU’s climate leadership, which is founded on the principle of ‘leading by example’. As this is the most prominent formulation of EU climate leadership, a normative lens is used to analyze the nature and implications of the EU ETS. This is done using Ian Manner’s conception of normative power, which argues that the EU’s international power stems from its ability to shape international ideas by adhering to domestic norms. The author argues that the set-up of the ETS does not sufficiently incorporate fundamental EU values. Due to the policy’s significance in wider EU climate efforts, its lack of value incorporation results in a diminishing of the credibility of the EU’s climate leadership on an international level, and thus leads to a decrease in the region’s possibility to exert normative power.Show less
The Arctic is often perceived to be a vast empty space, the world’s inhospitable and politically unimportant hinterland. Increasingly at the forefront of the global climate change precipice, the...Show moreThe Arctic is often perceived to be a vast empty space, the world’s inhospitable and politically unimportant hinterland. Increasingly at the forefront of the global climate change precipice, the attention the Arctic receives predominantly reflects a passive region that serves as a dire warning of the environmental degradation to come. In reality however, the Arctic is home to over 500,000 indigenous peoples whose heritages reflect thousands of years of subsistence living and adaption to the region’s environment. The political agency of indigenous peoples in the Arctic is integral to the innovative and collaborative space. As a result, indigenous knowledge is an important component for understanding Arctic international relations and developments. However, the narrow framework of mainstream International Relations is unequipped to sufficiently address this reality. This thesis asks: How do Arctic indigenous peoples’ knowledge and perspectives pose a challenge to prevailing International Relations assumptions? With a focus on the challenges and new perspectives that indigenous knowledge offers to the assumptions of state-centrism, agency, cooperation, territoriality, sovereignty and modernity, this thesis endeavours to include indigenous views in a more inclusive and globally representative International Relations. Is it sufficient to analyse the indigenous political role in environmental protection and sustainable development as one of a non-state influence, pressuring states to make environmentally conscious decisions in their policies? Are indigenous political and social arrangements in the Arctic merely an anomaly formation of significant authority within the regular framework of state interactions? This thesis argues that the variety of indigenous beliefs, worldviews, and knowledge provide more discerning and apt frameworks for International Relations theory to understand indigenous peoples’ involvement in Arctic politics.Show less
A thesis about individual responsibility for collective action problems and more specifically anthropogenic global climate change. This thesis tries to refute claims made by Walter Sinnott...Show moreA thesis about individual responsibility for collective action problems and more specifically anthropogenic global climate change. This thesis tries to refute claims made by Walter Sinnott-Armstrong on individual causal inefficacy.Show less
