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Abstract
After decades of a rather bright and optimistic futurology “future” in our days is mostly evaluated in much more sceptical and pessimistic terms. This is true for science-based scenarios (e.g. on the consequences of climate change or the degradation of biodiversity or the carrying capacity of the planet Earth in general) as well as for fiction (and science fiction). The reaction of political decision-makers was what is called in this article “futurisation”; the concept of boundaries (to economic growth or greenhouse gas emissions or the amount of public and private debt) almost naturally introduces a political approach focusing on the chances of future generations. Climate change has brought a cultural reorientation regarding the dominant time consciousness of postmodern societies, as is shown mainly in reference to the German case.
Abstract
After decades of a rather bright and optimistic futurology “future” in our days is mostly evaluated in much more sceptical and pessimistic terms. This is true for science-based scenarios (e.g. on the consequences of climate change or the degradation of biodiversity or the carrying capacity of the planet Earth in general) as well as for fiction (and science fiction). The reaction of political decision-makers was what is called in this article “futurisation”; the concept of boundaries (to economic growth or greenhouse gas emissions or the amount of public and private debt) almost naturally introduces a political approach focusing on the chances of future generations. Climate change has brought a cultural reorientation regarding the dominant time consciousness of postmodern societies, as is shown mainly in reference to the German case.
The vague term “populism,” which is used as a political slogan, has had a long career in social history but is rarely defined very precisely. Deriving from Lat. populus (people), it denotes a social movement from below, or political mobilization from above, which takes on force by harnessing the opposition of the (common) people to the established political elite or the political system. In the language and self-understanding of populist politicians, the “little people,” a group not sociologically defined, confront those in power, by which they mean “out-of-touch” representatives or ruling castes (Class and Social Stratum). As populism sees it, office, wealth, and prestige merge into one another. Many everyday populist theories include an element of conspiracy. Populism usually results in amorphous, thematically diffuse, weakly institutionalized, and ephemeral movements that have been on the fringe of society and now take center stage. In some cases these movements might organize themselves more permanently into parties and, as such, may achieve representation (Democracy).
Paradoxically, the way we perceive environmental and climate change and handle damage is closely linked to local or regional patterns of perception. This local view is grounded not only in different ways of socio-economic development in different regions of the world, but also in differences in cultural patterns. Also, the disturbance of the environment and climate causes relatively rapid social changes, in which the interpretation of symbols for the relationship between man and nature plays an important part.
The history of climate and culture, patterns of perception of environmental and climate change and an informed assessment of the future direction of environmental and climate policy in various parts of the world have to be taken into account in order to get to grips with the problem.
From a variety of angles, such as the history of ideas, historiography, the study of civilisation, and the political sciences, the monographs and edited volumes in Climate and Culture will all deal with the following questions:
• How do local and regional cultures perceive changes in the environment and climate in past and present?
• How did and do they adjust to them?
• How do their various representatives and spokesmen introduce their respective views to the global debate and into emerging international negotiating systems?