I am not familiar with the Clark volume, but just to add my recollections to this discussion: I have heard at least one version of the story that has a small sub-set of influential scientists working from within environmental groups to mobilize the broader scientific community. This interpretation has the IPCC being established somewhat hastily in part as a reaction to a convening of scientists by NGOs to set a scientific agenda on climate change. While this may be over-stated, it is worth noting that this contrary interpretation is out there. A great source on this period would be Michael Oppenheimer, who was heavily involved in mobilizing scientists while working from within a major environmental group (EDF), and has been at Princeton for the last decade and more. I think Irving Mintzer's writings from Rio days reflect on the pre-1990s science mobilization story as well.
Thanks, Navroz. On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 3:44 AM, Marc Levy <[email protected]>wrote: > You'll find this history traced pretty thoroughly in this volume: > > Learning to Manage Global Environmental Risks, Vol. 1: A Comparative > History of Social Responses to Climate Change, Ozone Depletion, and > Acid Rain, > Social Learning Group (Author), William C. Clark (Foreword) > > Your sketch of a broad difference between the timing in the science > and NGO communities may have something to it, but an alternative view > would be worth considering. That is, scientists and NGOs got much > more serious about climate change at around the same time, as they > both reacted simultaneously to 1) evolving science, especially the > work showing how much worse things looked when you considered the > effects of all GHGs, not just CO2, 2) dialogues with each other, at > major international conferences and in expert groups, and 3) shifting > political and public climates driven by heat waves and green political > victories. If you consider the 1989 Toronto conference the > culmination of the various dynamics over the 1980s, by then NGOs and > scientists were more or less equally ambitious in promoting an > aggressive climate change agenda. > > - Marc > > On Sun, May 9, 2010 at 4:45 PM, Dale W Jamieson <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > dear colleagues, > > > > having lived through a particular historical period, i’m once again in > the embarrassing position of looking for studies that confirm my memories > (or show that i was actually elsewhere at the time). > > > > i experienced the rise of the climate change issue in the 1980s as > science-led, with environmental groups being late to the issue, in part > because (begin speculation) 1)it’s a difficult issue scientifically and > experientiallym so there was a predictable time lag 2)fears that it would > bring in nuclear power 3) fears that it would be a difficult issue to > communicate and raise money around. > > > > can you suggest sources that show that i’m either right or wrong about > these things? > > > > thanks, > > > > dale > > > > ********************** > > Dale Jamieson > > Director of Environmental Studies > > Professor of Environmental Studies and Philosophy > > Affiliated Professor of Law > > Environmental Studies Program > > New York University > > 285 Mercer Street, 901 > > New York NY 10003-6653 > > Voice 212-998-5429 > > Fax 212-995-4157 > > http://philosophy.fas.nyu.edu/object/dalejamieson.html > > > > "Talk to people where they're at--not where you're at."--Saul Alinsky > > > > - > -- Navroz K. Dubash Senior Fellow Centre for Policy Research Dharma Marg Chanakyapuri New Delhi 110 021 India Tel: +91-11-2611-5273/74/75/76 Fax: +91-11-2687-2746 Email: [email protected] www.cprindia.org
