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The Politics of Climate Activism in the UK: A Social Movement Analysis

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  • Peter North

    (Department of Geography, School of Environmental Sciences, Roxby Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 8TZ, England)

Abstract

This paper uses social movement theory (SMT) as a theoretical ‘gymnasium’ to explore the limits and possibilities of climate activism in the UK. The core SMT concepts are used to explore why climate activism emerged when it did, and how conceptions of there being a problem were translated into arguments about what should be done. If something should be done, is contentious politics or policy change the most appropriate strategy? At what scale should action take place: a local politics of prefiguration, through direct action, or in more visible mass mobilisations? It is argued that climate activism takes place in a diverse range of political spaces and scales and works actively to produce knowledges about the dangers of anthropogenic climate change and responsibilities for it, but it is unclear that it has the motive power to move to more sustainable ways of organising human society.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter North, 2011. "The Politics of Climate Activism in the UK: A Social Movement Analysis," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 43(7), pages 1581-1598, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:43:y:2011:i:7:p:1581-1598
    DOI: 10.1068/a43534
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stern,Nicholas, 2007. "The Economics of Climate Change," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521700801, January.
    2. Lomborg,Bjørn, 2001. "The Skeptical Environmentalist," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521010689, January.
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    2. Kester, Johannes & Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2017. "Torn between war and peace: Critiquing the use of war to mobilize peaceful climate action," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 50-55.
    3. Jay Sterling Gregg & Sophie Nyborg & Meiken Hansen & Valeria Jana Schwanitz & August Wierling & Jan Pedro Zeiss & Sarah Delvaux & Victor Saenz & Lucia Polo-Alvarez & Chiara Candelise & Winston Gilcrea, 2020. "Collective Action and Social Innovation in the Energy Sector: A Mobilization Model Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-24, February.
    4. Paul Chatterton, 2013. "Towards an Agenda for Post-carbon Cities: Lessons from Lilac, the UK's First Ecological, Affordable Cohousing Community," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(5), pages 1654-1674, September.
    5. Rachel Slocum, 2018. "Climate Politics and Race in the Pacific Northwest," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(10), pages 1-25, October.
    6. David, Martin, 2018. "The role of organized publics in articulating the exnovation of fossil-fuel technologies for intra- and intergenerational energy justice in energy transitions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 339-350.

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