IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jenvss/v7y2017i4d10.1007_s13412-017-0433-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Seeing complexity: visualization tools in global environmental politics and governance

Author

Listed:
  • Kate O’Neill

    (UC Berkeley)

  • Erika Weinthal

    (Duke University)

  • Patrick Hunnicutt

    (University of California)

Abstract

Can visualization tools and applications help scholars of global environmental politics and governance understand problems that are complex, linked, and cross-scalar—the critical characteristics of contemporary environmental problems? Surprisingly, such tools have been rarely used in this literature despite widespread availability and use in other fields to make sense of complex data. We trace the history of visualizations from the early work of Minard and Snow up to the sophisticated, web-based interactive graphics we have today, and identify forms of visualization and their uses. We apply these tools to a specific preliminary case study: the number, location, and timeline of waste disposal projects in developing countries registered with the Clean Development Mechanism as climate offsets. This preliminary case gets at unexpected linkages across climate and waste governance at the international level, and allows us to start to see local impacts of global mitigation and market mechanisms. Using Tableau, we have generated a series of maps and other visualizations that make trends and patterns visible—helping to spark further research. We conclude by discussing the implications of visualization tools for fields of global environmental politics and governance, and critiques of visualization from practical and theoretical viewpoints. We note their connection to wider political debates around accessibility of data and science.

Suggested Citation

  • Kate O’Neill & Erika Weinthal & Patrick Hunnicutt, 2017. "Seeing complexity: visualization tools in global environmental politics and governance," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 7(4), pages 490-506, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:7:y:2017:i:4:d:10.1007_s13412-017-0433-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s13412-017-0433-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13412-017-0433-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13412-017-0433-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David Ciplet, 2014. "Contesting Climate Injustice: Transnational Advocacy Network Struggles for Rights in UN Climate Politics," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 14(4), pages 75-96, November.
    2. Loes Willemijn Van Rooijen, 2014. "Pioneering in Marginal Fields: Jatropha for Carbon Credits and Restoring Degraded Land in Eastern Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-25, April.
    3. Richard G. Newell & William A. Pizer & Daniel Raimi, 2014. "Carbon Markets: Past, Present, and Future," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 6(1), pages 191-215, October.
    4. Dana Fisher & Philip Leifeld & Yoko Iwaki, 2013. "Mapping the ideological networks of American climate politics," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 116(3), pages 523-545, February.
    5. Victoria Wibeck & Tina-Simone Neset & Björn-Ola Linnér, 2013. "Communicating Climate Change through ICT-Based Visualization: Towards an Analytical Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(11), pages 1-18, November.
    6. Lisa M. Campbell & Catherine Corson & Noella J. Gray & Kenneth I. MacDonald & Peter Brosius, 2014. "Introduction: Studying Global Environmental Meetings to Understand Global Environmental Governance: Collaborative Event Ethnography at the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biologic," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 14(3), pages 1-20, August.
    7. Jessica F. Green, 2013. "Order out of Chaos: Public and Private Rules for Managing Carbon," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 13(2), pages 1-25, May.
    8. Ariel Dinar & Shaikh Mahfuzur Rahman & Donald F. Larson & Philippe Ambrosi, 2011. "Local Actions, Global Impacts: International Cooperation and the CDM," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 11(4), pages 108-133, November.
    9. Branch, Jordan, 2011. "Mapping the Sovereign State: Technology, Authority, and Systemic Change," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 65(1), pages 1-36, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xiang-Yu Wang & Bao-Jun Tang, 2018. "Review of comparative studies on market mechanisms for carbon emission reduction: a bibliometric analysis," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 94(3), pages 1141-1162, December.
    2. Thibaud Deguilhem & Juliette Schlegel & Jean-Philippe Berrou & Ousmane Djibo & Alain Piveteau, 2024. "Too many options: How to identify coalitions in a policy network?," Post-Print hal-04689665, HAL.
    3. Bayer, Patrick & Marcoux, Christopher & Urpelainen, Johannes, 2013. "Leveraging private capital for climate mitigation: Evidence from the Clean Development Mechanism," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 14-24.
    4. Philipp Pattberg, 2017. "The emergence of carbon disclosure: Exploring the role of governance entrepreneurs," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(8), pages 1437-1455, December.
    5. Arif, Faisal & Dissou, Yazid, 2016. "Regional burden sharing of GHG mitigation policies in a decentralized federation," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 52(PB), pages 390-399.
    6. Blum, Mareike, 2020. "Whose climate? Whose forest? Power struggles in a contested carbon forestry project in Uganda," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    7. Burtraw, Dallas & Palmer, Karen & Munnings, Clayton & Weber, Paige & Woerman, Matt, 2013. "Linking by Degrees: Incremental Alignment of Cap-and-Trade Markets," RFF Working Paper Series dp-13-04, Resources for the Future.
    8. Larissa Diana Michelam & Tatiana Tucunduva Philippi Cortese & Tan Yigitcanlar & Ana Cristina Fachinelli & Leonardo Vils & Wilson Levy, 2021. "Leveraging Smart and Sustainable Development via International Events: Insights from Bento Gonçalves Knowledge Cities World Summit," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-27, September.
    9. Howard, Rebecca Joy & Tallontire, Anne & Stringer, Lindsay & Marchant, Rob, 2015. "Unraveling the Notion of “Fair Carbon”: Key Challenges for Standards Development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 343-356.
    10. Halleck-Vega, Solmaria & Mandel, Antoine & Millock, Katrin, 2018. "Accelerating diffusion of climate-friendly technologies: A network perspective," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 235-245.
    11. Shin-Cheng Yeh & Haw-Jeng Chiou & Ai-Wei Wu & Ho-Ching Lee & Homer C. Wu, 2019. "Diverged Preferences towards Sustainable Development Goals? A Comparison between Academia and the Communication Industry," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-21, November.
    12. Kenneth W. Abbott & Benjamin Faude, 2022. "Hybrid institutional complexes in global governance," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 263-291, April.
    13. Adeyeye, Yemi & Hagerman, Shannon & Pelai, Ricardo, 2019. "Seeking procedural equity in global environmental governance: Indigenous participation and knowledge politics in forest and landscape restoration debates at the 2016 World Conservation Congress," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    14. Jessica F. Green, 2024. "The Climate Establishment and the Paris partnerships," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(6), pages 1-16, June.
    15. Jason Thistlethwaite & Matthew Paterson, 2016. "Private governance and accounting for sustainability networks," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 34(7), pages 1197-1221, November.
    16. Ghinoi, Stefano & Wesz Junior, Valdemar João & Piras, Simone, 2018. "Political debates and agricultural policies: Discourse coalitions behind the creation of Brazil’s Pronaf," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 68-80.
    17. Xinsheng Liu & Arnold Vedlitz & James Stoutenborough & Scott Robinson, 2015. "Scientists’ views and positions on global warming and climate change: A content analysis of congressional testimonies," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 131(4), pages 487-503, August.
    18. Anne Ballantyne & Victoria Wibeck & Tina-Simone Neset, 2016. "Images of climate change – a pilot study of young people’s perceptions of ICT-based climate visualization," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 73-85, January.
    19. Douglas Howland, 2019. "Sovereign Claims and Possessions – The Beginnings of the Territorial State," International Journal of Social Science Studies, Redfame publishing, vol. 7(6), pages 71-84, November.
    20. Peter R Wilshusen & Kenneth Iain MacDonald, 2017. "Fields of green: Corporate sustainability and the production of economistic environmental governance," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 49(8), pages 1824-1845, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:7:y:2017:i:4:d:10.1007_s13412-017-0433-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.