Mission and Manifesto

The mission of this project is to create a network of scholars, academics, activists and artists who work on the affective aspects of climate change – i.e. the social , psychological, societal, behavioral etc. effects.

Many are working on some aspect of this, but in many cases we are isolated within our individual academic disciplines, departments and social circles. This project is based on the idea that the various effects and affects are interacting and cannot be understood in isolation. We need to work across disciplinary and societal boundaries in order to get a better comprehension of this process. This project aims to break the academic silos by creating a place where we can find each other, have conversations, inspire each other, share our research and collaborate. This website is a step in this process.

Human activities are causing severe disruption to the planetary system which affects the ecological and climatic balance that life on Earth depends upon. These changes are not caused by all humans equally. Historically and at the present moment they are done by the richest parts of the world and within those parts they are done by the richest people. Neither do the changes affect all people equally. The blunt of the harm is being felt, and will increasingly be felt, by the people who had the least responsibility for causing it. Nevertheless, the effects affect us all. No part of the Earth is immune to the global changes in the planetary system. Especially not an island such as Iceland which is completely dependent upon trade with and import from other countries. No place is self-sufficient. Everything is interconnected. What happens elsewhere in the world also affects us.

This fact of interconnectedness is a fundamental condition in our current situation. The climate crisis is an overwhelming threat but it is not the only crisis humanity and the planet is facing. Of equal importance are other planetary crises like rapid biodiversity loss, ocean acidification and pollution, as well as social crises like rising inequality and threats to human rights and dignity. We believe, in line with the United Nations, that these socio-ecological crises are mutually constitutive and reinforcing and that they must be addressed together. Addressing each of them in isolation risks exacerbating the others. Instead, they should be seen as part of an integrated whole; as different aspects of the same problem.

Whether we like it or not, the root of the problem lies in our way of living – at least in the societies in the rich industrialized nations. A political and economic system based on perpetual growth and a societal culture of mass consumption is incompatible with planetary boundaries, ecological balance and human equality and dignity. To address the planetary polycrisis we need to change our way of life. Technological innovations, political regulations and individual behavior changes can all be part of the solution but none of them have any meaningful chance of succes without addressing the root problem. In fact, if they are presented as solutions in order to divert our attention away from this root problem, then they may do more harm than good.

These interconnected crises do not just affect our societal structures, our physical health and our social relations. They have effects on our affective states. We might not be physically harmed by a disaster happening in another country, and we might not yet feel the full effect of the gradually yet rapidly accelerating ecological breakdown, but the awareness of it still takes its toll on us – on our mental wellbeing, our collective mood and our social imagination. The climate crisis has caused a crisis in our cultural and social climate. Many are fearful for the future and paralyzed with anxiety. Few feel that society is improving and many have difficulty even imagining the future or any alternatives to the present. At the same time, lobbyists and demagogues have been waging a war of disinformation for decades spreading mistrust and antagonism, affecting social trust and familial relations. All of this prevents us from acting and from making decisions – the things that are required in a crisis. This breakdown of social relations and collective action are also important effects of the planetary crisis. And it is yet another thing that must be addressed together with the other interconnected issues.

All of these connections tell us that it is necessary to study and analyze the many different aspects and effects of the climate crisis from a multitude of lenses. This is not a matter merely for the natural sciences or the fields of engineering and technology. These are just as much social crises, psychological crises, political crises, and first of all human crises. Therefore, they require analyses and research from all the human and social sciences as well as from those who might not be called sciences but still might sometimes be better at understanding and articulating certain aspects of the human experience: art, literature and philosophy to name a few.

The purpose of this network is to bring together people from different fields who are studying different aspects of this crisis and its related affects and effects. We can support each other’s research, engage in dialogues and learn from each other. We hope that by establishing more connections and breaking academic isolation we might form a more resilient network and maybe something new will emerge from the interactions.

The stated focus of the network is those who work on climate related issues in social sciences and humanties in and around Iceland. These are only meant as focus points and are not meant to exclude anyone.

The reason we focus on “social sciences and humanities”, is that we think it is necessary to build more research on the human aspects of climate change. If climate change was merely a matter of natural science, we would have solved it already because from a scientific perspective we know what the problem is (greenhouse gas emissions) and what needs to be done (stop emitting those gasses). But the fact is that greenhouse gas emissions are still rising and we don’t know how to stop ourselves from emitting them. This is a human problem. It is a problem of economics, sociology, psychology, politics and imagination. To understand this problem, we want to focus on these disciplines. But if you are a natural scientist who think you would benefit from joining a network with such a focus, you are of course welcome.

The reason we focus on “in and around Iceland” is that we have to start somewhere and this project is based in Iceland (more specifically the University of Iceland). We do not believe that the effects or affects of climate change in one location can be understood in isolation. Everything that happens somewhere else, also affects Iceland, and what we do in Iceland has effects on other places. Therefore, we do not wish to limit the collaboration to Iceland, but we do have this place as our place of focus. If you are not in Iceland, or you study effects outside of Iceland, you are still welcome to join if you think this network can benefit you.

This network is not just for academics! The focus is on researchers but research can take many forms and does not just happen at a university. Besides, research needs to be communicated to and be grounded in the world outside the university. People who engage meaningfully in activism, art, communication, journalism, etc. who think this network could be useful are welcome.

If you think this sound like something you are interested in, you can contact us here.