Climate Obstruction: How Denial, Delay and Inaction are Heating the Planet

In Climate Obstruction: How Denial, Delay and Inaction are Heating the Planet, Kristoffer Ekberg, Bernhard Forchtner, Martin Hultman and Kirsti Jylhä bring together crucial insights from environmental history, sociology, media and communication studies and psychology to help us understand why we are failing to take necessary measures to avert the unfolding climate crisis.

They do so by examining the variety of ways in which meaningful climate action has been obstructed. This ranges from denial of the scientific evidence for human-induced climate change and its policy consequences, to (seemingly sincere) acknowledgement of scientific evidence while nevertheless delaying meaningful climate action. The authors also consider all those actions by which often well-meaning individuals and collectives (unintendedly) hamper climate action. In doing so, this book maps out arguments and strategies that have been used to counter environmental protection and regulation since the 1960s by, first and foremost, corporations supported by conservative actors, but also far-right ones as well as ordinary citizens.

This timely and accessible book provides tools and lessons to understand, identify and call out such arguments and strategies, and points to actions and systemic and cultural changes needed to avert or at least mitigate the climate crisis.

Kristoffer Ekberg is a researcher at Chalmers University of Technology. His work focuses on the political history of climate change and the environment, corporate anti-environmentalism as well as social movements and utopian thought.

Bernhard Forchtner is Associate Professor at the School of Media, Communication and Sociology and member of the Institute for Environmental Futures, University of Leicester, UK. He works on the far right and environmental communication.

Martin Hultman is Associate Professor in science, technology and environmental studies at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. He leads Center for Studies of Climate Change Denial (CEFORCED), as well as research groups analyzing Gender & energy and Ecopreneurship.

Kirsti M. Jylhä is a researcher at the Institute for Future Studies, Stockholm, Sweden. Her work focuses on psychological obstacles and drivers of climate engagement (e.g., climate change beliefs and emotions) as well as sociopolitical attitudes and ideologies.