TALK: Noel Healy, PhD – Limiting Climate Chaos: The Case for Disruptive Climate Politics
UCSB Sociology Colloquium
Wednesday, April 18, 2018 @ 12PM
SSMS Room 3017
Map to Social Science Media Studies (SSMS) building at UCSB
A transition to low carbon energy systems will not occur unless we expose, challenge, and overcome the obstructionism and “dirty tricks” of the fossil fuel industry.
Alongside “disruptive technological innovation” we also need disruptive and confrontational political action. The “keep it in the ground” movement stands as a prime example of such confrontational and disruptive political innovations.
This talk draws attention to the role that role civil society can play in destabilizing the fossil fuel regime, and paving the way for critical supply-side climate policies which are necessary to limit climate chaos.
Noel’s research, teaching, and community engagement focus on responses to the climate crisis and normative dimensions of rapid climate change mitigation.
More specifically, his research explores issues pertaining to the politics of rapid decarbonization, social and political aspects of renewable energy transition, energy justice, just transitions, and the link between academic knowledge, political activism, and policymaking.
Noel’s projects have spanned Ireland, the US, China, France, and Latin America. Recent projects include investigating the fossil fuel divestment movement, energy transitions in Massachusetts, energy justice in La Guajira Colombia, and decision making and civil society participation at the UNFCCC.
