In March 2014 a group of early career researchers and academics from São Paulo state and from the UK met at the University of Campinas to participate in a workshop on 'Responsible
The phenomenon of technological hazards, whose existence is only revealed many years after they were initially produced, shows that the question of our responsibilities toward future generations is of urgent importance. However, the nature of technological societies means that they are caught in a condition of structural irresponsibility: the tools they use to know the future cannot encompass the temporal reach of their actions. This article explores how dominant legal and moral concepts are equally deficient for helping us understand what future-oriented responsibility requires. An alternative understanding of responsibility is needed, one which can be developed from phenomenological and feminist concepts of care. Care, by opening up for us an understanding of the diversity of values that are constitutive of a worthwhile life, also connects us to the future as the future of care. As such, it provides us with ethical resources that can guide us in the face of uncertainty.
Time is at the heart of understanding climate change, from the perspective of both natural and social scientists. This article selectively reviews research on time perception and temporal aspects of decision making in sociology and psychology. First we briefly describe the temporal dimensions that characterize the issue of climate change. Second, we review relevant theoretical approaches and empirical findings. Then we propose an integration of these insights for the problem of climate change and discuss mismatches between the human mind, surrounding social dynamics, and climate change. Finally, we discuss the implications of this article for understanding and responding to climate change, and make suggestions on how we can use the strengths of the human mind and social dynamics to communicate climate change in its temporal context. PERCEPTIONS OF TIME IN RELATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE Climate change refers to long-term changes in weather patterns, observed over at least several decades.1 Among these are higher surface air temperatures ('global warming'), sea-level rise, variations in precipitation, and more frequent extreme-weather events.2 Climate change impacts are wide-ranging and include changes in species range 3 and human health. 4 Climate change requires urgent mitigation and adaptation efforts.2 Despite the scientific consensus many commentators have observed a lack of action 5,6 and have called for public debate and engagement. [7][8][9] This article will selectively review sociological and psychological research on time perception and temporal aspects of decision making. In particular we will develop the idea that time is an important aspect * Correspondence to: sabine.pahl@plymouth. of the broader dimension of distance and may be linked to other facets of distance such as space and social distance.10 Note that this article is a discussion piece rather than an exhaustive review, presenting key findings but only scratching the surface of a vast area of research. Since the focus is on broad perceptions, we do not discuss economic approaches (such as economic discounting rates), nor do we focus on scenarios which are addressed elsewhere in the issue. Our main aim is to promote a serious conversation on the key role of time perceptions in addressing climate change.First we briefly describe how climate change is commonly framed in scientific discourse (e.g., typical time horizons used). Second, we observe a number of fundamental constraints that make dealing with the timescales of climate change challenging for people and for societies. Third, we review theories and findings from the sociology of time. Fourth, we review relevant theories and studies from psychology and begin to relate these to behavioral responses. Fifth, we propose an integration of these insights and discuss mismatches between the human mind, surrounding social dynamics and the problem of climate change. Finally, we discuss the implications for understanding and responding to climate change, and briefly review emerging communication and inte...
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