After our plant experienced its hottest day on record, experts have said that finding solutions to the climate crisis requires collaboration between natural and social scientists.
The researchers argued that to keep global temperature increases below 2°C, finding solutions to climate change must be done through integrated knowledge. The collaboration between social and natural scientists will inform about effective climate policies and practices.
Their research paper, published in the journal People and Nature, argues that the concept of tipping points can serve as a bridge between these fields of study, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of climate change processes and impacts.
The role of natural scientists in finding solutions to climate change
Traditionally, natural scientists have focused on documenting and analysing changes in the natural environment. These include rising global temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events.
More recently, they have begun to question whether finding solutions to climate change is possible and whether the changes we are seeing can be reversed.
Worryingly, scientists are concerned that there may be a tipping point at which the environmental changes will be permanent, no matter how much we try to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
However, the research team argues that concerns around finding solutions to climate change must be accompanied by an exploration of social dynamics. They must also encompass individual, collective, and societal behaviours.
To ensure a sustainable future, it is extremely important to understand the interaction between environmental and social changes.
The connection between extreme weather events and social changes
To fuel their argument about finding solutions to climate change, the researchers posed critical questions about the connections between extreme weather and social changes. These include:
- Who benefits from and contributes most to the current trajectory?
- What alternative and desirable scenarios exist, and how can we intentionally work towards them?
- Are there social tipping points that could help us rapidly change our practices, norms, and institutions towards these scenarios?
To show the value of studying social and climate tipping points together, experts focused on the climate change-induced slowdown of the Atlantic Ocean’s currents. This extreme event resulted in a devastating flood in the Ahr Valley in Germany.
Through this example, they demonstrated how local communities are finding solutions to climate change. As a result of these extreme weather events, communities adapted their way of life to cope with future extreme events.
The integrated analysis of environmental and social changes allows for an understanding of the complex interaction between climate change and society. It enables the assessment of whether our responses benefit everyone or just a few.
Moreover, it allows for the evaluation of the consequences of human responses at different scales, whether that be local, national, or international.
The researchers concluded that by fostering collaboration between natural and social scientists, the capacity to find solutions to climate change is enhanced.
Their work also underscores the critical need for a multidisciplinary approach that combines knowledge from both fields to develop comprehensive solutions and shape sustainable policies for a better future.
