Second comment on 'The climate mitigation gap: education and government recommendations miss the most effective individual actions'

Rebecca Laycock Pedersen; David P. M. Lam

doi:10.1088/1748-9326/aac9d0

Second comment on 'The climate mitigation gap: education and government recommendations miss the most effective individual actions'

Rebecca Laycock Pedersen
, David P. M. Lam

Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research

Research output: Journal contributions › Comments / Debate / Reports › Research

18 Citations (Scopus)

255 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Wynes and Nicholas (2017a Environ. Res. Lett. 12 1–9) recently published an article that reviewed academic and grey literature to identify the most impactful individual actions for reducing carbon emissions in developed countries, identifying having 'one fewer child' as by far the most impactful action. This action was recommended with little context considering its controversial nature. We argue that there are three issue-areas that Wynes and Nicholas should have engaged with to improve the clarity of their recommendations and reduced the potential for misunderstanding, which are (1) the extent to which individual actions in one's private life can address climate change in relation to collective actions and actions in the professional sphere (2) the role of overconsumption in driving climate change and (3) the extent to which family planning is a human right. We also suggest that engagement with these issue-areas are a step towards a better practice in academic writing on population as an environmental issue.

Original language	English
Article number	068001
Journal	Environmental Research Letters
Volume	13
Issue number	6
Number of pages	5
ISSN	1748-9318
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aac9d0
Publication status	Published - 13.06.2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd.

Research areas and keywords

behaviour change
birth control
consumption
climate change
collective action
family planning
sustainability
Sustainability Science

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Environmental Science(all)

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1088/1748-9326/aac9d0Licence: CC BY

DownloadFinal published version, 598 KBLicence: CC BY

BOTTOM-UP SUSTAINABILITY TRANSFORMATIONS: Supporting local actors fostering change towards sustainability
Lam, D. (Project manager, academic)
01.09.16 → 31.12.20
Project: Dissertation project
Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformation: Institutions, People and Knowledge
Vilsmaier, U. (Project manager, academic), Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Newig, J. (Project manager, academic), Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic), Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic), von Wehrden, H. (Project manager, academic), Sieveking, A. (Project staff), Klaniecki, K. T. (Project staff), Dorninger, C. (Project staff), Clarke, E. A. (Project staff), Horcea-Milcu, A. I. (Project staff), Lam, D. (Project staff), Patru-Duse, I. A. (Project staff), Jager, N. W. (Project staff), Derwort, P. (Project staff), Patru-Duse, I. A. (Project staff), Apetrei, C.-I. (Project staff), Freeth, R. C. (Project staff), Engbers, M. (Project staff), Peukert, D. (Project staff), Berkau, A. J. (Project staff), Lutz, L. M. (Coordination), Leventon, J. (Project manager, academic) & Abson, D. (Project manager, academic)
Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture
01.04.15 → 31.03.21
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Second comment on 'The climate mitigation gap: education and government recommendations miss the most effective individual actions'",

abstract = "Wynes and Nicholas (2017a Environ. Res. Lett. 12 1–9) recently published an article that reviewed academic and grey literature to identify the most impactful individual actions for reducing carbon emissions in developed countries, identifying having 'one fewer child' as by far the most impactful action. This action was recommended with little context considering its controversial nature. We argue that there are three issue-areas that Wynes and Nicholas should have engaged with to improve the clarity of their recommendations and reduced the potential for misunderstanding, which are (1) the extent to which individual actions in one's private life can address climate change in relation to collective actions and actions in the professional sphere (2) the role of overconsumption in driving climate change and (3) the extent to which family planning is a human right. We also suggest that engagement with these issue-areas are a step towards a better practice in academic writing on population as an environmental issue.",

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doi = "10.1088/1748-9326/aac9d0",

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N2 - Wynes and Nicholas (2017a Environ. Res. Lett. 12 1–9) recently published an article that reviewed academic and grey literature to identify the most impactful individual actions for reducing carbon emissions in developed countries, identifying having 'one fewer child' as by far the most impactful action. This action was recommended with little context considering its controversial nature. We argue that there are three issue-areas that Wynes and Nicholas should have engaged with to improve the clarity of their recommendations and reduced the potential for misunderstanding, which are (1) the extent to which individual actions in one's private life can address climate change in relation to collective actions and actions in the professional sphere (2) the role of overconsumption in driving climate change and (3) the extent to which family planning is a human right. We also suggest that engagement with these issue-areas are a step towards a better practice in academic writing on population as an environmental issue.

AB - Wynes and Nicholas (2017a Environ. Res. Lett. 12 1–9) recently published an article that reviewed academic and grey literature to identify the most impactful individual actions for reducing carbon emissions in developed countries, identifying having 'one fewer child' as by far the most impactful action. This action was recommended with little context considering its controversial nature. We argue that there are three issue-areas that Wynes and Nicholas should have engaged with to improve the clarity of their recommendations and reduced the potential for misunderstanding, which are (1) the extent to which individual actions in one's private life can address climate change in relation to collective actions and actions in the professional sphere (2) the role of overconsumption in driving climate change and (3) the extent to which family planning is a human right. We also suggest that engagement with these issue-areas are a step towards a better practice in academic writing on population as an environmental issue.

KW - behaviour change

KW - birth control

KW - consumption

KW - climate change

KW - collective action

KW - family planning

KW - sustainability

KW - Sustainability Science

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85049801578

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DO - 10.1088/1748-9326/aac9d0

M3 - Comments / Debate / Reports

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VL - 13

JO - Environmental Research Letters

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M1 - 068001

ER -

Second comment on 'The climate mitigation gap: education and government recommendations miss the most effective individual actions'

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Research areas and keywords

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

BOTTOM-UP SUSTAINABILITY TRANSFORMATIONS: Supporting local actors fostering change towards sustainability

Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformation: Institutions, People and Knowledge

Cite this