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A brief history of usable climate science

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  • Deborah R. Coen

    (Yale University)

Abstract

Recently, certain members of the scientific community have framed anthropogenic climate change as an invitation to reimagine the practice of science. These calls to reinvent science coalesce around the notion of usable knowledge, signaling the need to ensure that research will serve the needs of those impacted by climate change. But how novel is this concept? A historical analysis reveals that the goal of usability is haunted by Euro-American conceptions of instrumental knowledge dating back to the nineteenth century. Even as climate research institutions have embraced the radical epistemic ideal of usability over the past 40 years, they have clung to older definitions of research that are at odds with its anti-individualist implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Deborah R. Coen, 2021. "A brief history of usable climate science," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 167(3), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:167:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s10584-021-03181-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10584-021-03181-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Catherine Vaughan & Suraje Dessai, 2014. "Climate services for society: origins, institutional arrangements, and design elements for an evaluation framework," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 5(5), pages 587-603, September.
    2. Haas, Peter M., 1992. "Introduction: epistemic communities and international policy coordination," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(1), pages 1-35, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Henri F. Drake & Geoffrey Henderson, 2022. "A defense of usable climate mitigation science: how science can contribute to social movements," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 172(1), pages 1-18, May.
    2. Theodore G. Shepherd & Elisabeth A. Lloyd, 2021. "Meaningful climate science," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 169(1), pages 1-16, November.
    3. Deborah R. Coen & Adam Sobel, 2022. "Introduction: Critical and historical perspectives on usable climate science," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 172(1), pages 1-9, May.

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