scholarly journals An Australian Feeling for Snow: Towards Understanding Cultural and Emotional Dimensions of Climate Change

1970 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Gorman-Murray

In Australia, snow is associated with alpine and subalpine regions in rural areas; snow is a component of ‘natural’ rather than urban environments. But the range, depth and duration of Australia’s regional snow cover is imperilled by climate change. While researchers have considered the impacts of snow retreat on the natural environment and responses from the mainland ski industry, this paper explores associated cultural and emotional dimensions of climate change. This responds to calls to account for local meanings of climate, and thus localised perceptions of and responses to climate change. Accordingly, this paper presents a case study of reactions to the affect of climate change on Tasmania’s snow country. Data is drawn from a nationwide survey of responses to the impact of climate change on Australia’s snow country, and a Tasmanian focus group. Survey respondents suggested the uneven distribution of Australia’s snow country means snow cover loss may matter more in certain areas: Tasmania was a key example cited by residents of both that state and others. Focus group respondents affirmed a connection between snow and Tasmanian cultural identity, displaying sensitivity to recent changing snow patterns. Moreover, they expressed concerns about the changes using emotive descriptions of local examples: the loss of snow cover mattered culturally and emotionally, compromising local cultural activities and meanings, and invoking affective responses. Simultaneously, respondents were ‘realistic’ about how important snow loss was, especially juxtaposed with sea level rise. Nevertheless, the impact of climate change on cultural and emotional attachments can contribute to urgent ethical, practical and political arguments about arresting global warming.

2020 ◽  
Vol 94 ◽  
pp. 101992
Author(s):  
I.A. Mosquera-Mosquera ◽  
Marina L. Simão ◽  
Paulo M. Videiro ◽  
Luis V.S. Sagrilo

Author(s):  
Mkhululi Ncube ◽  
Nomonde Madubula ◽  
Hlami Ngwenya ◽  
Nkulumo Zinyengere ◽  
Leocadia Zhou ◽  
...  

The impact of climate-change disasters poses significant challenges for South Africa, especially for vulnerable rural households. In South Africa, the impact of climate change at the local level, especially in rural areas, is not well known. Rural households are generally poor and lack resources to adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change, but the extent of their vulnerability is largely not understood. This study looked at the micro-level impact of climate change, evaluated household vulnerability and assessed alternative adaptation strategies in rural areas. The results indicate that climate change will hit crop yields hard and that households with less capital are most vulnerable. These households consist of the elderly and households headed by females. Households that receive remittances or extension services or participate in formal savings schemes in villages are less vulnerable. The results suggest that households need to move towards climate-smart agriculture, which combines adaptation, mitigation and productivity growth.


2017 ◽  
Vol 141 ◽  
pp. 64-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.P. Sierra ◽  
A. Genius ◽  
P. Lionello ◽  
M. Mestres ◽  
C. Mösso ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenchen Shi ◽  
Jinyan Zhan ◽  
Yongwei Yuan ◽  
Feng Wu ◽  
Zhihui Li

Ecosystem services are the benefit human populations derive directly and indirectly from the natural environment. They suffer from both the human intervention, like land use zoning change, and natural intervention, like the climate change. Under the background of climate change, regulation services of ecosystem could be strengthened under proper land use zoning policy to mitigate the climate change. In this paper, a case study was conducted in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin to assess the ecosystem services conservation zoning under the change of land use associated with climate variations. The research results show the spatial impact of land use zoning on ecosystem services in the study area which are significant reference for the spatial optimization of land use zoning in preserving the key ecosystem services to mitigate the climate change. The research contributes to the growing literature in finely characterizing the ecosystem services zones altered by land use change to alleviate the impact of climate change, as there is no such systematic ecosystem zoning method before.


Author(s):  
Subair ◽  
Lala M. Kolopaking ◽  
Soeryo Adiwibowo ◽  
M. Bambang Pranowo

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah menganalisis strategi adaptasi komunitas nelayan terhadap dampak perubahan iklim. Lokasi penelitian di desa nelayan Asilulu, ditetapkan secara purposive mewakili karakteristik desa pesisir di kawasan pantai utara pulau Ambon Maluku. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode kasus historis sebuah metode studi sosiologi yang memadukan dua pendekatan yaitu sosiologi sejarah dan sejarah sosiologis. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan metode hermeunetik dan dialektika dalam waktu kurang lebih 2 tahun (April 2010 Juni 2012) menggunakan teknik pengamatan berperan serta, focus group discussion, wawancara mendalam, dan studi pustaka. Penelitian menunjukkan hasil bahwa komunitas nelayan di desa Asilulu telah merasakan dampak dari perubahan iklim yang menekan sistem penghidupan mereka meliputi kenaikan permukaan laut, intensitas badai dan gelombang tinggi, perubahan fishing ground dan kekacauan musim tangkap. Kerentanan komunitas dikategorikan tingkat sedang dan karenanya masih dalam area coping range komunitas. Nelayan melakukan adaptasi proaktif dan reaktif dalam strategi adaptasi fisik, sosial-ekonomi, dan sumber daya manusia yang sejauh ini mampu meningkatkan lebar selang toleransi sehingga kerentanan dapat dikurangi dan resiliensi sistem meningkat. Kondisi ini membuat komunitas nelayan cukup resilien.The purpose of this study is to identify the adaptation strategies of a fishing community to respond the impact of climate change. Location of the study in the fishing village Asilulu, determined purposively to represent the characteristics of the coastal villages in the north coast of the island of Ambon Maluku. The method used is the method of historical case a sociological study method that combines two approaches, historical sociology and sociological history. Data collected between April 2010-June 2012, using the technique of participant observation, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and literature. Research shows that the fishing community in the village Asilulu have felt the impact of climate change which suppress their livelihood systems include sea level rise, storm intensity and high waves, changes in fishing grounds and fishing seasons chaos. Community vulnerability and therefore categorized as being still in the area of community coping range. Fishermen proactive adaptation and reactive adaptation strategies in physical, socio-economic, and human resources are so far able to increase the width of the tolerance interval so that vulnerabilities can be reduced and the resilience of the system increases.


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