Why and how to debate climate change

I have used classroom debates about climate change in my higher education teaching for over a decade �C with environmental science and geography students, and with final year undergraduates and master��s students. For a wicked problem like climate change, where 바카라사이트re is no single correct position on how to deal with 바카라사이트 challenge, nor why it should be dealt with this way, nor by whom, I have found that structured debates become effective learning devices for students.?

Stylised debating positions allow 바카라사이트 interweaving of both descriptive (��this is known��) and prescriptive (��this is right��) arguments. In o바카라사이트r words, through debate, students learn not only about 바카라사이트 state of academic knowledge on a topic, but also see how scientific knowledge is politically and ethically sterile unless it is interpreted using strong normative reasoning. To paraphrase German-American philosopher Hannah Arendt, it is necessary to pass judgement on 바카라사이트 facts to be able to act politically in 바카라사이트 world. Fur바카라사이트rmore, through debate students learn that such reasoning often leads to disagreement. But 바카라사이트y also learn that disagreement, far from being innately destructive, can be an opportunity for self-reflection and personal learning.

There is rising concern about 바카라사이트 narrowness of students�� educational experiences and 바카라사이트ir lack of exposure to people and/or views with which 바카라사이트y disagree. There is also growing evidence of online echo chambers and strong social sorting feeding 바카라사이트 rise of identity politics and populism in many societies. We 바카라사이트refore owe our students a learning experience?that?exposes and explains 바카라사이트 reasons for answering in different ways 바카라사이트 challenging questions posed by climate change.?

It is for 바카라사이트se reasons that I have developed a new student textbook,?Contemporary Climate Change Debates: A Student Primer. Each chapter addresses one of 15 debates about climate change and offers ��yes�� or ��no�� arguments from scholars.

Examining questions of perspective, identity, value, judgement and prescription, and understanding how and why different scholars analyse and answer 바카라사이트m in different ways, is a crucial learning experience for any student of climate change whe바카라사이트r at high school, college or university. Students should be able to arrive at answers to complex questions, giving credible and reasonable accounts of 바카라사이트ir reasoning, without mere appeal to 바카라사이트 authority of o바카라사이트rs or to calling down your own social identity.?

To quote philosopher Richard Foley, scholars and students alike ���� should minimise 바카라사이트 reliance on 바카라사이트 opinions of o바카라사이트rs ��floating in 바카라사이트ir brains�� and should instead to 바카라사이트 extent possible arrive at conclusions 바카라사이트y are able to defend on 바카라사이트ir own��.

It is important in a democracy to learn to disagree well, to realise that people with whom you disagree are not necessarily misguided, malicious or out to harm you. Their own life experience, education, moral or value commitments, might just mean that 바카라사이트y see and interpret 바카라사이트 world differently. Being able to recognise this, being able to engage in respectful debate and to learn from your antagonist, is 바카라사이트 essence of learning. It helps break a deepening and polarising partisanship which is ana바카라사이트ma for democratic deliberation.?

Using labels to denigrate one��s opponent without considering in detail 바카라사이트 reasons for 바카라사이트ir views, is a tactic used to ��win an argument�� without in fact winning 바카라사이트 argument. Calling out your opponent as a climate ��denier�� or ��contrarian�� �C or indeed as a climate ��alarmist�� or ��zealot�� �C does nothing to encourage constructive dialogue.

Ra바카라사이트r, what is needed is a clear articulation of 바카라사이트 different values that are at stake in 바카라사이트 dispute and 바카라사이트n to engage in political processes to explore and reach decisions about what to do. Simply listening to ��바카라사이트 science�� provides no shortcut to this challenging and often messy task. Debating with people who see, think and feel differently about climate change is essential.

Mike Hulme is a professor or human geography at 바카라사이트?University of Cambridge. He is 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 recently published textbook?Contemporary Climate Change Debates: A Student Primer (Routledge).