Climate Change, Social Inequality, and Doom

By (author) William M. Epstein

ISBN13: 9781421452302

Imprint: Johns Hopkins University Press

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Published: 11/11/2025

Availability: Not yet available

Description
A critical examination of how inequality and cultural inertia hinder meaningful climate action. The challenges of climate change, like so many issues today, are not evenly distributed across social and economic lines. In this sobering exploration of the interconnected crises of climate change and social inequality, William M. Epstein examines how entrenched cultural values and systemic inequities thwart meaningful climate action, driving humanity closer to catastrophic consequences. Epstein outlines three potential climate futures—ranging from manageable to devastating—and scrutinizes society's inability to confront these realities with meaningful action. He argues that solutions exist, but they demand sacrifices and transformations that clash with deeply rooted societal norms. Epstein highlights the global indifference to equality and environmental stewardship and exposes the tragic inertia that imperils democracy, the environment, and humanity itself. By examining the broader implications of inequality—ranging from resource distribution to policy inertia—he reveals how societal values shape environmental outcomes and the growing divide between those who bear the brunt of climate change and those who remain insulated. Offering a sharp critique of romanticized individualism and its role in undermining collective action, this provocative book challenges readers to rethink society's capacity and willingness to confront existential and environmental threats. A profound and timely work, Climate Change, Social Inequality, and Doom confronts the moral and political failures that define the climate crisis and reveals the stark choice between an equitable, sustainable future and irreversible decline.
Dedication Acknowledgements Author Prologue Preface Introduction Part I: Climate Change 1. The Science of Doom 2. Global Responses to Climate Change: The Conferences and Popular Support 3. Resistance to Change Part II: Social Policy and Climate Change 4. Policy Making Process: Elites vs Masses 5. Social Policy and Myth 6. The National Will and the Poverty 7. Inequality in the United States 8. Planned Social Change and Climate Policy 9. Liberal Democracy and Climate Change Part III: A Tit for Tat Ending 10. Conclusion Do or Die: Climate Change and Inequality Part IV References Notes Index
  • Public health & preventive medicine
  • Climate change
  • Professional & Vocational
Height:229
Width:152
Spine:19
Weight:0.00
List Price: £41.50