Climate change, travel and complex futures1

British Journal of Sociology - Tập 59 Số 2 - Trang 261-279 - 2008
John Urry1
1Department of Sociology, Lancaster University,

Tóm tắt

AbstractIn this paper I examine various sociologies of the future. I argue that one future, of global climate change, is now exceptionally significant. This future is based upon certain sociological presumptions and thus sociology is central to its emerging contours and to its analysis. I examine one aspect of such a future, the role of travel and especially automobility within this emerging dystopia. I use some formulations from complexity theory to examine what might constitute an alternative to global heating and the scenario of ‘tribal trading’. It is suggested that one feasible alternative is a ‘digital panopticon’ and I examine some small changes that might tip the system to such a post‐automobility system. But there is no free lunch here. It is argued that the world may be torn between two bleak scenarios as a consequence of the twentieth century's exceptional degree of resource use, between a Hobbesian war of all against all and an Orwellian digital panopticon. The twentieth century would seem to be reaping its bitter revenge.

Từ khóa


Tài liệu tham khảo

Abbott A., 2001, Time Matters

10.1163/ej.9789004161771.i-218

Adams J., 1999, The Social Implications of Hypermobility

10.1016/j.futures.2004.10.012

10.3998/mpub.10029

Barabási A‐L., 2002, Linked. The New Science of Networks

Bauman Z., 2000, Liquid Modernity

Beinhocker E., 2006, The Origin of Wealth

Böhm S., 2006, Against Automobility

Buchanan M., 2002, Nexus: Small Worlds and the Groundbreaking Science of Networks

Castells M., 1997, Power of Identity

10.1007/978-3-322-89613-1

Davies P.2001. ‘Before the Big Bang’ Prospect June:56–9.

Dennis K.andUrry J.2007. ‘Post‐car Mobilities’ Lancaster:Sociology Dept Lancaster University.

Foresight, 2006, Intelligent Information Futures. Project Overview

Gallopin G., 1997, Branch Points: Global Scenarios and Human Choice

Geffen C. Dooley J.andKim S.2003. ‘Global Climate Change and the Transportation Sector: An Update on Issues and Mitigation Options’ paper presented to the 9thDiesel Engine Emission Reduction Conference USA.

Giddens A., 1990, The Consequences of Modernity

Gilroy P., 2000, Car Cultures

Gladwell M., 2000, Tipping Points. How Little Things can make a Big Difference

10.1191/0309132505ph568oa

10.1080/17450100500489189

Hardt M., 2006, Multitude

Hawken P., 2002, Natural Capitalism: The Next Industrial Revolution

Heinberg R., 2005, The Party's Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Society

10.56021/9780801828737

Information Commissioner, 2006, A Report on the Surveillance Society

Jackson P.2006Why the Peak Oil Theory Falls Down: Myths Legends and the Future of Oil Resources http://www.cera.com/aspx/cda/public1/news/pressReleases/pressReleaseDetails.aspx?CID=8444(accessed 21 November 2006).

Kauffman S., 2003, The Origins of Order: Self‐organization and Selection in Evolution

Keynes J. M., 1936, The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money

Kumar K., 1991, Utopianism

Larsen J., 2006, Mobilities, Networks, Geographies

Lash S., 1994, Economies of Signs and Space

Laszlo E., 2006, The Chaos Point

Latimer J., 2006, Against Automobility

Latour B., 1996, Aramis or the Love of Technology

10.4324/9780203481141

Lovelock J., 2006, The Revenge of Gaia

10.1023/A:1007113830879

10.1177/144078339503100304

Marx K., 1952, The Manifesto of the Communist Party

Marx K., 1962, Marx Engels. Selected Works, vol 2

Monbiot G., 2006, Heat

Motavalli J., 2000, Forward Drive

10.1017/CBO9781139170802

10.1017/CBO9780511808678

Nye D., 1999, Consuming Power

Peters P., 2006, Time, Innovation and Mobilities, 10.4324/9780203030530

Popper K., 1960, The Poverty of Historicism

Prigogine I., 1997, The End of Certainty

10.1111/j.1467-954X.2006.00640.x

Rifkin J., 2002, The Hydrogen Economy

Rifkin J., 2004, The European Dream

Royal Academy of Engineering, 2005, Transport 2050: The Route to Sustainable Wealth Creation

10.1016/S0965-8564(98)00071-8

Sharpe B., 2006, Towards a Cyber‐Urban Ecology

10.1177/0263276404046068

10.1111/1468-2427.00276

Stern N.2006Stern Review. The Economics of Climate Change.http//www.hm‐treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_index.cfm(accessed 06 November 2006).

10.1068/d321t

Timmons Roberts J., 2007, A Climate of Injustice

Urry J., 2003, Global Complexity

10.1177/0263276404046059

Urry J., 2007, Mobilities

US Department of Transportation, 1999, Effective Global Transportation in the Twenty First Century: A Vision Document

Vigar G., 2002, The Politics of Mobility

Walby S., 2008, Globalization and Inequalities

Whitehead A. N., 1929, Process and Reality

10.1177/0263276405057192

Thông tin
Thông tin xuất bản

British Journal of Sociology

Tập 59 Số 2

261-279

Thông tin tác giả