Climate change seen by anthropologists tied to social behaviors

Margaret Mead, pioneering anthropologist

Carol Forsloff---While geologists and atmospheric scientists examine physical aspects of climate change, other sciences look at anthropological or cultural aspects and world lifestyles.  That latter prism allows folks to look at historical timelines in terms of the behaviors of people, as predictions of the future comes from a variety of views.

A recent article in Anthropology News offers us its view of climate change that says the lens of archaeology the examination of how society has responded to early natural and later man-made aspects of climate change and how society has adjusted to these changes that can help us now and in the future.  For one thing, the movement of people has often come about because of changes in climate.  Climate has also played a part in the disintegration of some social systems and the development of others.  This lens also evaluates the type of challenges presented by climate.  It allows the examination of how others have dealt with making adjustments, including health implications that occur from global warming.  Various aspects of all this that include concepts like vulnerability, risk and resilience are assessed.  It explains also why some societies have adjusted and others haven't.  So it provides education and preparation for society as new events emerge from present global climate change activity.

The view of anthropologists also helps scientists to understand what impact the activity of people, such as in the Sochi games, has on long-term ecological survival.  Anthropologists tell us that Sochi has been considered a bio-diverse area with considerable environmental quality.  Although Russia promised to maintain that quality and work toward environmental preservation, the changes made to the natural environment, the extra traffic and building up of the area have instead caused damage, including the dumping of hazardous waste.

And despite all of the problems that manifest themselves as a result of climate change, anthropologists point to Margaret Mead, a pioneer in examining weather-related events associated with society's behavior, for her anticipation of many of the problems we have today.  In fact she organized a major conference in the 1970's, asking scientists and others to look at our world with a long-range view that included people behavior and the effects of that behavior on the environment.  And most of all she reminded us, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; it’s the only thing that ever has.”