Transitioning to a Post-Carbon Society: Degrowth, Austerity and Wellbeing(International Political Economy Series)

This book deals with one of the most pressing social and environmental issues that we face today. The transition to a post-carbon society, in which the consumption of fossil fuels decreases over time, has become an inevitability due to the need to prevent catastrophic climate change, the increasing cost and scarcity of energy, and complex combinations of both of these factors. As the authors point out, this will not only entail political adjustments and the replacement of some technologies by others, but will be accompanied by social and cultural changes that bring about substantial modifications in our societies and ways of life. This book examines whether the current conditions, which date back to the crisis that began in 2007, favour a benign and smooth transition or will make it more difficult and prone to conflict. It argues that, even if this transformation is unavoidable, the directions it will take and the resulting social forms are much less certain. There will be many post-carbon societies, the authors conclude, and any number of routes to social change. Transitioning to a Post-Carbon Society therefore represents a significant contribution to global debates on the environment, and is vital reading for academics, policymakers, business leaders, NGOs and the general public alike.

Table of Contents:
Introduction. Ernest Garcia, Mercedes Martinez-Iglesias and Peadar Kirby.- Part I. Transition.- Chapter 1. The deadlock of the thermo-industrial civilisation: The (impossible) energy transition in the Anthropocene; Alain Gras.- Chapter 2. Uncertainties, inertia and cognitive and psychosocial obstacles to a smooth transition; Joaquim Sempere.- Chapter 3. Towards the Post-Carbon Society: Searching for Signs of the Transition and Identifying Obstacles; Ernest Garcia and Mercedes Martinez-Iglesias.- Chapter 4. The Degrowth Imperative: Reducing energy and resource consumption as an essential component in achieving carbon budget targets; John Wiseman and Samuel Alexander.- Part II. Rethinking austerity.- Chapter 5. Austerity pasts, austerity futures?; Rebecca Bramall.- Chapter 6. Coffee, toast and a tip?: Initial reflections on the transformation of the self; Jorge Riechmann.- Chapter 7. Frugal Abundance in an Age of Limits: Envisioning a degrowth economy; Samuel Alexander.- Part III. Case Studies.- Chapter 8. Cloughjordan ecovillage: Modelling the transition to a low carbon society; Peadar Kirby.- Chapter 9. Challenges for wind turbines in the energy transition: The example of an offshore wind farm in France; Laurence Raineau.- Chapter 10. Social partners, environmental issues and new challenges in the post-carbon society; Víctor Climent Sanjuán.- Chapter 11. Landfill Culture: Some implications for degrowth; Ignasi Lerma Montero.- Chapter 12. Social Actions Transformed in a Post-Carbon Transition: The case of Barcelona; Jesús Vicens.- Conclusion; Ernest Garcia, Mercedes Martinez-Iglesias and Peadar Kirby.-

About the Author :
Ernest Garcia is Professor of Sociology at the University of Valencia, Spain. Mercedes Martinez-Iglesias is a Research Technician at the University of Valencia, Spain. Peadar Kirby is Professor Emeritus of International Politics and Public Policy at the University of Limerick, Ireland.