tag:theconversation.com,2011:/institutions/university-of-st-thomas-1264/articlesThe University of St. Thomas2023-10-04T12:31:48Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2136322023-10-04T12:31:48Z2023-10-04T12:31:48ZWhy are some Chinese women still looking to the West for love?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551470/original/file-20231002-15-syyk7w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=18%2C9%2C6116%2C4074&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In China, single women as young as 27 are considered 'leftover.'</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/man-and-woman-facing-each-other-on-balkony-royalty-free-image/926295480?phrase=illustration+man+looking+out+window&adppopup=true">Maciej Toporowicz/Monument via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Robert, an American truck driver in his 50s, lived in a trailer park in the Deep South. After divorcing his wife, who had cheated on him, he joined an online dating agency that connected Western men with Chinese women through translator-assisted email exchanges.</p>
<p>Robert told me he had become frustrated with American women, whom he felt were overly materialistic and had lost their “traditional family values.” (To protect the identities of my interviewees, I’ve used pseudonyms.) Yet Robert could barely afford to travel to China to meet the women with whom he exchanged emails. To save up, he often ate just a few dumplings for dinner, sometimes skipping the meal altogether. </p>
<p>Across the ocean, several Chinese women had gathered at their local dating agency, waiting to speak with their translator. Among them was Ruby, a former businesswoman in her mid-40s who had received a generous divorce settlement from her wealthy Chinese ex-husband and had retired in leisure. Next to Ruby stood another divorcee in her 40s, Daisy, who struggled to make ends meet as a department store sales clerk. </p>
<p>Despite their immense class differences, both women shared the same hope of marrying a Western man and moving abroad.</p>
<p>Commercial dating agencies like the one described here facilitate email exchanges and marriages between women from developing countries, such as Russia, Ukraine, China or Colombia, and men from economically advanced Western countries, such as the U.S., U.K., Canada or Australia. <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/530647/love-in-the-time-of-algorithms-by-dan-slater/9781101608258">It’s a US$2 billion global business</a>. From 2008 to 2019, I conducted research for my book “<a href="https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=35148">Seeking Western Men: Email-Order Brides under China’s Global Rise</a>” at three international dating agencies in China, interviewing 61 Chinese female clients.</p>
<p>I wanted to know why, despite China’s meteoric economic and cultural rise, so many women – especially those who were financially well-off – were still looking to the West for love and companionship.</p>
<h2>Options narrow with age</h2>
<p>Despite China’s staggering male-female gender imbalance – <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/china-has-nearly-35-million-more-single-men-women-1592486">where single men outnumber women by more than 30 million</a> – middle-aged divorced women still face significant struggles. </p>
<p>There’s the stereotypical Western media representation of “<a href="https://studybreaks.com/thoughts/shattering-myths-about-asian-mail-order-brides-through-screen-narratives/">mail-order brides</a>” – young women who marry older Western men to escape poverty. This dynamic persists. But contrary to this stereotype, the majority of women enrolled at the dating agencies where I conducted research were middle-aged and divorced. </p>
<p>None of them felt coerced, and they cited age discrimination in China as their No. 1 reason for seeking Western men. </p>
<p>As Ruby confided, “Here, rich men want a young girl who is 20 to show off.” </p>
<p>Although it’s no secret that divorced or widowed <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2014/11/14/four-in-ten-couples-are-saying-i-do-again/">men in many countries remarry younger women</a>, the pressure to do so is particularly acute in China, where women as young as 27 years old <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/leftover-women-9781783607891/">are stigmatized</a> as “leftover.”</p>
<p>Adding to the complexity, women with children from previous marriages – especially those with sons instead of daughters – face even more challenges in the local marriage market. Chinese women attribute this <a href="https://cardiffjournalism.co.uk/life360/for-many-chinese-men-no-house-means-no-marriage/">to societal norms</a> that expect young men to own a home or have made a down payment before tying the knot. This means that parents are expected to financially assist their sons with mortgages, and many single men don’t want to assume this financial responsibility when marrying a woman with a son. </p>
<p>Infidelity also ranks among the top concerns for women, in large part due to the country’s post-1978 <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-01/40-years-of-reform-that-transformed-china-into-a-superpower/10573468">economic reforms</a>, which spawned a new capitalist upper class. Many newly wealthy men – even those who were already married – started seeking younger, more sexualized women.</p>
<p>Ruby told me that her affluent ex-husband, who had a number of extramarital affairs, once quipped that “men are like teapots, each teapot should be matched with multiple teacups.” </p>
<p>It wasn’t just China’s newly wealthy class of men who started seeking romance outside of their marriages. Women told me of husbands who had lost their jobs and then turned to drinking, gambling and infidelity to cope with their newfound financial struggles.</p>
<p>While many female clients sought Western men as a tonic against Chinese men’s infidelity, this was hardly a concern for women who were mistresses to wealthy businessmen. </p>
<p>One former mistress, Jennifer, said, “I believe in patriarchy.” She preferred the company of rich men with multiple partners over faithful but less prosperous men. </p>
<p>As these mistresses aged, however, their wealthy paramours abandoned them for younger women. But they were unwilling to settle for lower-status, less successful men in China. After years of being out of the workforce, their lavish consumption habits were at odds with their weakened labor market prospects. </p>
<p>As a result, they turned to marriage migration as an option for escape.</p>
<h2>Spurned by the service sector</h2>
<p>Meanwhile, my interviews with sales clerks and nannies shed light on the challenges faced by middle-aged women without college degrees. Many of them had been laid off from state-owned factories in the 1990s, <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2016/03/chinas-coming-mass-layoffs-past-as-prologue/">when over 30 million workers lost their jobs</a>.</p>
<p>These women struggled to find new work in China’s service sector, <a href="https://experts.illinois.edu/en/publications/mein%C3%BC-jingjichinas-beauty-economy-buying-looks-shifting-value-and">which prioritizes hiring young, good-looking women</a>. Daisy, a 43-year-old, felt fortunate to have secured a job at a luxury department store, but she feared for her future job prospects. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young female Chinese barista pours hot water as a male customer awaits his order." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551473/original/file-20231002-26-dsef6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551473/original/file-20231002-26-dsef6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551473/original/file-20231002-26-dsef6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551473/original/file-20231002-26-dsef6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551473/original/file-20231002-26-dsef6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551473/original/file-20231002-26-dsef6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551473/original/file-20231002-26-dsef6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">In China’s booming service sector, young applicants get preference over older ones.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/barista-is-making-coffee-in-a-new-starbucks-reserve-coffee-news-photo/992237296?adppopup=true">Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Meanwhile, less attractive women often had to work in less desirable positions: as nannies helping mothers take care of newborns, or street vendors who earned less than $5 per day. <a href="https://www.csis.org/blogs/new-perspectives-asia/reform-horizon-chinas-weak-social-safety-net">Without access</a> to health insurance, retirement benefits or other social safety net programs, many of these women were desperate to leave China.</p>
<p>Finally, many struggling single mothers marry Western men so their children can study overseas. </p>
<p>Some of them want their children to escape <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvm8aq/china-education-rigid-gaokao-alternative-learning-beijing-school">China’s exam-driven education system</a> that can burden students with excessive schoolwork and no playtime. Others feel that the Chinese job market favors social connections over qualification. </p>
<p>Joanne, a retail manager with dreams of sending her teenage son to the U.S. for college, pointed out, “Unlike in the U.S., a lot of good jobs in China depend on ‘hou tai’” – the Chinese term for “social background” or “lineage.” </p>
<p>“Having a degree is not enough,” she added.</p>
<h2>Mixed marriage experiences</h2>
<p>Interestingly, of the 30 women in my study who were financially secure, only 12 ended up marrying Western men. By comparison, 26 of the 31 financially struggling women married and moved abroad. </p>
<p>This is because many financially secure women were used to dating wealthy Chinese businessmen and politicians, so they often rejected their working-class Western suitors. After meeting these men face to face, they realized that they lacked the refined taste, lifestyle and sexual experience of their Chinese lovers. </p>
<p>By contrast, the financially struggling women held a different perspective. Daisy, who married a French mechanic, eventually grew to appreciate her husband for being kind and caring to her, even though she was not initially attracted to him and called him “foolish and clumsy, like someone from the peasant class.”</p>
<p>Moreover, Daisy valued the opportunity to work as a waitress and earn $1,500 per month, which enabled her to send some money home to her daughter in China.</p>
<p>Likewise, Robert, the truck driver, eventually found love with a Chinese woman. She moved into his trailer and worked as a masseuse on the side to send money back to her sons in China. </p>
<p>While some brides felt content in their new marriages, others suffered. For example, Joanne found herself in a toxic relationship with a controlling American man. Yet she stayed with her husband because her older age, limited English skills and her son’s need for financial support as a college student in the U.S. left her with few other options. </p>
<p>As Joanne’s experience shows, given the gender, age and class inequalities that continue to plague modern-day China, single Chinese women can find themselves choosing between a rock and a hard place.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213632/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Monica Liu does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Their desire to pursue marriage abroad not only reveals their longing for a better life but also reveals the pervasive gender, age and class inequalities that continue to plague modern-day China.Monica Liu, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2100302023-08-14T12:22:31Z2023-08-14T12:22:31ZDiscrimination took a heavy toll on Asian American students during the pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541293/original/file-20230804-15-4umspr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=60%2C112%2C5691%2C3716&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">One study has found that only 20% of Asian college students diagnosed with a mental health disorder receive treatment.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-people-seriously-sketching-royalty-free-image/1015155046?phrase=asian+college+students&adppopup=true">Ishii Koji/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em> </p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>Experiencing discrimination <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.04.016">significantly harmed the well-being of Asian and Asian American college students</a> in the U.S. during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. </p>
<p>That’s the key finding of our study, which compared over 6,000 survey responses from Asian and Asian American students who took the <a href="https://www.acha.org/ncha">National College Health Assessment</a> – an annual survey of student health behaviors – in the fall of 2019 and the fall of 2020. Our study focused only on Asians and Asian Americans. Others have found that both <a href="https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306594">Asian and Native American ethnic groups</a> experienced the highest rates of COVID-19-related discrimination.</p>
<p>We found that Asian and Asian American students experienced high levels of stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic. By fall 2020, 9% had a loved one who had died from COVID-19, 7% reported experiencing discriminatory behavior because of the pandemic, and 61% had pandemic-related financial stress. Compared with 2019, Asian students in 2020 reported significantly more insomnia and psychological distress. </p>
<p>We then determined what factors most accounted for students’ poor mental health. We also tested whether the impact of these factors changed with the stressors of the pandemic. </p>
<p>In 2019, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.04.016">11 factors were significant predictors of suicidality</a> – that is, thoughts of suicide and attempts – in Asian students. Some of these factors are variables mental health professionals know to screen for: diagnosed depression, loneliness, and higher alcohol and drug use. But we found other significant predictors of suicidality – food insecurity, hours of screen time and experiencing discrimination – that are not often assessed in health settings. We also found variables that protected mental health. These included sleeping well, exercising and spending time with loved ones. </p>
<p>In 2020, only three factors were significant predictors of suicide – depression, loneliness and discrimination. The impact that experiencing discrimination had on suicidality also almost doubled, and there were no longer any significant protective factors. </p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>We wanted to understand the experiences of Asian and Asian American students for two reasons. First, Asian college students are the racial group with the greatest unmet mental health need. Only <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.04.014">20% of Asian college students diagnosed with a mental health disorder receive treatment</a>, compared with 40% of students overall. </p>
<p>Second, in 2020 there was a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605221107056">sharp increase</a> in anti-Asian hate incidents. For example, the nonprofit Stop AAPI Hate, which tracks incidents of hate and discrimination against Asian Americans, saw a jump in reported incidents from about 3,800 annually before the pandemic <a href="https://stopaapihate.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Stop-AAPI-Hate-Report-National-210506.pdf">to over 6,600</a> after the first year of the pandemic. </p>
<p>These incidents came at a time when <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-defamation-league-study-donald-trump-anti-asian-hate-speech-2021-3">former President Trump</a> was associating COVID-19 with Asians by calling it “the China virus” or “kung flu.” </p>
<p>From 2016 to 2020, suicide was the <a href="https://www.newportinstitute.com/resources/mental-health/asian-american-mental-health/#:%7E:text=Statistics%20from%20the%20CDC%20show,Asian%20Americans%20aged%2020%E2%80%9324.">leading cause of death</a> among Asian adolescents. To reduce deaths from suicide, researchers must first understand what individual factors increase or decrease its likelihood. </p>
<p>Our research shows that experiencing loneliness and discrimination significantly harmed Asian students’ mental health. This finding is true in typical years, such as 2019, but especially in times of acute social turmoil. </p>
<p>These findings provide insight on how universities and health care providers can better support students’ mental health by addressing the psychological impact of experiencing racism. </p>
<h2>What’s next</h2>
<p>Now that researchers better understand what predicts psychological distress in Asian American students, the next steps are to apply this information. Future research is needed to understand better how therapy that supports <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000442">healing from racial discrimination</a> could support students’ mental health. </p>
<p>Research should also evaluate how treatments aimed at improving sleep quality could support Asian students’ <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8651630/">mental health</a>. These interventions could improve mental health especially in times of social turmoil.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210030/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Roxanne Prichard receives funding from the National Science Foundation and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.</span></em></p>An increase in anti-Asian hate incidents during the pandemic contributed to a rise in depression among Asian and Asian American college students, a study found.Roxanne Prichard, Professor of Psychology, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1900452022-09-13T19:18:46Z2022-09-13T19:18:46ZUne pénurie chez son fournisseur ? Quand les entreprises trouvent des solutions<p>La pandémie de Covid-19 a montré la faiblesse des chaînes logistiques globales par les ruptures d’approvisionnement. Et à peine sommes-nous sortis de cette crise que le mot « pénurie » vient refaire la une, en raison notamment de la guerre en Ukraine.</p>
<p>Certaines entreprises des filières aéronautique, automobile, agroalimentaire, minière ou encore métallurgique s’inquiètent de leur dépendance à la Russie. Un exemple parmi d’autres, <a href="https://j2rauto.com/rechange/guerre-en-ukraine-alerte-sur-les-matieres-premieres-pour-la-filiere-automobile/">Renault</a> craint bientôt ne plus disposer de palladium, un métal blanc nécessaire aux pots catalytiques des véhicules thermiques, dont la Russie pèse pour 40 % de la production mondiale.</p>
<p>La capacité des entreprises à détecter et à apprendre des perturbations dans la chaîne d’approvisionnement s’avère ainsi un enjeu de plus en plus décisif pour leur compétitivité. Pendant la crise liée au coronavirus, bon nombre d’entreprises n’ont pas été capables de réagir aux perturbations créées par la pandémie car elles dépendaient de fournisseurs spécifiques situés dans des zones de quarantaine.</p>
<p>Reste que nous avons aussi pu observer des entreprises françaises qui ont su adopter ce que nous appelons une « orientation disruptive », c’est-à-dire modifier leur production et adapter leurs produits aux demandes des consommateurs. Le groupe <a href="https://www.lvmh.fr/actualites-documents/actualites/les-maisons-du-groupe-lvmh-adaptent-leur-activite-pour-fabriquer-des-masques-et-des-blouses-pour-lutter-contre-la-propagation-du-Covid-19-en-france/">LVMH</a>, par exemple, a réorganisé ses ateliers de confection de jeans pour fabriquer des masques. <a href="https://www.lsa-conso.fr/l-oreal-limite-la-casse-au-1er-trimestre-2020-grace-au-e-commerce-et-a-la-pharmacie,346504">L’Oréal</a>, de son côté, s’est lancé dans la production de gel hydroalcoolique, et a augmenté la place de la division cosmétique liée à la santé dans ses activités.</p>
<p>Ne faut-il y voir que des reconversions imposées par des fournisseurs dans l’incapacité de répondre aux commandes ? C’est là l’objet d’une <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/poms.13708">recherche</a> que nous avons lancée dans les premiers mois du Covid. Et dans de nombreux cas, ce sont en fait les entreprises clientes qui ont été à l’initiative.</p>
<h2>Se protéger, ne pas partager ?</h2>
<p>En étudiant 202 binômes entreprise principale-fournisseur de l’industrie manufacturière, nos travaux montrent, en premier lieu, que pareils choix permettent à une entreprise d’améliorer ses performances. Ses capacités d’innovation et de prise d’initiative lui ont permis d’être plus efficace que la concurrence et plus compétitive.</p>
<p>Les réactions adoptées, comme le remplacement du transport de marchandises critiques, ont également pu permettre d’améliorer les performances environnementales, en réduisant les déchets et émissions de gaz à effet de serre. C’est le cas par exemple de l’entreprise <a href="https://s24.q4cdn.com/834031268/files/doc_downloads/2020/Sustainability-Report-2020-Complete.pdf">3M</a> qui a su adapter sa chaîne d’approvisionnement à la demande croissante des clients au cours de la pandémie pour produire des masques offrant une meilleure performance environnementale de leur production jusqu’à leur recyclage.</p>
<p>[<em>Plus de 80 000 lecteurs font confiance à la newsletter de The Conversation pour mieux comprendre les grands enjeux du monde</em>. <a href="https://theconversation.com/fr/newsletters/la-newsletter-quotidienne-5?utm_source=inline-70ksignup">Abonnez-vous aujourd'hui</a>]</p>
<p>Les bonnes performances découlent parfois des orientations des fournisseurs. Par exemple, qui dit pénurie a pu dire augmentation de l’utilisation d’emballages recyclés et donc moins de déchets produits par le client. Nos résultats montrent cependant qu’il ne faut pas tout en attendre. Les fournisseurs ayant une forte orientation disruptive s’appliquent généralement à protéger leurs opérations internes pendant une perturbation, délaissant le partage d’informations avec leurs clients. L’entreprise ne peut alors pas utiliser l’échange de connaissances pour améliorer la performance économique.</p>
<h2>Internaliser ou former ?</h2>
<p>Face à la difficulté de maîtriser les approvisionnements, en quantité comme en qualité, deux possibilités s’offrent alors : internaliser la production ou former les fournisseurs.</p>
<p>C’est la première solution qui a été retenue par le groupe automobile Stellantis. Il a récemment décidé d’<a href="https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/stellantis-va-internaliser-a-la-janais-la-fabrication-de-pieces-a-injection.N2029057">internaliser</a> sur le site de La Janais, quelques kilomètres au sud de Rennes, la fabrication de pièces à injection. C’est aussi le choix de certaines entreprises pour répondre à la pénurie de cartes électroniques. All Circuits et TPL Systèmes <a href="https://www.leparisien.fr/loiret-45/200-emplois-supplementaires-a-la-cle-all-circuits-relocalise-les-cartes-electroniques-pres-dorleans-06-07-2022-H7BRGH36J5DD3EFLWS2WOBEZJE.php">relocalisent</a> leur assemblage et <a href="https://objectifaquitaine.latribune.fr/business/industrie/2022-07-20/de-la-chine-a-la-dordogne-tpl-systemes-relocalise-sa-production-de-cartes-electroniques-924396.html">investissent</a> dans des lignes de production dernier cri. Cette décision permet de développer un savoir-faire en interne tout en économisant des coûts de transport et en diminuant son empreinte carbone.</p>
<p>D’autres entreprises ont fait le choix de cartographier leurs sous-traitants et de les <a href="https://hbr.org/2020/03/coronavirus-is-proving-that-we-need-more-resilient-supply-chains">former</a> à détecter et à leur communiquer rapidement les perturbations de leur environnement. C’est le cas, par exemple, de General Motors ou de Schneider Electric. Elles sont désormais capables en quelques heures de prévoir comment leur chaîne d’approvisionnement pourrait être impactée dans les jours, semaines, ou mois à venir par un événement extérieur et de mettre en place des stratégies pour y répondre, en jouant sur les stocks par exemple. Dans le contexte de la guerre en Ukraine, l’enjeu est de s’assurer que les fournisseurs stratégiques appliquent des plans d’action en collaboration avec les entreprises clientes dans les secteurs touchés par les ruptures d’approvisionnement.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190045/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>Pour améliorer leurs performances financières mais aussi environnementales, c’est aussi aux entreprises qui achètent de prendre l’initiative.Rebecca Stekelorum, Enseignante-chercheuse en stratégie et entrepreneuriat, ICN Business SchoolIssam Laguir, Associate professor, Montpellier Business SchoolSameer Kumar, Professeur en Management des Opérations et Supply Chain, University of St. ThomasShivam Gupta, Professeur associé en systèmes d'information, Neoma Business SchoolSubodha Kumar, Professor of Statistics, Operations, and Data Science, Temple UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1664342021-08-25T19:03:50Z2021-08-25T19:03:50ZAprès la Covid, un virage plus vert s’amorce dans la logistique<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416965/original/file-20210819-15-1k60944.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1%2C15%2C1276%2C942&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">En 2019, le transporteur GEFCO a acquis la plate-forme Chronotruck pour réduire le nombre de déplacements perdus.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia commons</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Électrification des véhicules de livraison, écoconduite, conception neutre en carbone des entrepôts… les prestataires de service (PSL) se sont engagés depuis plusieurs années à mettre en place des pratiques vertes afin de réduire les conséquences négatives de leur activité sur l’environnement.</p>
<p>À ce jour, <a href="http://www.objectifco2.fr/index/programme">1 170 entreprises du transport de marchandises</a> ont rejoint la charte « Objectif CO<sub>2</sub> » permettant d’évaluer, piloter et de réduire les émissions de CO<sub>2</sub>. L’enjeu est important : le transport routier est le <a href="http://www.objectifco2.fr/">2ᵉ secteur le plus consommateur d’énergie</a> et équivaut à 34 % de la consommation énergétique finale en France.</p>
<p>Par ailleurs, la crise de la Covid-19 a eu un impact conséquent sur le secteur, qui subit une perte massive en termes de volume d’activité. D’après un sondage mené par la B2PR, <a href="https://bp2r.eu/publications/sondage-transporteurs-la-conjoncture-2020-du-trm">au moins 34 % des transporteurs routiers</a> ont enregistré une baisse d’au moins 5 % de leur volume d’activité en 2020.</p>
<h2>Des consommateurs plus regardants</h2>
<p>Face à cette baisse d’activité, la question des moyens déployés aux pratiques environnementales se pose. Plus que jamais, la poursuite des objectifs environnementaux des PSL doit se faire en permettant l’amélioration des performances financières (bénéfice d’exploitation, retour sur investissement, et trésorerie) et opérationnelles (capacité à délivrer le produit à temps et efficacement).</p>
<p>Ceci est d’autant plus important que les consommateurs sont de plus en plus regardants non seulement sur le <a href="https://www.lsa-conso.fr/livraison-les-pratiques-du-web-sont-desormais-attendues-depuis-le-magasin,366933">respect des délais</a>, mais aussi sur <a href="https://www.journaldunet.com/ebusiness/commerce/1493085-les-nouvelles-tendances-de-consommation-des-francais-ou-lorsque-la-crise-sanitaire-transforme-les-comportements-d-achat/">l’impact environnemental de leurs achats</a>. L’aspect le plus visible reste sûrement le suremballage des produits livrés à domicile et les cartons reçus <a href="https://www.capital.fr/economie-politique/pourquoi-les-cartons-des-e-commercants-sont-souvent-surdimensionnes-1398429">à moitié vides</a>…</p>
<p>Cependant, les PSL réalisant l’emballage dans le circuit de distribution peuvent s’inspirer de certaines pratiques mises en œuvre par des entreprises de e-commerce comme Cdiscount. En 2019, le géant de la distribution en ligne s’est doté de la machine CVP-500 de Neopost Shipping permettant <a href="https://www.voxlog.fr/actualite/3435/cdiscount-optimise-son-emballage-avec-neopost-shipping">d’adapter le carton au produit</a> et d’éviter ainsi le vide dans les colis.</p>
<p>En général, les pratiques vertes des PSL peuvent être de nature interne (gestion environnementale interne, éco-conception des packagings, recouvrement des investissements à travers la vente des stocks excédentaires et des matériaux utilisés) ou externes (approvisionnement vert, collaboration avec les clients).</p>
<p>Des pratiques spécifiques au secteur des transports existent comme la logistique inverse (opérations liées à la réutilisation des produits et matériaux), la mise en place d’entrepôts et de bâtiments écologiques, et des stratégies vertes de transport et de distribution en maximisant les capacités des camions de livraison par des commandes regroupées. Ainsi, le groupe STG utilise un <a href="https://shipping.quadient.com/sites/shipping.neopost.com/files/cas_client_groupe_stg.pdf">système de terminaux mobiles</a> leur permettant de contacter le camion le plus proche d’un point de collecte afin d’accomplir un enlèvement de dernière minute.</p>
<h2>Une question de taille</h2>
<p>Avant même la crise de la Covid-19, nous avions réalisé une <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925527321000694">recherche</a> scientifique afin d’établir quelles pratiques de gestion de la logistique verte améliorent les performances opérationnelle et financière des PSL en France. Nous nous sommes focalisés sur les PSL de type 3PL, c’est-à-dire réalisant le transport, l’entreposage, et des services à valeur ajoutée comme l’emballage, l’étiquetage et la gestion des stocks.</p>
<p>Nous avons ainsi observé que les pratiques de gestion de la chaîne d’approvisionnement verte, et leurs impacts sur les performances opérationnelles et financières, varient chez les transporteurs selon la taille de l’entreprise (PME ou grandes entreprises).</p>
<p>En ce qui concerne les PSL de petite taille (moins de 250 salariés), notre étude montre que l’amélioration des performances financière et opérationnelle vient plutôt d’une mise en place conjointe des pratiques d’approvisionnement vert et d’éco-conception des packagings (emballages conçus de manière écologique depuis les matières premières jusqu’à l’étape de la distribution).</p>
<p>Par exemple, la PME CAP Express communique sur son engagement en faveur de l’environnement à travers notamment le <a href="https://www.cap-express.fr/fr/actualites/13-choses-a-savoir-sur-lengagement-ecologique-de-cap-express-video-87">recyclage des matériels d’emballages et palettes</a> et le choix de fournisseurs respectueux de l’environnement.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FHlcJ4PEwZI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">13 choses à savoir sur l’engagement écologique de CAP Express (CAP Express, 2018).</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>En outre, notre étude montre que les activités d’éco-conception, comme le recyclage ou la réutilisation des emballages, se traduisent par une meilleure promotion de la qualité des produits et un plus grand bénéfice d’exploitation lorsque les petites entreprises développent des collaborations avec les fournisseurs.</p>
<p>Toutefois, étant donné que les pratiques vertes sont coûteuses et que les petits PSL manquent généralement de temps et de ressources, ils peuvent donc se montrer réticents à les développer davantage.</p>
<h2>Le rôle clé des clients</h2>
<p>Quant aux PSL de grande taille, ils sont capables de développer des programmes, des activités et des technologies environnementales leur permettant de déployer un large éventail de pratiques vertes (gestion environnementale interne, approvisionnement vert, éco-conception des packagings, collaboration avec les clients, mise en place d’entrepôts et de bâtiments écologiques, et stratégies vertes de transport et de distribution).</p>
<p>Ainsi, GEFCO a acquis en 2019 Chronotruck, une plate-forme digitale qui connecte les expéditeurs et les transporteurs dans le but de <a href="https://cdn.gefco.net/fileadmin/user_upload/GEFCO_RAPPORT_CSR_2019_VERSION_FRANCAISE.pdf">réduire les déplacements perdus</a>. La mise en place d’une stratégie environnementale au plus haut niveau de la direction permet de développer une collaboration en amont, avec les fournisseurs, et de démontrer l’engagement environnemental envers les clients, conduisant ainsi à un meilleur fonctionnement et de meilleures performances financières.</p>
<p>Cependant, notre étude montre que ce type d’investissement n’est pas encore forcément nécessaire pour améliorer les performances des grands PSL. En effet, les clients se montrent peu sensibles aux activités qui concernent la fin de vie des produits.</p>
<p>Cela rend difficile pour les PSL de mettre en pratique la logistique inverse, voire peut nuire aux efforts de recouvrement des investissements. Ainsi, les PSL peuvent ne pas percevoir la nécessité de réduire les taux de rebut, car les clients ont peu connaissance des montants des actifs inutilisés que possèdent les PSL.</p>
<p>Ainsi, il nous semble fondamental de s’interroger sur la manière dont les clients peuvent accompagner leur prestataire de service logistique sur leur développement de pratiques vertes. La prise en compte du type de structure avec laquelle ils collaborent nous semble essentielle.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/166434/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>Face aux exigences environnementales, les prestataires de services de transports, d’emballage et de stockage adoptent de nouvelles pratiques qui varient toutefois selon la taille de l’entreprise.Rebecca Stekelorum, Enseignante-chercheuse en stratégie et entrepreneuriat, ICN Business SchoolIssam Laguir, Associate professor, Montpellier Business SchoolSameer Kumar, Professeur en Management des Opérations et Supply Chain, University of St. ThomasShivam Gupta, Professeur associé en systèmes d'information, Neoma Business SchoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1451212020-09-08T15:02:30Z2020-09-08T15:02:30ZHow corruption undermines peacebuilding in Nigeria’s oil region<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355557/original/file-20200831-14-1bwh7u6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A Nigerian Navy unit on patrol, looking for illegal oil refineries in the Niger Delta region near Port Harcourt.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Stefan Heunis/AFP via Getty Image</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the wake of an <a href="https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/west-africa/nigeria/swamps-insurgency-nigerias-delta-unrest">insurgency</a> that devastated Nigeria’s petroleum industry and sent the economy into a tailspin, the Nigerian government granted <a href="https://www.osapnd.gov.ng/presidential-amnesty-programme/">unconditional amnesty</a> to thousands of insurgents in 2009. </p>
<p>Amnesty provided a clean slate for peacebuilding measures. These were meant to safeguard the communities to which the insurgents would be returning and build capacity for peace, security and development in the oil region. </p>
<p>Between 2009 and 2019, the Nigerian government committed <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342919662_CORRUPTION_NATIONAL_SECURITY_AND_AMNESTY_PROGRAMME_IN_THE_NIGER_DELTA_REGION_NIGERIA_FROM_2009-2019">billions of dollars</a> to the peacebuilding programme. This was to cover the stipends, education, training and entrepreneurship development costs for 30,000 participants.</p>
<p>The programme included the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of the insurgents. The federal government gave them a monthly stipend of 65,000 Naira (US$200) in temporary assistance.</p>
<p>Recently, some scholars explored the impact of the Presidential Amnesty Programme on human capital development in Nigeria’s oil region. Studies by <a href="https://academicjournals.org/journal/JASD/article-full-text-pdf/2DCE94D9463">Akeem Akinwale</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2158244015589996">Iyabobola Ajibola</a> have shown that it had a positive impact and created the conditions for reintegrating ex-insurgents into civilian society. </p>
<p>But the studies don’t consider the role that corruption plays in post-conflict peacebuilding processes. </p>
<p>They don’t note that some vendors delivered sub-standard overseas training. It did not prepare the ex-insurgents for rejoining the local economy.</p>
<p>This gap in the literature underscores <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/crq.21270">my research</a> with ex-insurgents in Rivers and Bayelsa states. Their stories show how corruption manifests itself through the processes of peacebuilding in the region. Some ex-insurgents attribute their suffering to the mismanagement of peacebuilding funds. </p>
<p>Others attribute their misfortunes to the corrupt process of selecting candidates for the foreign scholarship programme. They say it mostly benefited individuals who could use their family connections. </p>
<p>But corruption is nothing new in the oil region. It is now part of an emerging political economy of peacebuilding in Nigeria. Corruption is what one government official was telling me about here:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It is unfortunate how a well-intentioned programme became bastardised and turned out to be a drainpipe. Who are those implementing the programme? Who are those involved in mobilising insurgents for the programme? Who controls the amnesty database? Who is responsible for shortlisting the insurgents for scholarship and technical training within and outside Nigeria? If you do an audit of that tray from initiation to the completion of the amnesty programme, you will have a clear idea about the manifestation of corrupt practices.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These concerns, and the wish to understand the nature of corruption more deeply, motivated my research.</p>
<p>In the research field, my first contact with an ex-insurgent was in Rivers State, where I met Eze, who prefers to be identified only by his first name. I asked him about his experience in the peace process and saw that he seemed angry. He led me to an empty poultry farm that was supposed to give him an economic lifeline. In the Niger Delta peacebuilding lexicon, that poultry farm is known as “empowerment”.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A simple breezeblock brick structure with a fence around it, its zinc roof buckling and a faded poster hanging from the fence." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/354841/original/file-20200826-7049-1xl92tn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/354841/original/file-20200826-7049-1xl92tn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/354841/original/file-20200826-7049-1xl92tn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/354841/original/file-20200826-7049-1xl92tn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/354841/original/file-20200826-7049-1xl92tn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/354841/original/file-20200826-7049-1xl92tn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/354841/original/file-20200826-7049-1xl92tn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A poultry farm established to empower an ex-insurgent but failed due to corruption.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Obasesam Okoi</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But Eze did not feel empowered. He said the peacebuilding vendor contracted to set up the farm failed to deliver some of the resources the government had approved for him.</p>
<p>Eze was not the only victim. I realised through listening to others like him that the biggest challenge confronting the Niger Delta peacebuilding programme was corruption in the educational and entrepreneurial processes of reintegrating ex-insurgents. </p>
<p>The peacebuilding vendors are required to take photographs of the “empowerment” programmes they have implemented for submission to the Presidential Amnesty office. This is evidence that they have met their contractual obligations. </p>
<p>The programmes don’t always exist. But the Presidential Amnesty office exploits these photographs as evidence of “success” in peacebuilding interventions. </p>
<p>Concerns about corruption are easily dismissed as inaccurate information by the Presidential Amnesty office. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, since 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari has <a href="https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/08/breaking-buhari-fires-charles-dokubo-appoints-milland-dikio-as-coordinator-amnesty-programme/">dismissed</a> at least two coordinators of the Presidential Amnesty Programme. The dismissals have been associated with allegations of mismanagement of funds. There have been no convictions, however. </p>
<p>For instance, in 2018, the amnesty office received invoices from local academic institutions requesting payment for tuition and allowances for amnesty students. Alarmed by the suspicion of corruption, the then coordinator, Charles Dokubo, launched an investigation. A committee looked into the enrolment of 1,061 students and whether they were legitimate amnesty delegates. </p>
<p>It <a href="https://www.osapnd.gov.ng/prof-charles-dokubos-100-days-in-office/">found</a> that only 314 of the 1,061 delegates were legitimate participants. The remaining 747 could not be accounted for. </p>
<p>This is an example of how the peacebuilding programme benefits the peacebuilders while alienating the ex-insurgents. </p>
<p>My study allowed the ex-insurgents to give voice to their experiences. And my qualitative analysis was an important consideration in understanding the role that corruption plays in the dynamic processes of peacebuilding.</p>
<p>The work of peacebuilding practitioners influences the outcome of the Niger Delta peace process. To prevent a relapse into an armed insurgency motivated by the grievances of ex-insurgents who feel alienated from the peace process, I recommend a forensic audit of the Presidential Amnesty programme. It should hold the peacebuilders accountable.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/145121/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Obasesam Okoi receives funding from the Janice Film Award for Peace Studies and the Berdie and Irvin Cohen Scholarship in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Manitoba, Canada. </span></em></p>Mismanagement of funds appears to be the biggest challenge confronting the Niger Delta peacebuilding programme.Obasesam Okoi, Assistant Professor of Justice and Peace Studies, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1364722020-05-26T12:20:42Z2020-05-26T12:20:42ZClap all you like now, but workers with meaningful jobs deserve to be valued in a post-coronavirus economy too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/337042/original/file-20200522-124840-1lrlsvn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C107%2C5982%2C3880&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Grocery workers have been essential during the pandemic. so should we be paying them more?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/fresh-direct-worker-in-protective-face-mask-and-gloves-news-photo/1226288895?adppopup=true">Rob Kim/Getty Images)</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The coronavirus recession has laid bare how illogically the U.S. labor market values work that matters.</p>
<p>In the United States, as elsewhere, citizens have been extolling the role of essential workers – such as nurses, grocery suppliers and delivery drivers – by, for example, <a href="https://abc7ny.com/health/quarantined-new-yorkers-clap-for-essential-workers-%7C-video/6060936/">rewarding them with nightly claps</a>. Yet many of these employees <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/04/06/why-do-so-many-essential-workers-get-paid-so-little-heres-what-economists-have-say/">receive low pay</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-shows-key-workers-need-better-pay-and-protection-heres-what-has-to-change-137037">few protections</a>, suggesting a different appreciation of their worth in the market.</p>
<p>But in highlighting this disconnect, perhaps the crisis has also provided an opportunity to reimagine an economy that values jobs for something more than just wealth creation: meaningfulness.</p>
<h2>A moral market?</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04389-0">Meaningfulness</a> has to do with how much one’s work matters in a moral sense, which is not always signified by how much money a job pays. It often relates to personal fulfillment from work but may also concern the social contribution work makes and what, morally, we ought to value. Contemporary social scientists and philosophers cite historical thinkers as diverse as <a href="https://hbr.org/2011/12/adam-smith-was-not-a-schizophr">Adam Smith</a> and <a href="https://www.theschooloflife.com/thebookoflife/the-great-philosophers-karl-marx/">Karl Marx</a> as recognizing the potential for meaningless work to detract from human well-being.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, our labor market tends not to account adequately for morality. For example, it often assigns less tangible value, such as money, to meaningful work that is intangibly valuable. A high school teacher may have a harder time accounting for her share in the success of a former student’s business venture than does the investment banker who helped fund the startup. </p>
<p>Workers who risk their well-being to clean bedpans at hospitals and stock shelves at grocery stores may have only the reassurance that their work is essential to augment their relatively meager compensation.</p>
<p>To suggest that moral values should be more integral to the free market is neither anti-capitalist nor partisan. As an <a href="https://business.stthomas.edu/faculty-research/faculty-bios/michaelson-christopher/">ethics professor and business adviser</a>, I know it is widely accepted that markets are imperfect and require mediation to balance out inequities.</p>
<p>Even a celebrated market economist like <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51877.Capitalism_and_Freedom">Milton Friedman recognized</a> that the free market undervalues some things. Accordingly, disruptions from events like the current pandemic warrant public and private sector coordination to ensure an adequate supply of essential goods and services. </p>
<h2>Checks and bank balances</h2>
<p>The recently passed <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/house-lawmakers-race-to-washington-to-ensure-coronavirus-stimulus-passes-11585318472">bipartisan stimulus</a> package that offers proportionately more to people who have less is consistent with this view that markets warrant intervention when it can stave off human suffering.</p>
<p>Similarly, wealthy individuals often <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/billionaires-spending-hundreds-of-millions-on-coronavirus-research-2020-3">act generously</a> when they perceive distress that may be caused by unfairness in market mechanisms – for example, by <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/03/14/nba-teams-players-help-pay-workers">donating money to make up for lost wages</a>. But this only highlights a system that rewards some people with so much wealth that they can cover the missed paychecks of hundreds or thousands of others.</p>
<p>But I would argue that bailout checks and individual acts of kindness are not nearly enough. They may even have the <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/10/praising-customers-for-ethical-purchases-can-backfire">unintended consequence of moral licensing</a> – creating the false impression among individuals that they have fully done their part to mitigate the problem. </p>
<p>Laid-off workers having to look for new work in what could be a <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-19/global-downturn-risks-becoming-prolonged-recession-wef-says">prolonged, post-pandemic recession</a> will not find long-term stability in temporary infusions of cash and charity. Economic and social recovery will require the creation of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/business/economy/coronavirus-unemployment-claims.html">tens of millions of jobs for those who have filed unemployment claims</a>. But we should also be looking to promote meaningful work in a post-pandemic economy through the rewarding of pay that is proportional to a work’s meaningfulness.</p>
<p><a href="https://fortune.com/2020/03/20/essential-workers-government-list-employees-coronavirus/">Work deemed essential</a> in the pandemic has taken on more meaning because it is urgent to people now. However, even after this crisis has passed, much of this work will continue to be essential to our society.</p>
<p>Meaningfulness can also apply to work that seems less urgent but nonetheless important, such as the concerts and performances that we are now missing. Unfortunately, funding for the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/leeseymour/2020/04/16/de-blasios-new-budget-would-decimate-new-york-theaters-already-reeling-from-pandemic/#662456d41b40">arts</a> and <a href="https://timesofsandiego.com/education/2020/05/16/california-teachers-face-layoffs-as-pandemic-forces-big-state-budget-cuts/">public education</a> is an easy target when budgets are strapped.</p>
<p>In times of disaster, those who are most vulnerable are often those who are harmed the most, a phenomenon called <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1376863.At_Risk">differential exposure</a>. For example, during the pandemic, the lower an employee ranks in an organizational hierarchy, the <a href="https://time.com/5795651/coronavirus-workers-economy-inequality/">more likely they are to encounter frontline hazards</a>.</p>
<p>Similarly, when we emerge from the economic aspect of this disaster, as after the <a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/the-new-gilded-age-income-inequality-in-the-u-s-by-state-metropolitan-area-and-county/">Great Recession</a>, those who already had the greatest financial means are likely to be the most prepared to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-wealthreport/worlds-rich-got-richer-amid-09-recession-report-idUSTRE65L36T20100622">increase their wealth</a>.</p>
<h2>More than applause</h2>
<p>If we allow that return to economic normalcy, ordinary workers who have suffered greater losses in the downturn will also be in the most uncertain position to benefit from the recovery. Americans could redress this by reprioritizing the place of meaningfulness in how they measure and remunerate work that matters.</p>
<p>Of course, restructuring the economy to recognize meaningfulness is complex and some would say fanciful. But I believe the moral values of our markets are a reflection of our individual and social values. And there are things that can be done to move in that direction: Prospective employees can pursue work that makes a moral contribution to society, companies can adopt more socially conscious statements of purpose and policymakers can look at ways to better acknowledge the nonmonetary contribution of work to society. </p>
<p>After this pandemic is over, health care workers should still be <a href="https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/watch-videos-of-tonights-massive-citywide-clap-for-essential-workers-040320/">greeted with nightly applause</a>, grocery store workers <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-25/supermarket-clerks-heroes-new-first-responders-coronavirus">should still be treated as heroes</a> and delivery drivers should still be <a href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/video/man-left-hand-sanitizer-toilet-paper-doorstep-delivery-69924269">surprised with gifts</a>. It would be nice if they were paid accordingly too. </p>
<p>[<em>Insight, in your inbox each day.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=insight">You can get it with The Conversation’s email newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/136472/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher Michaelson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>After the pandemic is over, grocery workers and nurses will still be essential. But will they be paid any better?Christopher Michaelson, Professor of Ethics and Business Law, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1311702020-02-12T06:11:43Z2020-02-12T06:11:43ZApa masalah terbesar di dunia saat ini? Tergantung kita bertanya pada CEO, pakar, atau filsuf<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313525/original/file-20200204-41490-5lnuqc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Aktivis Greta Thunberg termasuk di antara peserta yang ingin para pemimpin dunia untuk memprioritaskan agenda memerangi perubahan iklim.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Michael Probst</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Kita hidup di dunia yang terancam oleh banyak risiko eksistensial yang tidak dapat diselesaikan oleh satu negara atau satu organisasi sendirian, seperti <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/climate-change-27">perubahan iklim</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/extreme-weather-3799">cuaca ekstrem</a>, dan <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/coronavirus-5830">virus corona</a>.</p>
<p>Namun, untuk mengatasi masalah ini secara memadai, kita perlu sepakat mana yang menjadi prioritas – dan mana yang tidak.</p>
<p>Kebetulan, para pembuat kebijakan dan pemimpin bisnis yang sebagian besar menentukan risiko mana yang menjadi prioritas global <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/01/24/797182641/is-davos-as-bad-as-critics-say-global-leaders-weigh-in">menghabiskan satu minggu pada Januari berbaur</a> di resor pegunungan Davos untuk pertemuan tahunan elit dunia. </p>
<p>Saya berpartisipasi dalam survei penilaian risiko global yang memberi tahu orang-orang di Konferensi Tingkat Tinggi (KTT) Davos tentang apa yang paling harus mereka perhatikan. Hasilnya, berdasarkan pendapat dari para ahli dalam berbagai disiplin ilmu termasuk bisnis, ternyata sangat berbeda dari apa yang secara khusus dilihat oleh CEO perusahaan sebagai ancaman terbesar yang mereka hadapi.</p>
<p>Sebagai seorang <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=-9wM__kAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">filsuf</a>, saya menemukan perbedaan yang aneh. Mereka menyoroti dua cara yang berbeda untuk melihat dunia – dengan konsekuensi signifikan bagi kemampuan kita untuk mengatasi risiko sosial.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kebakaran hutan di Australia telah menghancurkan lebih dari 3.000 rumah dan menghancurkan lebih dari 10,6 juta hektar sejak September 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Noah Berger</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Dua perspektif tentang risiko terbesar</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-risks-report-2020">Laporan Risiko Global</a> dari Forum Ekonomi Dunia (WEF) mengkonsolidasikan persepsi sekitar 800 pakar dalam bisnis, pemerintah, dan masyarakat sipil untuk memberi peringkat “tantangan paling mendesak di dunia” untuk tahun mendatang berdasarkan kemungkinan dan dampaknya.</p>
<p>Pada 2020, cuaca ekstrem, kegagalan untuk bertindak terhadap perubahan iklim dan bencana alam menduduki puncak daftar risiko dalam hal kemungkinan terjadinya. Dalam hal dampak, tiga teratas adalah kegagalan aksi iklim, senjata pemusnah massal, dan hilangnya keanekaragaman hayati.</p>
<p>Namun, perspektif spesifik dari para pemimpin perusahaan ditangkap dalam survei lain yang menyoroti apa yang mereka anggap sebagai risiko terbesar bagi prospek pertumbuhan bisnis mereka sendiri. </p>
<p>Survei ini <a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-agenda/ceosurvey/2020.html">dilakukan oleh lembaga konsultasi PwC</a> sejak 1998, dan berperan penting di Davos. Saya telah terlibat dalam laporan itu juga ketika saya dulu bekerja untuk organisasi tersebut.</p>
<p>Sangat berbeda dengan laporan risiko Forum Ekonomi Dunia (WEF), survei CEO menemukan bahwa tiga risiko teratas untuk bisnis tahun ini adalah regulasi berlebihan, konflik perdagangan, dan pertumbuhan ekonomi yang tidak pasti.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Perang dagang Presiden Amerika Serikat Donald Trump dan Cina serta masalah ekonomi lainnya cenderung menjadi fokus CEO perusahaan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Evan Vucci</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Ekonomi atau etika</h2>
<p>Mengapa ada perbedaan demikian jauh terhadap cara kelompok-kelompok ini dalam melihat ancaman terbesar? </p>
<p>Saya ingin melihat pertanyaan ini lebih dalam, lebih dari sekadar penilaian satu tahun, jadi saya melakukan analisis sederhana terhadap 14 tahun data yang dihasilkan oleh kedua laporan tersebut. Temuan saya hanyalah kesimpulan dari data yang tersedia untuk umum, dan harus dicatat bahwa kedua survei memiliki metodologi yang berbeda serta mengajukan pertanyaan yang berbeda yang dapat membentuk jawaban responden.</p>
<p>Perbedaan utama yang saya amati adalah bahwa para pemimpin bisnis cenderung berpikir untuk kepentingan ekonomi dulu, baru soal etika. Tentu kita mahfum bahwa pebisnis cenderung berfokus pada situasi ekonomi jangka pendek mereka, sementara masyarakat sipil dan pakar lain dalam Laporan Risiko Global berfokus pada konsekuensi sosial dan lingkungan jangka panjang.</p>
<p>Contohnya, tahun demi tahun, CEO telah menyebutkan serangkaian kekhawatiran sempit yang relatif stabil. Regulasi berlebihan adalah salah satu dari tiga ancaman utama yang selalu disebutkan, kecuali pada satu tahun – dan sering berada di urutan teratas daftar. Ketersediaan talenta, masalah fiskal pemerintah, dan ekonomi juga sering disebutkan selama 14 tahun terakhir.</p>
<p>Sebaliknya, Laporan Risiko Global cenderung mencerminkan evolusi yang lebih besar dalam jenis risiko yang dihadapi dunia, dengan kekhawatiran tentang lingkungan dan ancaman eksistensial yang semakin meningkat selama lima tahun terakhir, sementara risiko ekonomi dan geopolitik telah memudar setelah mendominasi pada akhir tahun 2000-an.</p>
<h2>Sebuah perspektif filosofis</h2>
<p>Survei risiko adalah alat yang berguna untuk memahami apa yang penting bagi CEO dan masyarakat sipil. Filsafat berguna untuk mempertimbangkan mengapa prioritas mereka berbeda, dan siapa yang lebih mungkin benar.</p>
<p>Pada dasarnya, risiko adalah tentang kepentingan. Pebisnis menginginkan peraturan minimum sehingga mereka dapat menghasilkan lebih banyak uang. Para ahli yang mewakili masyarakat, di luar sekadar bisnis, menempatkan penekanan yang lebih besar pada kebaikan bersama, sekarang dan masa depan.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=795&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=795&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=795&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bertrand Russell.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Naci Yavuz/Shurterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ketika kepentingan berbeda bersinggungan, filsafat dapat membantu kita memilah kepentingan-kepentingan tadi. Di satu sisi, saya bersimpati dengan keinginan CEO untuk menjalankan bisnis mereka tanpa campur tangan regulasi. Di sisi lain, saya khawatir bahwa pertimbangan ekonomi jangka pendek ini sering menghambat tujuan etis jangka panjang, seperti menjaga kesejahteraan lingkungan.</p>
<h2>Dunia yang tidak pasti</h2>
<p>Para ahli menyetujui setidaknya satu hal: dunia menghadapi risiko yang mengerikan.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-risks-report-2020">Laporan Risiko Global</a> tahun ini, berjudul, “Dunia yang Tidak Tenang,” menggambarkan di sampulnya sebuah bumi yang rentan dalam bayang-bayang pusaran air raksasa.</p>
<p>Foto sampul dari <a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-agenda/ceosurvey/2020.html">Global CEO Survei</a>, yang melaporkan kepercayaan CEO terendah dalam pertumbuhan ekonomi sejak Krisis Ekonomi, menunjukkan gelombang yang datang di bawah awan gelap yang membayangi, dengan tulisan: “Menavigasi Gelombang Ketidakpastian yang Naik.”</p>
<p>Namun, isi dua laporan ini menunjukkan kesenjangan yang lebar antara dua kelompok berpengaruh yang perlu bersepakat agar kita dapat menyelesaikan ancaman terbesar dunia.</p>
<p>Abad lalu, pada tahun yang sama dengan berakhirnya Perang Dunia II, Bertrand Russell menyatakan bahwa <a href="https://archive.org/details/TheHistoryOfWesternPhilosophy/page/n9/mode/2up">tujuan filsafat</a> adalah untuk mengajarkan kita “bagaimana hidup tanpa kepastian, tapi tanpa dilumpuhkan oleh keraguan.”</p>
<p>Pada abad ke-21, filsafat dapat mengingatkan kita tentang kecenderungan kita yang merugikan, yakni untuk membiarkan prioritas ekonomi melumpuhkan tindakan untuk masalah yang lebih mendesak.</p>
<p><em>Aisha Amelia Yasmin menerjemahkan artikel ini dari bahasa Inggris</em>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/131170/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>As a former employee, Christopher Michaelson was paid by PwC for activities that included working on the Global CEO Survey and representing PwC to the World Economic Forum. He is currently affiliated with the World Economic Forum as an unpaid member of its Expert Network. </span></em></p>Pertemuan tahunan Forum Ekonomi Dunia (WEF) di Davos menempatkan risiko lingkungan sebagai paling genting, sementara CEO dunia melihat regulasi berlebihan sebagai ancaman terbesar mereka.Christopher Michaelson, Professor of Ethics and Business Law, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1283822020-01-27T12:18:39Z2020-01-27T12:18:39ZHow CEOs, experts and philosophers see the world’s biggest risks differently<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311947/original/file-20200126-81416-i4u3lb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=32%2C278%2C5431%2C3325&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Activist Greta Thunberg was among attendees who want the world's leaders to prioritize fighting climate change. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Michael Probst</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>We live in a world threatened by numerous existential risks that no country or organization can resolve alone, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/climate-change-27">climate change</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/extreme-weather-3799">extreme weather</a> and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/coronavirus-5830">coronavirus</a>.</p>
<p>But in order to adequately address them, we need agreement on which are priorities – and which aren’t.</p>
<p>As it happens, the policymakers and business leaders who largely determine which risks become global priorities <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/01/24/797182641/is-davos-as-bad-as-critics-say-global-leaders-weigh-in">spent a week in January mingling</a> in the mountainous resort of Davos for an annual meeting of the world’s elite. </p>
<p>I participated in a global risk assessment survey that informed those at the Davos summit on what they should be paying the most attention to. The results, drawn from experts in a broad range of disciplines including business, happen to be very different from what company CEOs specifically see as the biggest threats they face.</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=-9wM__kAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">philosopher</a>, I found the differences curious. They highlight two contrasting ways of seeing the world – with significant consequences for our ability to address societal risks.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312046/original/file-20200127-81336-1tftebr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Wildfires in Australia have destroyed more than 3,000 homes and razed more than 10.6 million hectares since September.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Noah Berger</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Two perspectives on the biggest risks</h2>
<p>The World Economic Forum’s <a href="https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-risks-report-2020">Global Risk Report</a> consolidates the perceptions of about 800 experts in business, government and civil society to rank “the world’s most pressing challenges” for the coming year by likelihood and impact.</p>
<p>In 2020, extreme weather, a failure to act on climate change and natural disasters topped the list of risks in terms of likelihood of occurrence. In terms of impact, the top three were climate action failure, weapons of mass destruction and a loss of biodiversity. </p>
<p>The specific perspective of corporate leaders, however, is captured in another survey that highlights what they perceive as the biggest risks to their own businesses’ growth prospects. <a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-agenda/ceosurvey/2020.html">Conducted by consultancy PwC</a> since 1998, it also holds sway in Davos. I’ve been involved in that report as well when I used to work for the organization. </p>
<p>In sharp contrast to the World Economic Forum’s risk report, the CEO survey found that the top three risks to business this year are overregulation, trade conflicts and uncertain economic growth.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312049/original/file-20200127-81336-1f86j37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">President Trump’s trade war and other economic concerns tend to be the focus of corporate CEOs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Evan Vucci</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Economic or ethical</h2>
<p>What explains such a big difference in how these groups see the greatest threats?</p>
<p>I wanted to look at this question more deeply, beyond one year’s assessment, so I did a simple analysis of 14 years of data generated by the two reports. My findings are only inferences from publicly available data, and it should be noted that the two surveys have different methodologies and ask different questions that may shape respondents’ answers.</p>
<p>A key difference I observed is that business leaders tend to think in economic terms first and ethical terms second. That is, businesses, as you’d expect, tend to focus on their short-term economic situation, while civil society and other experts in the Global Risk Report focus on longer-term social and environmental consequences.</p>
<p>For example, year after year, CEOs have named a comparatively stable set of narrow concerns. Overregulation is among the main three threats in all but one of the years – and is frequently at the top of the list. Availability of talent, government fiscal concerns and the economy were also frequently mentioned over the past 14 years. </p>
<p>In contrast, the Global Risk Report tends to reflect a greater evolution in the types of risks the world faces, with concerns about the environment and existential threats growing increasingly prominent over the past five years, while economic and geopolitical risks have faded after dominating in the late 2000s. </p>
<h2>A philosophical perspective</h2>
<p>Risk surveys are useful tools for understanding what matters to CEOs and civil society. Philosophy is useful for considering why their priorities differ, and whose are likelier to be right. </p>
<p>Fundamentally, risks are about interests. Businesses want a minimum of regulations so they can make more money today. Experts representing constituencies beyond just business place a greater emphasis on the common good, now and in the future.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=795&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=795&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=795&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312048/original/file-20200127-81341-fdta72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bertrand Russell.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Naci Yavuz/Shurterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When interests are in tension, philosophy can help us sort between them. And while I’m sympathetic to CEOs’ desire to run their businesses without regulatory interference, I’m concerned that these short-term economic considerations often impede long-term ethical goals, such as looking after the well-being of the environment. </p>
<h2>An uncertain world</h2>
<p>Experts agree on at least one thing: The world faces dire risks.</p>
<p>This year’s <a href="https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-risks-report-2020">Global Risk Report</a>, titled, “An Unsettled World,” depicts on its cover a vulnerable earth in the shadow of a gigantic whirlpool. </p>
<p>The cover photograph of the <a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-agenda/ceosurvey/2020.html">Global CEO Survey</a>, which reported the lowest CEO confidence in economic growth since the Great Recession, shows an incoming tide beneath looming dark clouds, with the words: “Navigating the Rising Tide of Uncertainty.” </p>
<p>Between the covers, however, the reports demonstrate a wide gap between two influential groups that need to be on the same page if we hope to resolve the world’s biggest threats.</p>
<p>Last century, in the same year that World War II drew to a close, Bertrand Russell proclaimed that the <a href="https://archive.org/details/TheHistoryOfWesternPhilosophy/page/n9/mode/2up">purpose of philosophy</a> was to teach us “how to live without certainty, and yet without being paralyzed by hesitation.”</p>
<p>In the 21st century, philosophy can remind us of our unfortunate tendency to let economic priorities paralyze action on more pressing concerns.</p>
<p>[ <em>You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=youresmart">You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128382/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>As a former employee, Christopher Michaelson was paid by PwC for activities that included working on the Global CEO Survey and representing PwC to the World Economic Forum. He is currently affiliated with the World Economic Forum as an unpaid member of its Expert Network. </span></em></p>The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos put environmental risks at the top of its agenda, while the world’s CEOs see overregulation as their biggest threat.Christopher Michaelson, Professor of Ethics and Business Law, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1104112019-01-25T11:53:06Z2019-01-25T11:53:06ZWhy the Davos elites are still relevant<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/255501/original/file-20190124-196244-1n8y7qo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A police officer stands guard over the global elites who decided to make the trek to Davos this year.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Switzerland-Davos-Forum/8413fe4b50ce4c9bac5aa27b1abc7335/19/0">AP Photo/Markus Schreiber</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Has Davos lost its mojo?</p>
<p>After U.S. President Donald Trump, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May and other world leaders <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/27926bca-1d99-11e9-b2f7-97e4dbd3580d">nixed plans to attend</a> the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Switzerland, some began to claim “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2019/01/22/daily-202-davos-is-in-decline-as-elites-fail-to-tackle-the-globe-s-biggest-problems/5c469bf11b326b29c3778c5c/?utm_term=.64987c0e12b4">Davos is in decline</a>.”</p>
<p>I take the opposite view. <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/davos-2012_b_1245312.html">Having been there</a> in the past as part of a participant’s supporting staff – condescendingly referred to by <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/01/fewer-private-jets-in-davos-2019/">status-conscious attendees</a> <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/09/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-g20/">as a “sherpa”</a> – I have seen up close how much can be accomplished by a handful of people sitting in a room and talking. </p>
<p>As a <a href="https://www.stthomas.edu/hollorancenter/about/leadership/christopher-michaelson.html">philosopher and business ethicist</a>, I believe it’s worth remembering some of the history that’s been made in that rarefied Alpine air and why Davos still matters today. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/255505/original/file-20190125-196215-1rruip5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/255505/original/file-20190125-196215-1rruip5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255505/original/file-20190125-196215-1rruip5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255505/original/file-20190125-196215-1rruip5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255505/original/file-20190125-196215-1rruip5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255505/original/file-20190125-196215-1rruip5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255505/original/file-20190125-196215-1rruip5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Yasser Arafat and Shimon Peres shake hands at Davos in 2001, their second meeting at the forum.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Associated-Press-International-News-Switzerland-/350fc46403e5da11af9f0014c2589dfb/19/0">AP Photo/Michel Euler</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The stated aim of the World Economic Forum – which we commonly refer to by the name of the ski resort in the Swiss Alps where it is held – is “<a href="https://www.weforum.org/our-impact">improving the state of the world</a>.”</p>
<p>It does this by promoting <a href="http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AM19_Meeting_Overview.pdf">global collaboration</a>, <a href="https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2008-01-01/global-corporate-citizenship">capitalism that includes many stakeholders</a> and <a href="https://www.weforum.org/about/world-economic-forum">public-private cooperation</a>.</p>
<p>Numerous international agreements and breakthroughs have emerged from Davos. Examples include <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35285852">preventing war</a> between Turkey and Greece in the 1980s and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/business/global/in-davos-europe-is-pressed-for-debt-crisis-solution.html">helping resolve the eurozone’s debt crisis</a> in 2012 – the year I was last there. It brought together world leaders as oppositional as South Africa’s <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/15237218@N00/963931930/">Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk</a> in 1992 and <a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/storyimage/DA/20160927/news/160928811/EP/1/6/EP-160928811.jpg&updated=201609272331&MaxW=800&maxH=800&noborder">Yasser Arafat and Shimon Peres</a> in 1994 and 2001. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/255503/original/file-20190124-196250-1c2yh07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/255503/original/file-20190124-196250-1c2yh07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255503/original/file-20190124-196250-1c2yh07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255503/original/file-20190124-196250-1c2yh07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255503/original/file-20190124-196250-1c2yh07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255503/original/file-20190124-196250-1c2yh07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/255503/original/file-20190124-196250-1c2yh07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Prince William and Sir David Attenborough watch the latter’s new documentary ‘Our Planet.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/APTOPIX-Switzerland-Davos-Forum/640d31808598444ca0d598551cf2e9aa/128/0">AP Photo/Markus Schreiber</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But Davos doesn’t need to make a breakthrough in an ancient conflict to be effective. Its theme this year, “<a href="https://www.iafrica.com/wef-in-davos-globalisation-4-0-what-does-that-mean/">Globalization 4.0</a>,” served as an important rebuke to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-rise-of-populist-nationalist-leaders-rewrites-global-climate-talks-107870">nationalists emerging</a> in the world today who have shown a <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/stephanie-ruhle/watch/business-leaders-concerned-about-rise-of-u-s-nationalism-populism-1430526531560">disdain for multilateralism</a> and a preference for <a href="https://www.usnews.com/opinion/thomas-jefferson-street/articles/2017-09-14/donald-trump-and-the-rise-of-zero-sum-politics">confrontation over cooperation</a>. </p>
<p>And in fact, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/22/economy/central-banks-global-economic-slowdown/index.html">most</a> of the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/23/technology/world-economic-forum-data-controls.html">sessions</a> <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/47c36e02-1fb6-11e9-b126-46fc3ad87c65">focused</a>, as I believe they should, on <a href="https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting/programme">finding cooperative ways</a> to solve the world’s pressing problems. </p>
<p>And the world <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-davos-meeting-climatechange/failure-to-curb-climate-change-a-top-risk-davos-survey-idUSKCN1PA13J">has many to deal with</a>, from worsening economic inequality and climate change to the growing scarcity of water. <a href="https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting/programme">All were discussed</a> at Davos this year.</p>
<p>Were any breakthroughs made? Maybe not. </p>
<p>Davos cannot realistically be expected to solve the world’s problems in less than a week each year. But despite its elite reputation, I believe it helps direct attention toward actually making the world better for everyone – and not just the elites in the audience.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/110411/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher Michaelson is affiliated with the World Economic Forum as a member of its Expert Network. </span></em></p>The high-profile absence of several world leaders including Trump from the World Economic Forum has led some to suggest its influence is in decline. A philosopher who has seen Davos up close disagrees.Christopher Michaelson, Professor of Ethics and Business Law, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1008082018-10-15T10:27:45Z2018-10-15T10:27:45ZRestocking wolves on Isle Royale raises questions about which species get rescued<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240438/original/file-20181012-109233-4w5jp4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Releasing a female wolf on Isle Royale, Oct. 2, 2018.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery.htm?id=41214651-BAAF-42EF-8784-A573FF4B972F">NPS/Jim Peaco</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.nps.gov/isro/index.htm">Isle Royale</a> is one of the most remote U.S. national parks. It stretches across one large island, its namesake, and more than 400 smaller ones in northwest Lake Superior. The park’s main draws are wilderness and wildlife, including beaver, otters, moose, martens and – for the moment – a very few wolves.</p>
<p>This fall the National Park Service has <a href="https://www.nps.gov/isro/learn/news/two-more-wolves-transported-to-isle-royale.htm">released four wolves</a> captured from the mainland on Isle Royale. Once there were 50 wolves on the island, but inbreeding, climate change and disease all but wiped them out in the past decade. Meanwhile, moose – the wolves’ chief prey – are eating island greenery down to the nub, adversely affecting many other species.</p>
<p>Restocking wolves on Isle Royale is the first time that the National Park Service has intervened in a designated wilderness area to manipulate a predator-prey relationship. The agency plans to move 25 to 30 wolves to Isle Royale in the next three to five years and spend about US$2 million over 20 years to maintain the population.</p>
<p>Supporters call this plan a “<a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/threatened-species-science-genetic-rescue-180963040/">genetic rescue</a>,” but skeptics say nature should be allowed to take its course. We think this is unlikely to happen, because wolves have friends in high places in the scientific establishment and the federal government. </p>
<p>As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=yDOBK-UAAAAJ&hl=en">environmental journalists</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LNHMzFoAAAAJ&hl=en">journalism educators</a> in the Midwest, we take a special interest in <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Biodiversity-Conservation-and-Environmental-Management-in-the-Great-Lakes/Freedman-Neuzil/p/book/9781138285811">how the Great Lakes’ ecological problems are defined and communicated</a>. In our view, media attention and the cultural history of the wolf-moose relationship on Isle Royale have outweighed most scientific qualms about putting a finger on the ecological scale.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240321/original/file-20181011-154561-1yh3tjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240321/original/file-20181011-154561-1yh3tjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240321/original/file-20181011-154561-1yh3tjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240321/original/file-20181011-154561-1yh3tjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240321/original/file-20181011-154561-1yh3tjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240321/original/file-20181011-154561-1yh3tjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240321/original/file-20181011-154561-1yh3tjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240321/original/file-20181011-154561-1yh3tjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Small bull moose on Isle Royale.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/5fnLPv">Ray Dumas</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Two charismatic species</h2>
<p>Wolves and moose are charismatic megafauna whose fate on Isle Royale has attracted widespread public interest and media attention. Both species have cultural meanings that extend beyond their predator-prey relationship.</p>
<p>Moose were first sighted on the island around the turn of the 20th century, and scientists have been examining them continuously since at least the late 1920s. Wolves arrived around 1949. For decades they could reach the island by crossing over ice from the mainland in winter. Now climate change is altering ice formation in Lake Superior, leaving wolves on the island isolated. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240322/original/file-20181011-154583-1v86mbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240322/original/file-20181011-154583-1v86mbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240322/original/file-20181011-154583-1v86mbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=277&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240322/original/file-20181011-154583-1v86mbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=277&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240322/original/file-20181011-154583-1v86mbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=277&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240322/original/file-20181011-154583-1v86mbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240322/original/file-20181011-154583-1v86mbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240322/original/file-20181011-154583-1v86mbv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=348&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Isle Royale is located in the northwest corner of Lake Superior.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nps.gov/isro/planyourvisit/directions.htm">NPS</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Isle Royale measures just over 200 square miles and is well-suited for ecological research. Animals exist there in relatively small (and thus, countable) numbers. The island is easily accessible by boat, ski-plane and seaplane, weather permitting. </p>
<p>And it is isolated. More people visit Yellowstone National Park on a single summer day than trek to Isle Royale in an entire season, which runs from May into October. There are no roads and no motors allowed. The only people present in winter are park employees and scientists.</p>
<p>Grey wolves in the Great Lakes region have been <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/01/541010111/great-lakes-gray-wolves-spot-safe-on-endangered-species-list-for-now">moved on and off of the U.S. Endangered Species List</a> several times in the past 20 years. But they are not as controversial here as they are in the western United States – perhaps because fewer farmers and ranchers are affected by their presence, or because even though their numbers dipped to a few hundred in the 1960s, they never really went away. </p>
<h2>Altering natural processes</h2>
<p>In 1934 <a href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/denali-adolph-murie.htm">Adolph Murie</a>, one of the first biologists to conduct research at Isle Royale, suggested that introducing a native species to prey on moose, such as bears, cougars or wolves, would “add materially to the animal interests of the island.” By some accounts the first pair of wolves crossed an ice bridge to the island from Ontario in 1949. Three years later, writer and wolf advocate Lee Smits <a href="https://www.nps.gov/isro/learn/nature/upload/population_ver7.pdf">brought four more wolves from the Detroit Zoo</a> to the island.</p>
<p>Over the next several decades the wolf population grew, peaking at 50 in 1980 and then declining due to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/isro/learn/nature/upload/population_ver7.pdf">inbreeding, fighting among wolves, disease and starvation</a>. Even with wolf predation, the moose population swelled, shrank and swelled again, peaking in 1995 at about 2,450. Although Murie had hoped these two species would achieve ecological balance, wolf and moose numbers fluctuated between peaks and crashes.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240316/original/file-20181011-154567-oagynm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240316/original/file-20181011-154567-oagynm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240316/original/file-20181011-154567-oagynm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240316/original/file-20181011-154567-oagynm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240316/original/file-20181011-154567-oagynm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240316/original/file-20181011-154567-oagynm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=459&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240316/original/file-20181011-154567-oagynm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=459&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/240316/original/file-20181011-154567-oagynm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=459&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Populations of wolves (blue) and moose (yellow) on Isle Royale have fluctuated between peaks and crashes in recent decades.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nps.gov/isro/learn/nature/wolf-moose-populations.htm">NPS</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Today, if there are indeed two “native” wolves left – only one has been spotted since January 2017 – they are a father-daughter pair, born to the same mother, whose mating efforts have failed. In its report <a href="https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=140&projectID=59316&documentID=86353">advocating for the stocking program</a>, the National Park Service concluded that “[a]t this time, due to the low number remaining, genetic inbreeding, and the remoteness of Isle Royale, natural recovery of the population is unlikely due to tenuous nature of ice bridge formation.”</p>
<p>Some observers would rather let natural processes play out. “For me, waiting for ice bridges to form makes the most scientific and ecological sense,” says Seth Moore, director of biology and environment for the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa in Minnesota. “We are also worried that wolves stocked on the island will escape, perhaps with different parasites, and come to Grand Portage,” where five packs of wolves now live.</p>
<p>A male and a female wolf, trapped on the Grand Portage reservation, were released at different locations on Sept. 25, 2018, and two more females were released in early October. Another female wolf trapped at Grand Portage died in custody on Sept. 27 before it could be moved to the island.</p>
<h2>Who to “save” next?</h2>
<p>Even if the plan works well, wolf sightings will remain rare because of the island’s terrain and topography. “You’ll find tracks in the mud and scat, and hear occasional howling,” says park superintendent Phyllis Green. “They run our trails mostly at night when we’re not on them and they’re not very visible to the public. If people want to see wolves, they need to go to Yellowstone.”</p>
<p>Genetic rescue is a relatively new idea in wildlife biology and has never been attempted in a national park ecosystem, although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2005.00010.x">transferred panthers from Texas to south Florida</a> to save an isolated and inbred population there. The wolf project raises many questions. If it works, will the National Park Service undertake similar efforts elsewhere? Should it? How will it choose which species to “save”? Is inbreeding in a small population a more serious threat than the loss of an animal in an ecosystem, however contained? What about <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-sage-grouse-isnt-just-a-bird-its-a-proxy-for-control-of-western-lands-94729">birds</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/swimming-upstream-plight-of-delta-smelt-exposes-flaws-of-the-endangered-species-act-46239">fish</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-honey-bees-wild-bees-are-also-key-pollinators-and-some-species-are-disappearing-89214">insects</a> or <a href="https://theconversation.com/friend-or-food-why-venus-flytraps-dont-eat-their-pollinators-91620">plants</a>? And we haven’t even mentioned <a href="https://theconversation.com/human-caused-climate-change-severely-exposes-the-us-national-parks-103715">species threatened by climate change</a>.</p>
<p>As conservation advocates know well, <a href="https://theconversation.com/even-ugly-animals-can-win-hearts-and-dollars-to-save-them-from-extinction-78507">some species have more public appeal than others</a>. “Rescuing” a charismatic species can have great public relations value, especially if it generates dramatic images. If the National Park Service attempts more genetic rescues, we expect media-friendly species will be the likely targets.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/100808/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The National Park Service is moving wolves to Isle Royale in Lake Superior to replenish a small pack on the island. Wolves prey on moose, which are overgrazing the island. It doesn’t hurt that they are charismatic.Mark Neuzil, Professor of Communication and Journalism, University of St. ThomasEric Freedman, Professor of Journalism and Chair, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, Michigan State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/900752018-01-22T11:29:35Z2018-01-22T11:29:35ZTrump goes to Davos: 4 books he should read on first trip to gathering of global elites<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202727/original/file-20180122-110100-xro742.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">This unassuming, snowy town becomes home to the global elite for a few days each year. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Markus Schreiber</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>For the first time <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2000/01/29/economy/davos_clinton/">since 2000</a>, a sitting American president <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/a3d696b4-f565-11e7-88f7-5465a6ce1a00">is attending</a> the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, which takes place in Davos, Switzerland, from Jan. 23-26. </p>
<p>The invitation-only gathering is basically a who’s who of the global elite: business heads, current and past world leaders, well-connected celebrities and academics. They make business deals in hallway meetings and at parties and hobnob in program sessions that seek to tackle global problems such as <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2619213/the-richest-eight-tycoons-on-the-planet-are-worth-as-much-as-the-poorest-3-6-billion-people-oxfam-claims/">poverty</a>, <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2007/01/climate_change_/">climate change</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/22/refugee-crisis-dominates-downbeat-davos-2016">refugee crises</a>.</p>
<p>In many ways, the Davos crowd and its interests are the epitome of what Donald Trump’s populist base reviles. Although the Davos neophyte is wealthy and powerful like many of the other attendees, Trump with his coarse manners and protectionist policies may find an unsympathetic audience.</p>
<p>Davos, already an inherent contradiction of elites purporting to change the world from which they have profited, will become even more of a paradox with Trump’s attendance. As such, the American president could surely use a primer on the gathering to prepare him for the <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/01/20/world/politics-diplomacy-world/trumps-trip-davos-sets-clash-cultures/">clashes sure to come</a>. </p>
<p>As a business and humanities <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-017-3538-y">scholar</a> who has seen Davos <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-michaelson-phd/davos-2012_b_1245312.html">up close</a>, I recommend he pack four books for his transatlantic flight, as a strange but sure way to diminish his culture shock.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202725/original/file-20180122-110097-1mzxsc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202725/original/file-20180122-110097-1mzxsc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202725/original/file-20180122-110097-1mzxsc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202725/original/file-20180122-110097-1mzxsc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202725/original/file-20180122-110097-1mzxsc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202725/original/file-20180122-110097-1mzxsc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202725/original/file-20180122-110097-1mzxsc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Klaus Schwab is deferentially known as ‘Professor Schwab.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Markus Schreiber</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Sanatorium for the elite</h2>
<p>Before the mountainside village of Davos became synonymous with the most powerful networking meeting in the world, it was more well-known as a destination for respite from ailments acquired in the world below. </p>
<p>Thomas Mann’s 1924 novel “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/107311/the-magic-mountain-by-thomas-mann/">The Magic Mountain</a>,” in which a German travels to a sanatorium in Davos intending to visit a cousin for a few weeks but ends up staying seven years, provides an apt metaphor for the World Economic Forum.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202747/original/file-20180122-110106-iew0ox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202747/original/file-20180122-110106-iew0ox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=956&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202747/original/file-20180122-110106-iew0ox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=956&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202747/original/file-20180122-110106-iew0ox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=956&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202747/original/file-20180122-110106-iew0ox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1202&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202747/original/file-20180122-110106-iew0ox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1202&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202747/original/file-20180122-110106-iew0ox.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1202&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p>Just as the man is convinced that only the rarefied air of the Alps – far from the cares and concerns of his regular life – can cure his apparent ailments, the forum operates in a similar way, with the elites gathering in former sanatoriums turned luxury hotels to dissect and diagnose the problems of the world below. </p>
<p>Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab convened the first gathering of what was then known as the European Management Forum in 1971, drawing around 500 business leaders and academics to Davos to free them from the distractions of the day-to-day world. This year, more than 3,000 <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/01/whos-coming-to-davos-2018/">participants</a> are expected to show up.</p>
<p>Mann’s literary masterpiece should remind Trump that the confines of exclusive settings like Davos, the White House and his beloved Mar-a-Lago both literally and figuratively isolate decison-makers from the very people whose problems they are ostensibly trying to solve.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202728/original/file-20180122-110103-htqjnu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202728/original/file-20180122-110103-htqjnu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202728/original/file-20180122-110103-htqjnu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202728/original/file-20180122-110103-htqjnu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202728/original/file-20180122-110103-htqjnu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202728/original/file-20180122-110103-htqjnu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202728/original/file-20180122-110103-htqjnu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Davos used to be know primarily for its sanatoriums. Many have now become luxury hotels, such as the Hotel Schatzalp.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Capitalism and power</h2>
<p>While the forum’s <a href="https://www.weforum.org/about/history">original goal</a> was to introduce U.S. management practices to European executives, it quickly began to promote a theory of business sharply at odds with the American focus on <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1970/09/13/archives/a-friedman-doctrine-the-social-responsibility-of-business-is-to.html">maximizing stockholder wealth</a>.</p>
<p>This 20th-century form of capitalism perhaps can be best summed up by four books deemed by some, including <a href="https://weforum2010.sched.com/event/3b4o/reading-leaders-minds">at least one panel of Davos participants</a>, as “classics of business literature”: Niccolo Machiavelli’s “<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1232/1232-h/1232-h.htm">The Prince</a>,” Sun Tzu’s “<a href="http://classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.html">The Art of War</a>,” Adam Smith’s “<a href="http://www.econlib.org/library/Smith/smWN.html">The Wealth of Nations</a>” and Charles Darwin’s “<a href="http://darwin-online.org.uk/EditorialIntroductions/Freeman_OntheOriginofSpecies.html">On the Origin of Species</a>.”</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202748/original/file-20180122-110081-10fjibf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202748/original/file-20180122-110081-10fjibf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=907&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202748/original/file-20180122-110081-10fjibf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=907&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202748/original/file-20180122-110081-10fjibf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=907&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202748/original/file-20180122-110081-10fjibf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1140&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202748/original/file-20180122-110081-10fjibf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1140&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202748/original/file-20180122-110081-10fjibf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1140&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p>This survival-of-the-fittest vision of business evokes Trump’s <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/trump-housing-collapse-228708">own economic thesis</a> and policies, such as <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/trump-housing-collapse-228708">when he said</a>, “hoping for a housing collapse is just smart business sense.” In this view, capitalism is about predator and prey, powerful and the powerless. </p>
<p>In contrast, “Professor Schwab” – as he is deferentially called – was an early proponent of what is known as <a href="http://stakeholdertheory.org/">stakeholder capitalism</a>. This theory considers businesses <a href="https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2008-01-01/global-corporate-citizenship">corporate citizens</a> that earn their license to operate by serving social prosperity and working with government, and <a href="https://widgets.weforum.org/history/1973.html">by 1973</a> had become the “Davos manifesto.”</p>
<p>A novel that could help Trump begin to see the purpose of capitalism and power in a new light would be “<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/41445156">The Reluctant Fundamentalist</a>” by Mohsin Hamid. Set around 9/11, it’s a suspenseful depiction of a meeting between an unidentified American and a Pakistani man who has become disaffected with the U.S. The novel raises uncomfortable questions about how capitalist predators who abuse their power risk becoming the prey of social upheaval and terrorism.</p>
<h2>Status symbols</h2>
<p>The broad stakeholder focus of Davos shows that at its heart, it aims to promote an inclusive brand of economics and politics. So how can it stay true to this mission when everything else about the event – its admission criteria, its hospitality and even its remote location – is about as exclusive as you can get? </p>
<p>That irony is made plainly visible by the Forum’s complex badging system. The badges that attendees wear reinforce a strict social <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2012/01/19/davoss-status-levels/">hierarchy</a> that smacks of the very castes that the gathering’s agitation against <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/archive/inequality/">inequality</a> and other economic ills seems intended to diminish.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202749/original/file-20180122-110094-9jm0mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202749/original/file-20180122-110094-9jm0mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=818&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202749/original/file-20180122-110094-9jm0mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=818&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202749/original/file-20180122-110094-9jm0mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=818&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202749/original/file-20180122-110094-9jm0mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1028&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202749/original/file-20180122-110094-9jm0mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1028&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202749/original/file-20180122-110094-9jm0mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1028&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p>Davos is a social science laboratory of who’s “in.” You are your badge, the colors of which enable other delegates to judge whether or not you are worth talking to. In a world of elites, white-with-blue badges are a nose above the rest.</p>
<p>The badges on participants’ bellies function like the stars in Dr. Seuss’ “<a href="http://seuss.wikia.com/wiki/The_Sneetches">The Sneetches</a>.” In the children’s book, some of the bird-like creatures who inhabit the world have green stars while others do not. Those with stars discriminate against the ones without until the latter get tattoos that make them all equal. Miffed at their loss in status, the ones born with the stars have them removed to regain their elitism.</p>
<p>The picture book conveys in a compelling way the absurdity of status symbols, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-07-19/trump-cares-about-looking-good-not-doing-good">something</a> the president <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/25/opinions/what-does-trump-care-about-dantonio/index.html">tends to care about a lot</a>. “The Sneetches” shows how these superficial and arbitrary caste systems may do more to reinforce the problems of existing hierarchies than to change and fix them.</p>
<h2>‘America first’ and the powerless</h2>
<p>Trump’s press secretary <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/09/politics/president-donald-trump-davos/index.html">characterized</a> his decision to attend the meeting as a chance “to advance his <a href="https://theconversation.com/trumps-america-first-echoes-from-1940s-59579">America first</a> agenda with world leaders.” </p>
<p>Such rhetoric – and the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/a-year-of-trumps-america-first-agenda-has-radically-changed-the-us-role-in-the-world/2018/01/20/c1258aa6-f7cf-11e7-9af7-a50bc3300042_story.html">inward-looking nativist policies</a> that have resulted – is diametrically opposed to <a href="https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2018">Davos’ theme</a> this year, “Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World,” which criticizes “divisive narratives” and a disregard for “shared obligations.”</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202750/original/file-20180122-110113-e8fdgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202750/original/file-20180122-110113-e8fdgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=914&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202750/original/file-20180122-110113-e8fdgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=914&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202750/original/file-20180122-110113-e8fdgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=914&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202750/original/file-20180122-110113-e8fdgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1149&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202750/original/file-20180122-110113-e8fdgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1149&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202750/original/file-20180122-110113-e8fdgr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1149&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p>In the spirit of sharing, if I could choose one more book for Trump to read on the trip, it might be Imbolo Mbue’s 2016 novel, “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/251547/behold-the-dreamers-oprahs-book-club-by-imbolo-mbue/9780525509714/">Behold the Dreamers</a>.” The story is about a Cameroonian immigrant who becomes a chauffeur for a Lehman Brothers banker shortly before the bank’s – and the financial system’s – collapse. </p>
<p>It reinforces the three key ethical lessons that the other items on the reading list introduce while offering a fourth: that America is as dependent upon the work of new immigrants as it is on the old money of Wall Street bankers. By reading “Behold the Dreamers,” Trump may learn that immigration should be a negotiation among equally worthy and human parties, not the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-attacks-protections-for-immigrants-from-shithole-countries-in-oval-office-meeting/2018/01/11/bfc0725c-f711-11e7-91af-31ac729add94_story.html?utm_term=.3494fd2e543a">powerful wielding authority</a> over the vulnerable.</p>
<p>If only Trump could get over his <a href="https://newrepublic.com/minutes/133566/donald-trump-doesnt-read-books">distaste for books</a> and read them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/90075/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher Michaelson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A business and humanities scholar advises the president to pack three novels and a children’s story for his long transatlantic flight to Switzerland aboard Air Force One.Christopher Michaelson, Professor of Ethics and Business Law, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/481332015-09-25T11:06:16Z2015-09-25T11:06:16ZLes États-Unis, terre de mission sensible pour le pape<p>La visite du pape François aux États-Unis, qui a débuté le 22 septembre, représente à ce jour le voyage le plus difficile de son pontificat. En jeu : le « problème américain » du souverain pontife, c’est-à-dire la distance culturelle et idéologique existant entre les jésuites argentins, plutôt engagés sur le plan social, et les dirigeants de l’Église catholique américaine, plutôt conservateurs.</p>
<p>Car François n’est pas seulement le <a href="http://www.lesoir.be/207071/article/actualite/monde/2013-03-13/francois-1er-premier-pape-non-europeen">premier pape non européen</a>. Il est aussi le premier pape depuis le concile <a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/index_fr.htm">Vatican II</a> (1962-1965), qui a « ouvert l’Église sur le monde », à n’avoir jamais mis les pieds aux Etats-Unis, même avant de devenir souverain pontife. Il est, enfin, le premier pape originaire d’Amérique latine : un point qui n’est pas sans importance aux yeux des catholiques américains. Comme le montrent, entre autres, les écrits de <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/419933/parsing-popes-ecology-encyclical-its-about-lot-more-climate-change-george-weigel">George Weigel</a>, ces derniers ont tendance à se considérer comme membres de l’Église la plus jeune et la plus dynamique du catholicisme mondial et à se percevoir comme représentatifs du reste du monde.</p>
<p>Le catholicisme d’Amérique latine incarnant un mélange de diverses traditions européennes et sud-américaines, un pape latino-américain ne peut donc que remettre en question ces prétentions américaines. Mais si vous n’êtes ni catholique, ni chrétien, ni expert en religion, pourquoi s’intéresser à la <a href="http://www.lemonde.fr/ameriques/article/2015/09/22/visite-historique-du-pape-aux-etats-unis_4766356_3222.html">visite du pape François aux États-Unis</a> ? Et d’ailleurs, que signifie cette fascination médiatique (comme le montrent les derniers numéros de <em>Newsweek</em>, du <em>Time</em>, de <em>People</em> et du <em>New Yorker</em>) pour ce voyage pontifical ?</p>
<h2>L’invention des voyages pontificaux</h2>
<p>Tout d’abord, il faut noter que si l’histoire de l’Église est longue, celle des voyages pontificaux ne l’est pas. D’ailleurs, il n’existe aujourd’hui, à ma connaissance, aucune étude de qualité retraçant leur histoire.</p>
<p>Au Moyen Âge et au début de l’époque moderne, les papes voyageaient, mais uniquement en cas d’urgence ou pour fuir une menace. Un exemple : le conclave de 1799-1800 s’est tenu à Venise, et non à Rome, suite à l’invasion des troupes de Napoléon. Et en 1848, le pape Pie IX a également dû fuir la cité du Vatican en raison des révolutions dans les États italiens. Il n’est retourné à Rome qu’en 1850.</p>
<p>Ce n’est qu’en 1964 qu’a eu lieu <a href="http://www.la-croix.com/Religion/Actualite/1964-Paul-VI-en-Terre-sainte-un-pelerinage-fondateur-2014-05-23-1155175">le premier voyage pontifical</a>, tel qu’on l’entend aujourd’hui : Paul VI se rend en Terre sainte. Mais les déplacements ne sont devenus une partie intégrante de la fonction pontificale qu’avec Jean-Paul II. Soit il y a moins de 40 ans.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/96190/original/image-20150925-16039-12pnesm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/96190/original/image-20150925-16039-12pnesm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/96190/original/image-20150925-16039-12pnesm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/96190/original/image-20150925-16039-12pnesm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=553&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/96190/original/image-20150925-16039-12pnesm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=695&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/96190/original/image-20150925-16039-12pnesm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=695&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/96190/original/image-20150925-16039-12pnesm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=695&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Jean-Paul II à Varsovie en 1979.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sidnegail/8557851869/in/photolist-e3eeda-99Es49-99BnMR-99EccL-99Ee3Y-99BamF-99EfLN-99EdMA-99Ei3Q-99Edqb-99BgfM-99B7Hn-99EsN3-99EcAh-99EiL1-99Edt5-99EdDy-99B5PP-99EoX3-99Eghu-99Ed9o-99BeGg-9NBBMn-9NGKrb-9NDZCz-9NGYu8-99Eh4o-99BaMH-99Enbm-chS8zf-chSaKd-99Erjo-99Emvj-99Bs2x-99Eqno-99EozW-99EjoL-99BpPV-99BqxV-99Bop4-99Bdpe-99Bd3V-99Bp3z-99Bhon-99EtvE-99Euv5-dpdp6V-dpdyMs-bEvM2q-9M2DZZ">Sidne Ward/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
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<p>L’exemple de Jean-Paul II, qui a effectué 104 voyages au cours de son pontificat, est fondateur. Il peut toutefois être trompeur quand on cherche à évaluer l’importance politique de ces visites. En effet, le premier voyage de Jean-Paul II <a href="http://www.ina.fr/video/CAB7900798101">en Pologne, en 1979</a>, s’inscrivait clairement dans le contexte des bouleversements politiques qui ont mené, une décennie plus tard, à la chute du communisme en Europe de l’Est.</p>
<p>Par la suite, Jean-Paul II a effectué d’autres voyages qui ont marqué les esprits, comme celui à Cuba en 1998. Mais ces visites sont restées de nature symbolique et n’ont pas entraîné de réel changement politique.</p>
<h2>Un été de préparation</h2>
<p>De la même façon, le voyage de François aux États-Unis ne modifiera sûrement pas la façon de penser des catholiques américains, et encore moins l’extrême polarisation du débat politique dans ce pays. Mais le message économique de François est en désaccord profond avec la tradition capitaliste américaine.</p>
<p>La doctrine sociale du catholicisme a, bien sûr, toujours été méfiante vis-à-vis de l’idéologie libérale. Mais avec <a href="http://www.la-croix.com/Religion/Actualite/Texte-integral-de-l-encyclique-sur-l-ecologie-humaine-du-pape-Francois-2015-06-18-1324989">l’encyclique de François sur l’environnement</a>, « Laudato Si », l’Église a renforcé sa critique vis-à-vis de la nature impitoyable des forces du marché et de leur impact négatif sur la création, tout en soulignant une préoccupation croissante vis-à-vis du changement climatique.</p>
<p>Cependant, les papes ne légifèrent pas sur l’économie : ils ne font que mettre en exergue les valeurs et les principes qui devraient inspirer toute société respectant – et pas seulement en théorie – la vie de tous les êtres humains. Les enseignements sociaux de l’Église catholique se transmettent donc via des principes généraux censés être mis en pratique par les croyants. Mais comment les fidèles américains appliquent-ils ces enseignements ?</p>
<p>Les catholiques américains (progressistes comme conservateurs) ont
toujours été très jaloux de leur autonomie. Cela n’a pas échappé aux différents papes : en 1899, « l’Américanisme » – mouvement qui professait la nécessité d’adapter le catholicisme à l’Amérique – était ainsi qualifié d’« hérétique » par le Vatican.</p>
<p>Malgré tout, la culture américaine possède une incroyable capacité à absorber toutes les autres. Et il est indéniable que la culture des catholiques aux Etats-Unis a été transformée. Aucun pape ne pourra changer cela, et surtout pas – ce qui n’est pas sans importance – un pape qui n’est pas aussi à l’aise en anglais que ses prédécesseurs, bien qu’il ait passé tout l’été à étudier en préparation de ce voyage.</p>
<h2>Des relations diplomatiques… depuis 1984</h2>
<p>Mais en définitive, pourquoi ce voyage pontifical est-il intéressant, voire crucial ?</p>
<p>La première raison est aussi la plus évidente : François offre aux catholiques, et à tous les autres, l’idée qu’il existe une autre « voie » permettant de se comprendre et de mieux percevoir ce qui nous divise et ce qui nous unit.</p>
<p>Le catholicisme d’aujourd’hui plaide en effet contre le « monisme », c’est-à-dire contre la domination d’une philosophie et d’une tradition spirituelle unique. Car le catholicisme romain n’est pas qu’une Église : il se considère lui-même comme « un » monde culturel et géopolitique en soi. Voire comme « le » monde d’avant la sécularisation moderne. Et ce voyage pontifical aux États-Unis symbolise la rencontre du chef de l’Église catholique avec l’Amérique, c’est-à-dire avec le leader mondial de sa « contrepartie » : la modernité, le capitalisme et le pluralisme.</p>
<p>La seconde raison, sans doute la plus importante, est de prêter attention à ce qui est en train de se passer durant ce voyage. Le 24 septembre, François s’est adressé au Congrès américain. Or l’idée même que le pape, un catholique romain, chef de l’État du Vatican, puisse parler devant le Congrès aurait semblé inconcevable à la plupart des Américains il y a à peine 30 ans.</p>
<p>Ce n’est qu’en 1984 que les États-Unis et le Vatican ont établi des relations diplomatiques sous l’égide de Ronald Reagan. Et ce dernier aurait été bien étonné de voir le successeur de Jean-Paul II, pape anti-communiste, accepter un crucifix fait d’une faucille et d’un marteau, comme François l’a fait durant son voyage en Bolivie un peu plus tôt cette année.</p>
<h2>Un catholicisme mondial plus américain qu’italien</h2>
<p>Désormais, le catholicisme fait partie intégrante de la culture américaine. Regardez par exemple la Cour suprême : six de ses neuf juges sont catholiques. Au regard de l’ancienne identité exclusivement protestante de l’Amérique, le changement est énorme.</p>
<p>En réalité, le catholicisme mondial est devenu, en quelques années, bien plus américain qu’il ne l’était auparavant. Et il est même, aujourd’hui, bien plus américain qu’italien. Les enseignements de l’Église catholique sur la liberté religieuse et la démocratie ou encore la sensibilité nouvelle du Vatican concernant le rôle des femmes au sein de l’Église sont arrivés jusqu’à Rome via l’expérience des catholiques aux États-Unis.</p>
<p>Ainsi c’est un théologien jésuite américain, <a href="http://ncronline.org/books/2015/09/how-church-turned-toward-religious-freedom">John Courtney Murray</a>, qui a dirigé la rédaction du texte de Vatican II sur la liberté religieuse, approuvé en 1965 (en 1954, le Vatican lui avait demandé ne plus écrire sur le sujet). Enfin, il faut souligner que l’influence du Vatican sur les États-Unis (et vice-versa) ne peut se percevoir que sur une longue période de temps, se comptant en années, si ce n’est en décennies. Il est ainsi peu probable qu’on voit ces changements apparaître avant la prochaine élection présidentielle aux États-Unis.</p>
<p>Mais ces changements auront bien lieu. Et suivre de près cette visite est sans doute la seule façon de comprendre comment ils vont se dessiner. Et c’est ce qui compte – que vous soyez catholique, Américain ou rien de tout cela.</p>
<p><em>La <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-should-we-care-about-pope-francis-visit-to-the-us-47799">version originale</a> de cet article a été publiée sur The Conversation US.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/48133/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Massimo Faggioli ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>La visite du pape François aux États-Unis est l’une des plus cruciales de son pontificat. En quelques années, le catholicisme américain a pris une place centrale au Vatican.Massimo Faggioli, Associate Professor of Theology; Director, Institute for Catholicism and Citizenship, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/477992015-09-21T18:37:46Z2015-09-21T18:37:46ZWhy should we care about Pope Francis’ visit to the US?<p>The papal trip to the United States that Francis will begin on September 22 is the most difficult of his pontificate so far. </p>
<p>This is because of what <a href="https://theconversation.com/pope-franciss-american-problem-34693">I call</a> the pope’s “American problem” – a cultural and ideological distance between the more socially minded Jesuit from Argentina and the more conservative leadership of the American Catholic Church.</p>
<p>Francis is not only the first non-European pope. He is also the first pope since Vatican II – the council that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/11/opinion/vatican-ii-opened-the-church-to-the-world.html?_r=0">“opened the church to the world”</a> – who has never set foot in the US, even before becoming pontiff. And, finally, he is the first pope from Latin America – a fact that presents American Catholics with a particular kind of challenge to their tendency, evident in the writing of <a href="http://eppc.org/publications/popes-in-these-united-states/">George Weigel, for example</a>, to identify themselves as the youngest and most energetic Church in global Catholicism, and to see American Catholicism as representative of the rest of the world. </p>
<p>A Latin American challenges these tendencies because Latin American Catholicism represent a mix of “global south” and of European Catholicism very different from North American Catholicism. </p>
<p>But why should non-Catholic, non-Christian, non-experts care about Pope Francis coming to America? What does this media fascination in the papal trip (just look at the latest issues of Newsweek, Time, People and The New Yorker) say about our world? </p>
<h2>Papal trips: a 20th-century invention</h2>
<p>Church history is very long, but the history of papal trips is not (there are, for example, no good studies, to my knowledge, of the history of this very particular theological event).</p>
<p>In the Middle Ages and early modern times, popes did travel sometimes, but only in emergencies or fleeing under threat. The conclave of 1799-1800, for example, took place in Venice, not Rome, after Napoleon’s invasion of Italy. In 1848, Pope Pius IX had to flee Vatican City because of the political revolution in Italy: he returned to Rome only in 1850.</p>
<p>The first modern papal trip took place in 1964 with Paul VI visiting the Holy Land. It became a fundamental part of the papal job description with John Paul II, less than 40 years ago.</p>
<p>The example of John Paul II, who took 104 foreign trips, is crucial, but it can also be misleading in trying to understand the political importance of these visits. </p>
<p>John Paul II’s first trip to Poland in 1979 was <a href="http://www.guerini.it/index.php/9788862504317-giovanni-paolo-ii.html">clearly a factor</a> in the political change that led, one decade later, to the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. </p>
<p>There were other groundbreaking trips for John Paul II – such as, for example, his visit to Cuba in 1998 – but they were more symbolic in nature. They did not bring about a real political change. </p>
<p>Indeed, Francis’ trip to the US is probably not going to change the views of American Catholics, much less the deeply polarized politics in this country. </p>
<h2>Hearts and minds unlikely to be moved</h2>
<p>To begin with, the economic message of Francis is <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-pope-francis-us-visit-is-making-the-gop-squirm-47341">deeply dissonant</a> from the tradition of capitalism in America. </p>
<p>Catholic social doctrine has always been skeptical of free market ideology, and with Francis’ encyclical on the environment <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-moral-and-political-force-of-pope-francis-on-climate-42874">Laudato Si’</a>, the church has updated its criticism of the ruthless nature of market forces and their impact on creation with growing concern about climate change.</p>
<p>But popes do not legislate on the economy, they just point out the values and principles that should inspire a society that respects – and not just in theory – the life of every human person. Catholic social teaching works through general principles that need to be applied by lay Catholics. So how will American lay Catholics respond? </p>
<p>American Catholics (both liberal and conservative) have always, understandably, been very protective of their autonomy. That is something popes have noticed - one clear example being the Vatican’s <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/25153986?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">condemnation in 1899 of the heresy of “Americanism”</a> or the insistence on the need to adapt Catholicism to America. </p>
<p>What’s more, and this is not insignificant, Francis is not as comfortable speaking English as his predecessors – indeed, he spent the summer studying the language in preparation for this trip. </p>
<p>American culture has a tremendous ability to absorb every other culture. It is undeniable that the culture of Catholics in America has been largely changed by America, and no pope can do much about that.</p>
<h2>But here’s why you need to watch this papal visit</h2>
<p>So why is a papal visit interesting, if not essential, for those who want to understand something of the world today? </p>
<p>The first reason, and perhaps the most obvious one, is that Francis presents Catholics and non-Catholics alike with the idea that there is another “source” for understanding ourselves and the issues that divide and unite our communities. </p>
<p>Catholicism makes the case against “monism” – against the dominance of one intellectual, philosophical and spiritual tradition. Roman Catholicism is not just a church: it understands itself culturally and geopolitically as “a world” – or “the” world before modernity turned secular. In this papal trip, therefore, the leader of the Catholic Church is meeting America, the global leader of its “counterpart” – modernity, capitalism and pluralism.</p>
<p>But the second, and to my mind the most important, reason to pay attention to what happens in the next few days is the story of relations between the papacy and the Catholic Church on one side and the United States on the other: a story about change in religion and politics.</p>
<p>Francis is addressing Congress on September 24 2015. </p>
<p>The very idea that the Roman Catholic pope, head of the Vatican State, can address Congress would have shocked most Americans only 30 years ago. </p>
<p>It was only in 1984 that the US and the Vatican established diplomatic relations. Ronald Reagan did that. He would have been surprised to witness the successor of the anti-communist pope John Paul II accepting a <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/07/13/pope_francis_comments_on_hammer_and_sickle_crucifix_protest_art_from_bolivia.html">hammer and sickle crucifix</a> during his trip to Bolivia earlier this year.</p>
<p>Catholicism today is part of the American mainstream. Just look at the Supreme Court: six of the nine justices are Catholic. This is a stunning change from the original exclusively Protestant identity of America. </p>
<p>On the other hand, world Catholicism has become in recent years much more American than it used to be – and much more American than Italian, for that matter. </p>
<p>Church teaching on religious freedom and democracy and the new sensibility on the role of women in the Church came to Rome largely thanks to the experience of Catholics in the United States. It was an American Jesuit theologian, <a href="http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-voices/20th-century-ignatian-voices/john-courtney-murray-sj">John Courtney Murray</a>, who was the chief drafter of the document of the Second Vatican Council on religious liberty, approved in 1965 – in 1954 he had been silenced by the Vatican for writing on the subject.</p>
<p>The point I want to make here is that the influence the Vatican has on the US and vice versa can be seen only over a long period of time – over years, if not decades. It is very unlikely that we will see any change before the next presidential election.</p>
<p>But change there will be, and paying attention over the next few days is the only way to capture the direction of that evolution. And that matters, whether you are Catholic, American or none of the above.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/47799/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Massimo Faggioli does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>This is going to be the most difficult trip of the Argentinian pontiff so far. Here’s why it’s worth paying attention to.Massimo Faggioli, Associate Professor of Theology; Director, Institute for Catholicism and Citizenship, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/433662015-06-18T10:05:21Z2015-06-18T10:05:21ZIt’s the ecology, stupid: pope’s encyclical shakes up US politics<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/85288/original/image-20150616-5829-dksoq1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Shining a light on religion and politics.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mustafaaydinol/7776708086/in/photolist-cRcEnU-8U3uZE-8Kidub-i5ffQN-MoGrD-6rU3ao-9Fjj73-5uRTSz-cw7dkd-6qyaXQ-5qz1N-5Sproi-9ETMov-6iLCLQ-4qJc-fuxapS-8Hi72-nSYZQ-7ez3bw-8BaQQw-qv5vbo-6gUcWP-8Hi8k-eWtYSU-29d4xu-2VUyZL-pjngWo-9ELx4a-a8KPdY-6utrd-jnbymX-6iGMSY-87qkSK-7m9HML-ar1orc-a85iVY-6chXoP-9Fgze4-84sw98-aqVkT3-8drquA-9EWmQq-8a1H1Y-pDxhqH-CVN6c-5StL5o-6XNfet-o8YFYe-9FUuNk-9dmqeD">mustafaaydinol/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Pope Francis’ encyclical on creation and the care for the environment, with its title coming from a famous prayer of Francis of Assisi, Laudato Si’, continues the tradition of a Catholic Church that does not shy away from social and political issues. </p>
<p>The encyclical is a very political document, and it is published at an important moment: at the beginning of the 2016 presidential campaign (with a lot of Catholic candidates in the GOP) and three months before the papal trip to the United States – probably the most difficult of the pontificate because of what I have called “<a href="https://theconversation.com/pope-franciss-american-problem-34693">Pope Francis’ American problem</a>.” </p>
<p>Francis’ encyclical will play a significant role in most Catholic schools next year, during a crucial presidential campaign, and it will color Francis’ visits to the East Coast – and addresses the US Congress – at the end of September.</p>
<p>In the encyclical, drafted by a committee overseen by Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, Pope Francis does not mince words and he does not appease those American Catholics of neo-conservative persuasion who in the last few months have waged an unprecedented preemptive war against the encyclical. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/85295/original/image-20150616-5807-159gipa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/85295/original/image-20150616-5807-159gipa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/85295/original/image-20150616-5807-159gipa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/85295/original/image-20150616-5807-159gipa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/85295/original/image-20150616-5807-159gipa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/85295/original/image-20150616-5807-159gipa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/85295/original/image-20150616-5807-159gipa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/85295/original/image-20150616-5807-159gipa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">No longer politics as usual.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/european_parliament/15849917576/in/photolist-q9AYhY-qbPW5E-qbLTkh-pUjerL-9cKGeG-nVPe2k-oqyJWW-23BN25-9euPQM-qbQSPn-oqyzxr-jBVjNL-qwVvjJ-dPgcT7-qbMek7-oH49iF-qbEkgZ-oGMs8M-rvDqzT-qx49uZ-oqyK9E-oqyoKL-qbL4xy-qbThF6-oF2jKE-oqyKkm-oqz3YM-oH2kGJ-oF2jPs-gQpHjn-asRbqP-jBTgur-f3YB4C-peU4TQ-e3aC75-eVC4R4-pf4tvF-asMZSq-rNEqWo-pdRuvw-qNNcD7-hYHDNW-iTKcm2-i3u3Th-reSXSK-s6Smnz-qXzvxr-rvxA33-2wUxRW-61ivfM">european_parliament/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>As expected, the pope accepts the scientific consensus about manmade change in climate patterns, and appears cautious about issues like genetically modified organisms (GMOs). </p>
<p>Science is a partner of faith in this call of the pope to save the Earth before it is too late. This argument is a compelling one for a culture, such as the American one, in which science and religion have a long and complicated relationship. But it is not the most interesting part of the encyclical from a political perspective. </p>
<p>What is distinctive about this letter is that Francis raises issues that are going to have a hard time being heard in the prosperous Northern Hemisphere, and in particular by those who have made of the promise of prosperity their secular gospel.</p>
<h2>Ideology of unlimited resources</h2>
<p>First of all, Francis criticizes what he calls the “technocratic paradigm,” which he says has impaired our ability to see reality – that is, the real economy affecting real people instead of financial economy of the global markets of bond, equity, derivative securities. This technocratic perspective has largely eviscerated the ability of politics to take care of the common good, including the poor and of the environment, he says.</p>
<p>This is not a vague statement. Francis mentions explicitly the financial crisis of 2007-2008 as a lost opportunity: we could have learned something from that crisis and changed something, but we did not. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/85296/original/image-20150616-5812-1rhvsv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/85296/original/image-20150616-5812-1rhvsv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/85296/original/image-20150616-5812-1rhvsv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/85296/original/image-20150616-5812-1rhvsv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/85296/original/image-20150616-5812-1rhvsv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/85296/original/image-20150616-5812-1rhvsv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/85296/original/image-20150616-5812-1rhvsv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/85296/original/image-20150616-5812-1rhvsv8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Not a fan of economic power centers that protect their interests over needs of the poor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/petrick/2291498814/in/photolist-4uuwLf-dMWW2A-46LqaZ-xnWvU-dMWYad-xnXzX-4MxKA2-b6wi76-bVkQqj-bZbxVW-4NnXAE-4NiKTF-hos8LL-aih44W-aieg6e-4NnXF3-aiehUt-aih7nu-aih7Py-aieepk-tzo7rL-bWFjZW-hvxEy-qLQdTR-9m9vVN-GNVou-5qj3P5-8XeeYn-8MneV3-jR1PuL-7ZcYLb-6jDEDS-97ak28-7xD2aB-5L8Vta-5L8Vyv-5L8Vga-5LdaDj-5L8V44-5Ldar7-bWPzc3-8shXMg-pxQaD6-6YVnwB-7xaNG9-7x1un8-dacyjr-dacxy7-dactAm-dacutx">petrick/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>In the encyclical, he argues that the technocratic paradigm is something that obfuscates our information system as well, and therefore our ability to make decisions. Here, the pope talks openly about the interests of global economic centers that misdirect or silence voices of those who go against their immediate interests. This comes at the expense of the poor and of the environment, and in general of a healthy “human ecology.”</p>
<h2>Market worship</h2>
<p>This encyclical is much more about political power than science. </p>
<p>Francis appeals to a new system of international relations based on global economic justice and global environmental justice. The encyclical puts on the stand the ideology of unlimited prosperity, based on the ideology of unlimited resources – and they are judged severely and called “a lie.” </p>
<p>The “American dream” is not mentioned explicitly, but it is the elephant (and not only the GOP’s elephant) in the room. Here, Europe is in the same situation as the US in light of the Americanization of the old continent’s lifestyle over the last 70 years. </p>
<p>The encyclical criticizes a “divinized market” – a market that is worshiped as the only creator and judge. The market alone is not the panacea to social ills, the pope argues: it actually causes social ills when it is the only prevailing rule. </p>
<p>As with his previous – and critical – document Evangelii Gaudium (November 24 2013), Pope Francis raises his voice in defense of the poor and casts a light on inequalities, talking about debt, for example, as a form of political control in our global financial system.</p>
<p>But Francis is also going to raise some eyebrows on the political left in the US. </p>
<p>On the hot-button “life issues,” Francis repeats that no ecological argument is possible if embryos are not considered nature to be protected. Abortion, he writes, is incompatible with an ecological conscience. </p>
<p>As to gender issues, Francis says that human ecology entails respecting the gender God gave us without manipulating it, and that means acknowledging and respecting sexual differences. Sexual differences between genders do exist, the pope says, and human ecology means respecting these differences between men and women.</p>
<h2>Politics as a tool</h2>
<p>Finally, this encyclical is deeply political because it explicitly advocates that people turn to the political process when it comes to important decisions about the future of the planet.</p>
<p>Francis sees politics as a necessary defense against the unlimited appetites of economic interests. Christian faith is about a “liberation” that comes from Jesus Christ and not from a political message. It is the political process that is essential to protect the poor and the environment. </p>
<p>Francis’ church is a politically non-neutral church, just as technology is not neutral. Technological tools are not neutral, and they do not help bridge inequalities, but, Francis says, they do serve powerful economic interests. Francis’ church stands with the poor.</p>
<p>At the end of the letter, with regard to how to change things, the pope is exhorting people to challenge corrupt and inefficient governments. States and governments are crucial to limit the power over the powerless. </p>
<p>In the final section of the encyclical, Francis repeats the ideal of global governance – an old Catholic dream born of medieval Europe, but recently updated by John XXIII and Benedict XVI in a new fashion. This is part of Catholic globalism. But Catholicism is also local, and American Catholicism will be a particularly interesting test for this encyclical.</p>
<p>In the presidential election of 1928, Al Smith, the Catholic candidate for the Democratic Party, was crushed by his opponent because of his Catholicism. Today, we do not know what kind of use the Republican Catholic candidates for president will make of the encyclical during the presidential campaign. </p>
<p>We can be sure of one thing, however, after the publication of Francis’ Laudato Si’: none of them will ask, as the ill-fated Al Smith did in 1928, “<a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/25154585?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">What the hell is an encyclical</a>?”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/43366/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Massimo Faggioli does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The pope’s encyclical challenges the belief in markets to solve social ills – a difficult message for Catholic Republican presidential candidates to accept.Massimo Faggioli, Associate Professor of Theology; Director, Institute for Catholicism and Citizenship, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/346932014-12-01T10:47:21Z2014-12-01T10:47:21ZPope Francis’s ‘American problem’<p>In late November, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis is going to visit the United States of America for the World Meeting of Families that will take place in Philadelphia at the end of September 2015. </p>
<p>This trip is the most interesting - and possibly, the most difficult – among the many trips on the pope’s schedule. Why it may be difficult says much about this pontificate and how Americans are reacting to it. </p>
<h2>The politics of travel</h2>
<p>So far the trips of Pope Francis have outlined a map of his pontificate’s priorities: the roots of Christian faith (Holy Land), the peripheries of Europe (Lampedusa, Albania, Turkey), the global south and Asia (Brazil, Korea, Sri Lanka and Philippines). </p>
<p>The trip to the United States is less representative of the Francis’s agenda. Rather, it is driven by the need to visit the entirety of the Catholic faithful. In this sense it is similar to the recent short trip to the European Parliament. </p>
<p>Geographically, the journey of the Argentine pope to the United States connects dots that on the world maps delineate a particular geo-religious region of the world: the Atlantic. </p>
<p>In the mainstream, traditional narrative, the Atlantic represents the emigration route of European Catholics. But the Atlantic is also the route of the slave trade from Africa to North and Latin America. It will be interesting to see if and how the Pope will challenge the Catholic narratives that have - so far - been core to an all-white, all-European papacy.</p>
<h2>A hard pope to pigeonhole</h2>
<p>One of the difficulties for ideologues when they try to judge Pope Francis is his relationship with Europe. </p>
<p>For some, Francis is still a very European pope, because he has rarely taken a hard stance against secularism and European secular culture – or at least, much less hard than that of American bishops and American Catholic neo-conservatives. </p>
<p>For others, Francis is a Latin American populist who is trying to disguise his distance from modern, liberal culture and especially from the late 20th-century appeasement and surrender of European Catholics to secular modernity. </p>
<p>What Pope Francis says to America is a message to the whole Catholic world, but more directly to the European Catholic churches, given the deep historical and cultural links “across the pond.”</p>
<h2>Two Americas or one?</h2>
<p>The role of the United States on the world map of Catholicism is certainly distinctive, but pope Francis is not a believer in American “exceptionalism.” </p>
<p>After two Americanophile popes like John Paul II and Benedict XVI, it will be interesting to see how the Argentine pope will phrase his understanding of the relationship between Latin America and North America. </p>
<p>John Paul II believed in the unity of the continent when he convened the Synod of Bishops for the Americas in 1997. Since then, however, the US has started to go its own way. Today the ties between Catholic churches in the United States and those in Latin America are much more tenuous than before. Fewer American missionaries are now in Latin America than in the decades before the 1980s - the decrease in the number of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers in the southern part of the continent is evidence of this trend. </p>
<p>This is proof that the geopolitics of states and churches are never completely independent - and that is particularly true for the Catholic Church. But in light of changes in the religious demography of the American continent, it is still legitimate to speak of a unity between the Americas. </p>
<p>Within the United States the Latin American element is growing and is critical to the vitality of American Catholicism. On the other hand, although the majority of Hispanics in the United States are Catholic, those of Catholic origin are more secularized than Latino Protestants. </p>
<p>The Spanish-speaking roots of the new pope resonate in a particular way across the continent – north of Mexico too. But it is also Pope Francis’s own story that makes the pontiff close to a large number of American Catholics. A pope who is a migrants’ son understands the challenges of a Catholicism of emigration, as it divides families between state boundaries.</p>
<p>But there are other challenges to the American trip of Pope Francis that are typical of his pontificate. </p>
<h2>Ideological divisions</h2>
<p>Despite all the rhetoric of brotherly love between the pope and the US bishops (so appropriate for a visit to Philadelphia), it is clear that many American bishops are not comfortable with the new pontiff’s tone and message. </p>
<p>Charles Chaput, archbishop of Philadelphia since September 2011, is one of the bishops most clearly attached to the language of the previous pontificate. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://archphila.org/archbishop-chaput/statements/+CJC_Strangers%20in%20a%20Strange%20Land_Erasmus%20Lecture_10-20-2014.pdf">Erasmus Lecture</a> he gave in New York City on October 20, right after the end of the Synod of Bishops in Rome, was a clear criticism of the dynamics of the open debate that Francis wanted to have - and got - at the Synod. </p>
<p>And he is not alone on this, if we read <a href="http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2014/11/17/chicagos-exiting-cardinal-the-church-is-about-truefalse-not-leftright/">the exit interview</a> of cardinal Francis George of Chicago. America’s brainiest cardinal bluntly accuses the pope of not understanding the consequences of the “who am I to judge” kind of statements on the soul and culture of American Catholics. The most vocal representatives of American Catholic hierarchy are openly blaming the pope for a state of confusion in the self-understanding of Catholics. </p>
<p>On the other hand, the debate over the role of women in the Church is loud and controversial in the US. On this front, it is not clear how pope Francis will be able to address Catholic feminist theological and ecclesiastical issues.</p>
<p>Catholic theologians and clergy trained outside the English-speaking world are far less familiar with feminist theology, its literature and its language. Feminist theologians have been so far more or less tolerant of some statements made by Pope Francis about the issue of women in the Church. Some feminist theologians, however, have already pointed out the issue they have with Francis and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2014/aug/27/pope-francis-womens-lives-catholic-church">language he uses</a> when he talks about women. They might be less forgiving with the Pope during his visit to the United States. </p>
<p>This tension is at the core of what I call, in <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/religion/article/64512-getting-to-know-francis.html">my forthcoming analysis </a>of the pontificate, the “American problem” of Jorge Mario Bergoglio. </p>
<p>Some say that the American century has ended. It is not clear yet what the Latin American pope thinks about the next American Catholic century.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/34693/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Massimo Faggioli does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In late November, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis is going to visit the United States of America for the World Meeting of Families that will take place in Philadelphia at the end of September 2015…Massimo Faggioli, Assistant Professor of Theology , University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/330662014-10-21T09:58:02Z2014-10-21T09:58:02ZThe tectonic plates of world Catholicism shift<p>An extraordinary two weeks in Rome ended Saturday with a standing ovation. Pope Francis had invited 191 bishops and clergy to the Synod on the family to speak their minds on issues such as divorce, premarital cohabitation and homosexuality and they did. </p>
<p>Pope Francis’s invitation to bishops was to “speak clearly. No one must say, ‘this can’t be done.’” This was a big gamble. But the result is a victory for him. True, the final report is markedly less open to the aforementioned “irregular” situations that many had hoped for. But it is also clear that a stable majority of the bishops in Rome is on his side if we look at the <a href="http://www.religionnews.com/2014/10/18/gays-missing-final-message-vaticans-heated-debate-family/">vote tally</a> of October 18. </p>
<p>Bishops are aware of the challenges to the so-called traditional model of the Catholic family and acutely aware that these challenges are not going to disappear. In this sense, the Catholic church of 2014 seems very far from that of Francis’s predecessors. What we are witnessing is an acceleration of Church history – something similar to the <a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/10/10/162573716/why-is-vatican-ii-so-important">Second Vatican Council</a> 50 years ago.</p>
<p>What took place over the two weeks of the Synod was a genuine debate between competing ideas of what the church’s relationship ought to be with modern culture, the sexual revolution, and gender identity. But above all what these two weeks have revealed, for the first time, is a tectonic shift – a movement in the plates that make up the map of the Catholic world. </p>
<h2>A new map of the Catholic world</h2>
<p>In this new map Europe and Latin America are at the forefront of the new openness. On the other hand, North America, Africa, and in general English-speaking Catholics are more inclined to hone to a firm countercultural line, refusing to evolve the doctrine and pastoral practice of the church with regard to marriage and family. Asia presents a more complex picture, although the Cardinal from Manila, Luis Antonio Tagle, for example, was one of the leaders of Francis’s majority. </p>
<p>These are new alliances. Until the Second Vatican Council – the most important church reform since the 16th century – it was the European churches and their theological traditions that had the leading role. The churches built by missionaries may have been important participants but they were not able to build a strong opposition to the Europeans. Not anymore.</p>
<p>This October the strongest objections to the German bishops’ proposed welcome to gay and divorced Catholics came from the representatives of English-speaking Catholics from the United States, Africa, and Australia. Their opposition was carefully planned even before the Synod as one can see from the long paper trail of interviews, op-eds and <a href="http://www.ignatius.com/Products/RTC-P/remaining-in-the-truth-of-christ.aspx">books</a> laid down by Cardinal Raymond Burke (USA) and Cardinal George Pell (Australia). Once in Rome they argued with the Europeans in a way that has created a new sense of self-awareness in their churches back home. </p>
<h2>The ‘exceptional’ American church</h2>
<p>There are different reasons for the creation of these new alliances. In Africa opposition to a post-modern understanding of sexuality is rooted in deep cultural differences with Europe. For the US in particular, marriage and family have an iconic role shaped by the history of the American frontier. </p>
<p>Until Vatican II, American Catholicism was on the progressive side of history, in a church still filled with cultural optimism. The church and Christianity were then part of mainstream culture. Then came the 60s, the new legislation on abortion, divorce, and more recently same-sex marriage. The Catholic church felt pushed to take a countercultural stance. The legacy of the Second Vatican Council became a contested narrative and captive of the “cultural wars” of these past 30 years. </p>
<p>All this is part of a much bigger change in what can be called the neo-conservative turn of a number of prominent lay leaders of English-speaking Catholicism. Taking part in the public debate through such publications as <a href="http://www.firstthings.com/">First Things</a> (founded in 1990), they have voiced growing criticism of the welfare state in domestic politics; have endorsed the 2003 war in Iraq; and have been fiercely opposed to legislation regulating abortion and same-sex marriage.</p>
<p>The election to the papacy of a Latin-American bishop like Jorge Mario Bergoglio who does not adhere to any one political ideology has set different experiences of Catholicism in different parts of the world on a collision course. </p>
<p>When the Pope speaks about economic and social justice and the international financial system, Africa and America are on opposite sides of the argument. But on the issue of family values, Africa and America have built an alliance, and there is no doubt that, in the contemporary role of churches in the social and political debate, marriage and family play a particular role. </p>
<p>Unlike their neighbors to the north, Latin American Catholics have left behind the dream of building a “Christian nation” and have become convinced, like European Catholics, that it is time to adapt to changed social conditions.</p>
<p>It is interesting to see how a deeply traditional Catholic such as Pope Francis has unsettled the culture of important sectors of Anglo-Saxon Catholicism – in the US in particular. After 35 years of pro-American popes such as John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the Vatican and the US need to rebuild a lost harmony. </p>
<p>This now is the “American problem” of Pope Francis: the first pope after World War II with virtually no contact with the USA and its cultural empire, partly because of the difficult relationship between the US and its Latin American backyard and partly because of the personal background of Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Francis has never been to the US. His English is not as fluent as that of his predecessors. This is going to be a crucial challenge for Francis and the future of Christianity. </p>
<p>America and the so-called global south are placed at the intersection of two worlds. In one corner there is the Christian West, where there has been a loss of faith in God and loss of trust in the power of human reason or what the Italian philosopher <a href="http://www.filosofico.net/giannivattimo.htm">Gianni Vattimo</a> calls “weak thought.” In the rest of the world there is a resurgence of religious belief or as French political scientist <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gilles-kepel/the-revenge-of-god/">Gilles Kepel</a> has dubbed it, “the revenge of God.” In this sense, the 2014 Synod is the dawn of a new era in the history of the Catholic church.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/33066/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Massimo Faggioli does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An extraordinary two weeks in Rome ended Saturday with a standing ovation. Pope Francis had invited 191 bishops and clergy to the Synod on the family to speak their minds on issues such as divorce, premarital…Massimo Faggioli, Assistant Professor of Theology , University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/23262011-07-14T04:25:40Z2011-07-14T04:25:40ZHear ye, hear ye – Monckton’s medieval warming tale is climate heresy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/2288/original/Jeff_Hardcastle_.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C19%2C856%2C906&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Monckton is leading the public on a merry dance with his claims.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jeff Hardcastle</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It is a thankless task to track the frequent mistakes Christopher Monckton makes as he misinterprets science, as his statements are frequently at odds with the very scientists whose work he cites. </p>
<p>It is, however, necessary. </p>
<p>In a recent lecture given at the University of Notre Dame in Australia (June 2011) represented by his document “<a href="http://jonova.s3.amazonaws.com/monckton/climate-freedom-hancock-background.pdf">The Climate of Freedom</a>”, Monckton claims, “Dr. Craig Idso has collected papers by almost 1000 scientists worldwide, nearly all of which demonstrate the influence of the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and show it was at least as warm as, and in most instances warmer than, the present.” </p>
<p>This claim by Monckton has two parts that are important to the discussion of climate change:</p>
<ol>
<li>Was the MWP global in extent and warmer than today?</li>
<li>Does the presence of the MWP call into question human-caused global warming?</li>
</ol>
<p>To be clear, the prevailing view amongst scientists is that the MWP was neither global nor warmer than present times. </p>
<p>In fact, the National Academy of Sciences thoroughly investigated this issue and concluded, “the late 20th century warmth in the northern hemisphere was unprecedented during at least the last 1000 years.” </p>
<p>Other studies reinforce the view that when considered either by hemisphere or globally, the temperatures we are experiencing now are truly unprecedented.</p>
<p>In the past, I have found Monckton’s claims on this topic sorely lacking. </p>
<p>Specifically, he referenced authors whose work he used to either answer “yes” or infer “yes” to questions one or two. </p>
<p>Last year, I embarked on the task of actually reading the papers he referenced, and they all disagreed with Monckton’s interpretation. </p>
<p>To confirm, I wrote to the authors and they assured me that my understanding of their work was more correct.</p>
<p>Was this latest list of “1000” authors different from the list I had previously debunked? Had Monckton finally, after many missteps, put a nail in the coffin of human-caused climate change? Well, let’s find out … </p>
<p>What about this list? Well, if you go to the Science and Public Policy website (of which Monckton is the Chief Policy Advisor), you will find a link to a Craig Idso article which is, in turn, linked to a denialist website CO2Science. Once at CO2Science, you’ll learn that they have a MWP Project which lists many articles that reportedly dispute recent warming. So I think I have the correct list.</p>
<p>I’ll begin with the following trivial assumption: the authors know more about their own work than Monckton does. </p>
<p>With this as a starting point, I selected a number of papers in the list and I sent inquiries which asked the two questions I’ve posed here. Now, since this is a list that Monckton is using, you’d think the deck would be stacked in his favor. That is, you’d expect that most or all of these papers to support his view. The problem is … that is not what I found.</p>
<p>Dr. Raymond Bradley responded, “No, I do not think there is evidence that the world was warmer than today in Medieval times.”</p>
<p>Dr. Jessica Tierney also had her work cited in this “study” yet she wrote to me, “No. The MWP is seen in many proxy archives, but it is not yet certain how global in extent it was. Whether or not it was warmer than today’s temperatures depends on the proxy and the place. Most global temperature reconstructions suggest that on average, the MWP was not warmer than today. Regardless, a warm MWP doesn’t disprove the fact that humans are changing climate presently.”</p>
<p>Dr. Lowell Stott reported, “the studies that are currently available for MWP temperature estimates have little to say about global warming in the context of anthropogenic contribution to Earth’s radiative balance. Even if the MWP was as warm or even warmer than the late 20th century, the cause would be completely different because we have very good constraints on the quantities of greenhouse gases that were present in the atmosphere during the MWP.”</p>
<p>Dr. Andrew Lorrey told me that his paper “certainly does not disprove AGW, and it does nothing to approach that particular subject of climate science.”</p>
<p>Dr. Rosanne D’Arrigo stated, “We do not believe that our work disproves” human-induced global warming.</p>
<p>Dr. Robert Wilson added, “It really does not matter if the MWP was warmer or slightly cooler than present. Ultimately, it is the underlying causes of these warms periods that we need to worry about.”</p>
<p>Now, was I surprised by these results? Not really. </p>
<p>You see, I had performed a similar investigation of claims made by Monckton in 2009 with similar results.</p>
<p>I live in Minnesota where baseball is a popular sport. To borrow a baseball analogy, Monckton does not have a very good batting average. Perhaps it is time he was benched. </p>
<p>So where does all this leave us?</p>
<p>First, the existence of the MWP is not in serious doubt; but whether it was global in extent or warmer than today is. In addition, the presence of a MWP does not call into question whether humans are now causing the Earth to warm.</p>
<p>Second, it is very dangerous to rely upon the interpretation of a non-scientist to real science work. </p>
<p>Monckton has never published any peer-reviewed scientific article, let alone anything on climate or energy. Despite this, we are supposed to trust his interpretation of science? Not only that, but his interpretation disagrees with the very scientists who did the work.</p>
<p>When I go to my next family reunion, I’m not going to let my Uncle Jed fix my car because he knows nothing about cars. </p>
<p>I won’t allow my Aunt Betty to teach my daughters calculus (she isn’t a mathematician). </p>
<p>In the same way, I won’t listen to Monckton when it comes to climate science. He has been shown to be incapable of understanding even the most basic subjects of climate science – this would be humorous if it wasn’t so serious. </p>
<p>Monckton is a one-man wrecking crew for the credibility of climate-change deniers.</p>
<p>So now a challenge to Monckton … I have provided you with responses from people whose research you have used. I have shown they do not agree with your interpretation. To a person, they agree with me. </p>
<p>Why don’t you write to them yourselves and see what you find? This was your own list and yet, it doesn’t support your view.</p>
<p>What can I expect from this letter? Well first, the hate mail will start immediately; how can I have the audacity to criticize the “Lord”. Second, Christopher will probably claim that his interpretation of the science is more accurate than the scientists themselves … that they are mistaken. I’ll leave it to the public to judge.</p>
<p>My position is that we need accurate information if we are to make wise choices in confronting the problem of climate change. In addition, we need to shift focus from whether there is a problem to what can be done about it. </p>
<p>If we are wise, the solutions to the climate problem will create jobs, improve our energy diversity, and better our national security. </p>
<p>Who can be against that?</p>
<p>Finally, we need to be more civil and respectful in our discourse. </p>
<p>We still must be candid, particularly when someone has difficulty interpreting the science or when someone gives inferences that are not in accordance with the science. </p>
<p>But when we disagree, we must not be disagreeable.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/2326/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr. Abraham has no conflicts of interest related to this story.</span></em></p>It is a thankless task to track the frequent mistakes Christopher Monckton makes as he misinterprets science, as his statements are frequently at odds with the very scientists whose work he cites. It is…John Abraham, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/15582011-06-24T01:34:23Z2011-06-24T01:34:23ZThe false, the confused and the mendacious: how the media gets it wrong on climate change<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1869/original/aapone-20081127000133121559-germany_greenpeace-original.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The debate may be fiery, but it's also phony.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><strong><em>The Conversation wraps up</em> Clearing up the Climate Debate <em>with a statement from our authors: the debate is over. Let’s get on with it.</em></strong></p>
<p>Over the past two weeks The Conversation has <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/clearing-up-the-climate-debate">highlighted the consensus of experts</a> that climate change caused by humans is both real and poses a serious risk for the future. </p>
<p>We have also revealed the deep flaws in the conduct of so-called climate “sceptics” who largely operate outside the scientific context.</p>
<p>But to what extent is the “science settled”? Is there any possibility that the experts are wrong and the deniers are right?</p>
<h2>Certainty in science</h2>
<p>If you ask a scientist whether something is “settled” beyond any doubt, they will almost always reply “no”. </p>
<p>Nothing is 100% certain in science.</p>
<p>So how certain is climate science? Is there a 50% chance that the experts are wrong and that the climate within our lifetimes will be just fine? Or is there a 10% chance that the experts are wrong? Or 1%, or only 0.0001%? </p>
<p>The answer to these questions is vital because if the experts are right, then we must act to avert a major risk.</p>
<h2>Dropping your phone</h2>
<p>Suppose that you lose your grip on your phone. Experience tells us that the phone will fall to the ground. </p>
<p>You drop a phone, it falls down. </p>
<p>Fact. </p>
<p>Science tells us that this is due to gravity, and no one doubts its inevitability.</p>
<p>However, while science has a good understanding of gravity, our knowledge is only partial. In fact, physicists know that at a very deep level our theory of gravity is inconsistent with quantum mechanics, so one or both will have to be modified.</p>
<p>We simply don’t know for sure how gravity works.</p>
<p>But we still don’t jump off bridges, and you would be pretty silly to drop your phone onto a concrete floor in the hope that gravity is wrong.</p>
<h2>Climate change vs. gravity: Greater complexity, comparable certainty</h2>
<p>Our predictions of climate change aren’t as simple as the action of gravity on a dropped phone. </p>
<p>The Earth is a very complex system: there are natural effects like volcanoes, and variations in the sun; there are the vagaries of the weather; there are complicating factors such as clouds, and how ice responds; and then there are the human influences such as deforestation and CO₂ emissions.</p>
<p>But despite these complexities, some aspects of climate science are thoroughly settled. </p>
<p>We know that atmospheric CO₂ is increasing due to humans. We know that this CO₂, while being just a small fraction of the atmosphere, has an important influence on temperature. </p>
<p>We can calculate the effect, and predict what is going to happen to the earth’s climate during our lifetimes, all based on fundamental physics that is as certain as gravity.</p>
<p>The consensus opinion of the world’s climate scientists is that climate change is occurring due to human CO₂ emissions. The changes are rapid and significant, and the implications for our civilisation may be dire. The chance of these statements being wrong is vanishingly small.</p>
<h2>Scepticism and denialism</h2>
<p>Some people will be understandably sceptical about that last statement. But when they read up on the science, and have their questions answered by climate scientists, they come around.</p>
<p>These people are true sceptics, and a degree of scepticism is healthy.</p>
<p>Other people will disagree with the scientific consensus on climate change, and will challenge the science on internet blogs and opinion pieces in the media, but no matter how many times they are shown to be wrong, they will never change their opinions.</p>
<p>These people are deniers. </p>
<p>The recent articles in The Conversation have put the deniers under the microscope. Some readers have asked us in the comments to address the scientific questions that the deniers bring up. </p>
<p>This has been done.</p>
<p>Not once.
Not twice.
Not ten times.
Probably more like 100 or a 1000 times.</p>
<p>Denier arguments have been dealt with by scientists, <a href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/argument.php">again and again and again</a>. </p>
<p>But like zombies, the deniers keep coming back with the same long-falsified and nonsensical arguments. </p>
<p>The deniers have seemingly endless enthusiasm to post on blogs, write letters to editors, write opinion pieces for newspapers, and even publish books. What they rarely do is write coherent scientific papers on their theories and submit them to scientific journals. The few published papers that have been sceptical about climate change have not withstood the test of time.</p>
<h2>The phony debate on climate change</h2>
<p>So if the evidence is this strong, why is there resistance to action on climate change in Australia?</p>
<p>At least two reasons can be cited.</p>
<p>First, as The Conversation has revealed, there are a handful of individuals and organisations who, by avoiding peer review, have engineered a phony public debate about the science, when in fact that debate is absent from the one arena where our scientific knowledge is formed.</p>
<p>These individuals and organisations have so far largely escaped accountability. </p>
<p>But their free ride has come to an end, as the next few weeks on The Conversation will continue to show. The second reason, alas, involves systemic failures by the media. </p>
<p>Systemic media failures arise from several presumptions about the way science works, which range from being utterly false to dangerously ill-informed to overtly malicious and mendacious.</p>
<h2>The false</h2>
<p>Let’s begin with what is merely false. A tacit presumption of many in the media and the public is that climate science is a brittle house of cards that can be brought down by a single new finding or the discovery of a single error.</p>
<p>Nothing could be further from the truth. Climate science is a cumulative enterprise built upon hundreds of years of research. The heat-trapping properties of CO₂ were discovered in the middle of the 19th century, pre-dating even Sherlock Holmes and Queen Victoria. </p>
<p>The resulting robust knowledge will not be overturned by a single new finding.</p>
<p>A further false presumption of the media is that scientific opinions must somehow be balanced by an opposing view. While balance is an appropriate conversational frame for the political sphere, it is wholly inappropriate for scientific issues, where what matters is <a href="http://theconversation.com/balance-the-evidence-not-the-opinions-on-climate-change-952">the balance of evidence, not opinion</a>.</p>
<p>At first glance, one might be tempted to forgive the media’s inappropriate inclusion of unfounded contrarian opinions, given that its function is to stimulate broad debate in which, ideally, even exotic opinions are given a voice. </p>
<p>But the media by and large do not report the opinions of 9/11 “truthers” who think that the attacks were an “inside job” of the Bush administration. The media also do not report the opinion of people who believe Prince Phillip runs the world’s drug trade. The fact that equally outlandish pseudo-scientific nonsense about climate science can be sprouted on TV by a <a href="http://www.readfearn.com/2011/01/a-sunrise-climate-cock-up-and-reading-cats-paws">cat palmist</a> is evidence not of an obsession with balance but of a striking and selective failure of editorial responsibility.</p>
<p>What is needed instead of the false symmetry implied by “balance” is what the BBC calls impartiality – fact-based reporting that evaluates the evidence and comes to a reality-based conclusion.</p>
<h2>The dangerously ill-formed</h2>
<p>An example of a dangerously ill-informed opinion on how science works is the widely propagated myth that scientists somehow have a “vested interest”, presumably financial, in climate change. This myth has been carefully crafted by deniers to create a chimerical symmetry between their own ties to political and economic interests and the alleged “vested interests” of scientists.</p>
<p>In actual fact, climate scientists have as much vested interest in the existence of climate change as cancer researchers do in the existence of the human papilloma virus (HPV). </p>
<p>Cancer researchers are motivated by the fact that cervical cancer kills, and the scientists who developed the HPV vaccine did so to save lives, not to get their grants renewed. </p>
<p>Climate scientists are likewise motivated by the fact that climate change kills <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/index.html">140,000 people per year</a> right at this very moment, according to the World Health Organization.</p>
<p>The scientists who have been alerting the public of this risk for nearly 20 years did so to save lives, not to get their grants renewed. </p>
<p>Climate scientists are being motivated by the realisation that humanity has got itself into serious trouble with climate change, and it will need the best scientific advice to navigate a solution.</p>
<p>As scientists, we ask not for special consideration by the media, but simply for the same editorial responsibility and quality control that is routinely applied to all other arenas of public discourse.</p>
<p>Selective failure of quality control and editorial responsibility when it comes to climate change presents a grave public disservice.</p>
<h2>The malicious</h2>
<p>Finally, no truthful analysis of the Australian media landscape can avoid highlighting the maliciousness of some media organisations, primarily those owned by Newscorp, which are cartoonish in their brazen serial distortion of scientists and scientific findings.</p>
<p>Those organisations have largely escaped accountability to date, and we believe that it is a matter of urgency to expose their practice.</p>
<p>For example, it is not a matter of legitimate editorial process to misrepresent what experts are telling Newscorp reporters — some of whom have been known to apologize to scientists in advance and off the record for their being tasked to return from public meetings, not with an actual news story but with scathing statements from the handful of deniers in the audience.</p>
<p>It is not a matter of legitimate editorial process to invert the <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2011/02/the_australians_war_on_science_60.php">content of scientific papers</a>. </p>
<p>It is not a matter of legitimate editorial process to <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2010/03/leakegate_the_australians_war.php">misrepresent what scientists say</a>.</p>
<p>It is not a matter of legitimate editorial process to prevent actual scientists from setting the record straight after <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/national/uk-body-says-news-ltd-misrepresented-it-on-climate-20101008-16c20.html">the science has been misrepresented</a>. </p>
<p>None of those sadly common actions are compatible with legitimate journalistic ethics, and they should have no place in a knowledge economy of the 21st century.</p>
<p>The very fact that society is wracked by a phony debate where there is none in the scientific literature provides strong evidence that the Australian media has tragically and thoroughly failed the Australian public.</p>
<p><strong>This is the final part of our series <em>Clearing up the Climate Debate</em>. To read the other instalments, follow the links below:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>Part One: <a href="http://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-real-an-open-letter-from-the-scientific-community-1808">Climate change is real: an open letter from the scientific community</a>.</strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Two: <a href="http://theconversation.com/the-greenhouse-effect-is-real-heres-why-1515">The greenhouse effect is real: here’s why</a>.</strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Three: <a href="http://theconversation.com/speaking-science-to-climate-policy-1548">Speaking science to climate policy</a>.</strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Four: <a href="http://theconversation.com/our-effect-on-the-earth-is-real-how-were-geo-engineering-the-planet-1544">Our effect on the earth is real: how we’re geo-engineering the planet</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Five: <a href="http://theconversation.com/whos-your-expert-the-difference-between-peer-review-and-rhetoric-1550">Who’s your expert? The difference between peer review and rhetoric</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Six: <a href="http://theconversation.com/climate-change-denial-and-the-abuse-of-peer-review-1552">Climate change denial and the abuse of peer review</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Seven: <a href="http://theconversation.com/when-scientists-take-to-the-streets-its-time-to-listen-up-1912">When scientists take to the streets it’s time to listen up</a>.</strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Eight: <a href="http://theconversation.com/australias-contribution-matters-why-we-cant-ignore-our-climate-responsibilities-1863">Australia’s contribution matters: why we can’t ignore our climate responsibilities</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Nine: <a href="http://theconversation.com/a-journey-into-the-weird-and-wacky-world-of-climate-change-denial-1554">A journey into the weird and wacky world of climate change denial</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Ten: <a href="http://theconversation.com/the-chief-troupier-the-follies-of-mr-monckton-1555">The chief troupier: the follies of Mr Monckton</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Eleven: <a href="http://theconversation.com/rogues-or-respectable-how-climate-change-sceptics-spread-doubt-and-denial-1557">Rogues or respectable? How climate change sceptics spread doubt and denial</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Twelve: <a href="http://theconversation.com/bob-carters-climate-counter-consensus-is-an-alternate-reality-1553">Bob Carter’s climate counter-consensus is an alternate reality</a></strong></p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/1558/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Ashley receives funding from the Australian Research Council and other Australian government bodies for his research in astrophysics.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Karoly is an ARC Federation Fellow in the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Melbourne. He receives funding through research grants from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. In the past, he has received significant funding from the Williams Company, an energy company in Tulsa Oklahoma, and a Shell Australia Postgraduate Scholarship. He is a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and a member of the Science Advisory Panel to the Australian Climate Commission.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Enting is employed by The University of Melbourne in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematics and Statistics of Complex Systems, which has been funded by the Australian Research Council. He also receives small amounts from the sales of his books: "Inverse Problems in Atmospheric Constituent Transport" and "Twisted: The Distorted Mathematics of Greenhouse Denial".</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael J. I. Brown has received funding for his astrophysics research from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mike Sandiford receives funding from the ARC to conduct work on earthquakes and plate tectonics.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Abraham, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, and Stephan Lewandowsky do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Conversation wraps up Clearing up the Climate Debate with a statement from our authors: the debate is over. Let’s get on with it. Over the past two weeks The Conversation has highlighted the consensus…Stephan Lewandowsky, Chair of Cognitive Psychology, University of BristolMichael Ashley, Professor of Astrophysics, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/15552011-06-22T20:50:56Z2011-06-22T20:50:56ZThe chief troupier: the follies of Mr Monckton<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1426/original/aapone-20100203000217465644-climate_change_christopher_monckton-original.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Christopher Monckton deliberately misleads the public on climate change.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><strong><em>CLEARING UP THE CLIMATE DEBATE: Associate Professor John Abraham puts Christopher Monckton’s climate claims to the test.</em></strong></p>
<p>This summer, the people of Australia will yet again be treated to a circus tour. It will make light of one of the most pressing problems facing this planet. </p>
<p>That problem, climate change, will not go away even though an orchestrated group of contrarians wishes it would.</p>
<p>The most outspoken leader of this troupe is Christopher Monckton, a person with excellent credentials in speaking but no credentials in real science (he has not published a single peer-reviewed paper on any scientific topic). </p>
<p>Christopher Monckton presents himself as a fair and accurate interpreter of the science, but a careful examination of his views shows that he is anything but fair and accurate. </p>
<p>He was most recently seen comparing Ross Garnaut, the Australian government’s climate change adviser (and author for this series) <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2765990.html">to a Nazi</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1823/original/Screen_shot_2011-06-23_at_10.48.41_AM.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1823/original/Screen_shot_2011-06-23_at_10.48.41_AM.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1823/original/Screen_shot_2011-06-23_at_10.48.41_AM.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1823/original/Screen_shot_2011-06-23_at_10.48.41_AM.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1823/original/Screen_shot_2011-06-23_at_10.48.41_AM.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1823/original/Screen_shot_2011-06-23_at_10.48.41_AM.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1823/original/Screen_shot_2011-06-23_at_10.48.41_AM.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=422&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Monckton succumbs to “Godwin’s Law” and compares Ross Garnaut to a Nazi.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Real scientists have never taken Mr. Monckton seriously. This hasn’t stopped him from traveling the world, presenting his views on science to anyone who will listen.</p>
<p>Mr. Monckton has been shown to have his science wrong on many occasions. Many real scientists have spent untold hours of effort to carefully document his scientific nonsense. </p>
<p>The documentation is critically important because in Mr. Monckton’s speeches, he cites study after study which give the impression that either climate change is not happening, or if it is, we don’t need to worry about it. </p>
<p>Mr. Monckton artfully mixes self-deprecation and humour among slides laden with graphs and scientific images that seem convincing to his audience. </p>
<p>I wondered, what does Mr. Monckton know that 97% of the world’s leading climate scientists don’t? </p>
<p>Is he some Galileo shouting truth from the rooftops? </p>
<p>I had to find out. Last year, I performed a little investigation. I actually read the articles that Mr. Monckton used as evidence against the concerns of climate change. </p>
<p>What I discovered was astonishing. </p>
<p>None of the articles I read supported the claims or inferences that Mr. Monckton was promoting. Just to be sure, I began to write to the authors of the papers. Of the 16 authors I wrote to, all of them agreed with me: Mr. Monckton had misrepresented or misunderstood their work.</p>
<p>So, where does Mr. Monckton’s science go astray? Nearly everywhere. </p>
<p>Here are a few highlights of his mistaken understanding:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Mr. Monckton claimed that the International Astronomical Union (IAU) had a symposium wherein they declared that recent warming was caused by the sun. I wrote to officials at the IAU and they stated that they made no such declaration. Mr. Monckton has twice admitted that he was in error on this claim.</p></li>
<li><p>Mr. Monckton claimed that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses canvas buckets to measure ocean temperatures because more accurate methods are “not convenient, they go the wrong way”. I wrote to Sydney Levitus at NOAA and asked if this was true. He wrote back, “Mr. Monckton’s statement to the effect that NOAA uses temperature measurements gathered by dragging canvas buckets through the ocean are completely false. In fact, I know of no scientific group that would even think such a technique could supply useful measurements.”</p></li>
<li><p>Mr. Monckton claimed that “the medieval warm period was real, global, and warmer than today”. He showed a number of papers which reportedly support his claim. Well, I wrote to a number of these authors and they all agreed that Mr. Monckton had not accurately presented their work. For instance, Dr. Anil Gupta told me, “You are right, we never said the medieval warm period was warmer than today”. Another researcher, Dr. David Anderson, stated, “Your interpretation (of our work) is more correct”. Dr. Lloyd Kiegwin said that I was “absolutely right,” and Dr. David Frank stated, “temperatures now, are indeed much warmer than during medieval times”.</p></li>
<li><p>Mr. Monckton also wrote that Arctic sea ice is fine, it has been steady for a decade. Monckton used information from a research group called IARC-JAXA. I wrote to two scientists there, Dr. Larry Hinzman and Dr. John Walsh. They both agreed that Monckton had not correctly presented that data. Just to be sure, I wrote to Dr. Mark Serreze from the National Snow and Ice Data Center. He emphatically stated, “Monckton is wrong”.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>I could go on and on … but we get the picture. Monckton’s science is wrong and Monckton’s interpretation of others’ work does not agree with the originators of the data. </p>
<p>He makes mistakes on polar bears, claims that the ocean is cooling, claims that the planet is cooling, claims that ocean rises will not be significant, claims that ocean acidification is not a concern, claims that recent global warming is caused by cloud changes, and so on.</p>
<p>It would be one thing if Mr. Monckton just gave speeches to partisan audiences. </p>
<p>It is an entirely different matter when he testified to the US Congress as an “expert” on climate change. </p>
<p>That testimony, in May 2010, presented nine key assertions that were without merit. Mr. Monckton’s assertions were so misleading that a group of 26 scientists (myself included) wrote a detailed, point-by-point rebuttal. </p>
<p>Scientists are generally a reserved group. </p>
<p>Despite this reservation, statements used to describe Mr. Monckton’s testimony included, “Mr. Monckton’s assertions on acidification are remarkable … the basics of this subject have been understood for a long time”. </p>
<p>Another scientist stated, “Monckton’s reasoning and calculation is incorrect … the remainder of his statement is simply chemical nonsense”. </p>
<p>Still another reported, “The submission from Monckton … is profoundly wrong … This is simply a red herring”.</p>
<p>What motivates scientists like myself to spend untold hours of time, without pay, to carefully document Monckton’s false claims? </p>
<p>The reason is simple. </p>
<p>We have a serious problem facing us. In order to make wise and informed decisions, we need accurate information. </p>
<p>Only with good information can we decide which pathway offers us the cheapest and most effective means to deal with climate change.</p>
<p>This is why CSIRO recently <a href="http://www.climatespectator.com.au/news/csiro-drops-sponsorship-conference-featuring-monckton">dropped sponsorship</a> from an <a href="http://amec.org.au/events/convention">Australian conference</a> at which Monckton will be speaking later this month. It’s also why Monckton was <a href="http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2011/06/22/326191_gold-coast-news.html">dumped from a private school networking event</a> on the Gold Coast.</p>
<p>When people like Christopher Monckton misrepresent science, with an obvious agenda to delay action, they make our decisions more difficult and more expensive. </p>
<p>Instead of making light of the issue of climate change, instead of vilifying people who are genuinely concerned, instead of presenting inaccurate science, we should find ways to work together in a civil manner to collectively choose a path forward. </p>
<p>What Mr. Monckton doesn’t tell people is that the technology to deal with this problem is available right now. Enacting solutions now would provide many benefits. </p>
<p>Aside from addressing climate change, it would create jobs, improve national security and diversify our energy supply. Who can be against that?</p>
<p>Instead of fighting science and demeaning climate scientists, we should focus on solutions. </p>
<p>We really don’t need more Moncktons in this debate. </p>
<p>We need people who are respectful, scientifically literate and focused on solutions. </p>
<p>We need people who are not afraid of trusting in our own ingenuity to solve this problem. </p>
<p>We need people who have the courage to take action now for the sake of our future generations. </p>
<p>Wouldn’t that be a breath of fresh air?</p>
<p><strong>This is the tenth part of our series <em>Clearing up the Climate Debate</em>. To read the other instalments, follow the links below:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>Part One: <a href="http://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-real-an-open-letter-from-the-scientific-community-1808">Climate change is real: an open letter from the scientific community</a>.</strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Two: <a href="http://theconversation.com/the-greenhouse-effect-is-real-heres-why-1515">The greenhouse effect is real: here’s why</a>.</strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Three: <a href="http://theconversation.com/speaking-science-to-climate-policy-1548">Speaking science to climate policy</a>.</strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Four: <a href="http://theconversation.com/our-effect-on-the-earth-is-real-how-were-geo-engineering-the-planet-1544">Our effect on the earth is real: how we’re geo-engineering the planet</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Five: <a href="http://theconversation.com/whos-your-expert-the-difference-between-peer-review-and-rhetoric-1550">Who’s your expert? The difference between peer review and rhetoric</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Six: <a href="http://theconversation.com/climate-change-denial-and-the-abuse-of-peer-review-1552">Climate change denial and the abuse of peer review</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Seven: <a href="http://theconversation.com/when-scientists-take-to-the-streets-its-time-to-listen-up-1912">When scientists take to the streets it’s time to listen up</a>.</strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Eight: <a href="http://theconversation.com/australias-contribution-matters-why-we-cant-ignore-our-climate-responsibilities-1863">Australia’s contribution matters: why we can’t ignore our climate responsibilities</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Nine: <a href="http://theconversation.com/a-journey-into-the-weird-and-wacky-world-of-climate-change-denial-1554">A journey into the weird and wacky world of climate change denial</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Eleven: <a href="http://theconversation.com/rogues-or-respectable-how-climate-change-sceptics-spread-doubt-and-denial-1557">Rogues or respectable? How climate change sceptics spread doubt and denial</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Twelve: <a href="http://theconversation.com/bob-carters-climate-counter-consensus-is-an-alternate-reality-1553">Bob Carter’s climate counter-consensus is an alternate reality</a></strong></p></li>
<li><p><strong>Part Thirteen: <a href="http://theconversation.com/the-false-the-confused-and-the-mendacious-how-the-media-gets-it-wrong-on-climate-change-1558">The false, the confused and the mendacious: how the media gets it wrong on climate change</a></strong></p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/1555/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr. Abraham has no conflicts of interest related to this story.</span></em></p>CLEARING UP THE CLIMATE DEBATE: Associate Professor John Abraham puts Christopher Monckton’s climate claims to the test. This summer, the people of Australia will yet again be treated to a circus tour…John Abraham, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/16012011-06-02T06:33:05Z2011-06-02T06:33:05Z‘Very worried’ about escalating emissions? You should be<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1451/original/jetsandzeppelins.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Is it getting hot in here?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">jetsandzeppelins/Flickr</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="http://www.iea.org">International Energy Agency</a> (IEA) has released <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/29/carbon-emissions-nuclearpower">unpublished estimates</a> of 2010 global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, and the news is not good. </p>
<p>Between 2003 and 2008, emissions had been rising at a rate faster than the IPCC worst case scenario. However, the global recession slowed the emissions growth considerably. In fact, they actually declined slightly from 29.4 billion tons (gigatons, or Gt) CO₂ in 2008, to 29 Gt in 2009.</p>
<p>However, despite the slow global economic recovery, 2010 saw the largest single year increase in global human CO₂ emissions from energy (fossil fuels). They grew a whopping 1.6 Gt from 2009 to 30.6 Gt. The previous record annual increase was 1.2 Gt from 2003 to 2004. </p>
<p>As illustrated in Figure 1, in 2009 we had dropped into the middle of the <a href="http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/sres/emission/index.php?idp=0">IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios</a> (SRES) scenarios, but the 2010 increase has pushed us back up toward the worst case scenarios once again.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1446/original/Figure1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1446/original/Figure1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1446/original/Figure1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1446/original/Figure1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1446/original/Figure1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1446/original/Figure1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1446/original/Figure1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Figure 1: US Energy Information Administration (EIA) global human CO₂ annual emissions from fossil fuels estimates vs. IPCC SRES scenario projections. The IPCC Scenarios are based on observed CO₂ emissions until 2000, at which point the projections take effect.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Currently, in terms of both cumulative and annual emissions, we are on track with <a href="http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/sres/emission/index.php?idp=98">Scenario A2</a>, the description of which matches what’s happening in the real world fairly accurately thus far:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Relatively slow end-use and supply-side energy efficiency improvements (compared to other scenarios). </p></li>
<li><p>Delayed development of renewable energy. </p></li>
<li><p>No barriers to the use of nuclear energy. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>The major exception is that several countries are transitioning away from nuclear power in the wake of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/nuclear-energy">Japanese Fukushima disaster</a>. This could slow emissions reductions even further. </p>
<p>So, what does continuing on our current path look like?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1447/original/Figure2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1447/original/Figure2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=350&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1447/original/Figure2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=350&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1447/original/Figure2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=350&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1447/original/Figure2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1447/original/Figure2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1447/original/Figure2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=440&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Figure 2: Atmospheric CO₂ concentrations as observed at Mauna Loa from 1958 to 2008.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">black dashed line) and projected under six IPCC emission scenarios (solid coloured lines) ([IPCC Data Distribution Centre](http://www.ipcc-data.org/ddc_co2.html)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1445/original/Figure3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1445/original/Figure3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1445/original/Figure3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1445/original/Figure3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1445/original/Figure3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1445/original/Figure3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1445/original/Figure3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Figure 3: Global surface temperature projections for IPCC Scenarios. Shading denotes the ±1 standard deviation range of individual model annual averages. The orange line is constant CO₂ concentrations at year 2000 values. The grey bars at right indicate the best estimate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">solid line within each bar) and the likely range. (Source: IPCC</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Scenario A2 puts us at 850 ppm atmospheric CO₂ in 2100, with an average global surface temperature 3.5°C hotter than in 2000 (more than 4°C above pre-industrial levels). </p>
<p>If we return back up to Scenario A1FI (fossil fuel intensive), which we were exceeding until the global financial crisis, we’re looking at 950 ppm CO₂ and 4°C global warming over the 21st Century (more than 4.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures in 2100).</p>
<p>Clearly this is very bleak news. In an <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/29/carbon-emissions-nuclearpower">interview</a> with <em>The Guardian</em>, IEA Chief Economist Fatih Birol said:</p>
<p>“I am very worried. This is the worst news on emissions…It is becoming extremely challenging to remain below 2 degrees. The prospect is getting bleaker. That is what the numbers say.”</p>
<p>Indeed, limiting global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial temperatures, which is considered the “<a href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/monckton-myth-5-dangerous-warming.html">danger limit</a>” but which may even be <a href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/Climate-emergency-time-to-slam-on-the-brakes.html">too risky</a>, is a challenge to achieve even in the most optimistic IPCC CO₂ emissions scenarios. </p>
<p>In fact, the UK Hadley Centre Met Office recently found that just to limit global warming to 3°C, we should have started taking serious action to reduce emissions in 2010 (Figure 4).</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1448/original/Figure4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/1448/original/Figure4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1237&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1448/original/Figure4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1237&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1448/original/Figure4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1237&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1448/original/Figure4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1555&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1448/original/Figure4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1555&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/1448/original/Figure4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1555&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Figure 4: Hadley Centre modeled warming by 2100 in various CO2 emissions scenarios.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Right now we’re on track with the orange and red arrows in Figure 4. If we continue with this business-as-usual high emissions path, the consequences could be dire. </p>
<p>Some of the impacts listed in the IPCC report for global warming of 3–4°C above pre-industrial levels include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>hundreds of millions of people exposed to increased water stress </p></li>
<li><p>30–40% of species at risk of extinction around the globe </p></li>
<li><p>about 30% of global coastal wetlands lost </p></li>
<li><p>increased damage from floods and storms </p></li>
<li><p>widespread coral mortality </p></li>
<li><p>the biosphere - soils, plants etc - stops absorbing carbon and starts releasing it </p></li>
<li><p>reduced cereal production</p></li>
<li><p>increased death and illness from heat waves, floods and droughts.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The IEA also found that about 80% of the power stations likely to be in use in 2020 are either already built or under construction. This means we’re “locked in” for continued emissions from these power plants, which constitute about one-third of global human CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels. </p>
<p>So it’s going to be difficult to transition off of these high emissions scenario paths, and we’ll have to find wiggle room in other sectors like transportation.</p>
<p>Birol said that this alarming news should serve as a “wake-up call” for international climate negotiations and other emissions reduction efforts:</p>
<p>“This should be a wake-up call. A chance [of staying below 2 degrees] would be if we had a legally binding international agreement or major moves on clean energy technologies, energy efficiency and other technologies.”</p>
<p>These findings should serve as an alarm bell to warn us that our window of time to avoid potentially catastrophic consequences from climate change is running out fast. </p>
<p>We need to get on track with the green arrow in Figure 4: immediate and rapid action to reduce global carbon emissions.</p>
<p><em>This story was co-authored by Dana Nuccitelli. Dana is an environmental scientist and a writer for the climate science blog <a href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/">Skeptical Science</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/1601/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr. Abraham has no conflicts of interest related to this story.</span></em></p>The International Energy Agency (IEA) has released unpublished estimates of 2010 global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, and the news is not good. Between 2003 and 2008, emissions had been rising at a rate…John Abraham, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of St. ThomasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.