Climate in Motion: Science, Empire, and the Problem of Scale

Climate in Motion explores how the multiscalar, multicausal framework of modern climate science emerged in the nineteenth century within the multinational Habsburg Monarchy, where thinking across scales was a political imperative. Deborah R. Coen argues that the modern understanding of climate arose as a means of thinking across scales in a state where such thinking was a political imperative.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 464 pages
Publication date: 18 November 2020
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Tracking the intricate interplay between phenomena spanning vastly different dimensions, from the molecular to the planetary, is crucial in predicting the impact of human activities on the Earth's climate. Climate in Motion reveals that this multiscalar, multicausal framework emerged long before the advent of computers and satellites. By delving into the history of modern climate science, dating back to the nineteenth century, Deborah R. Coen uncovers its roots in the politics of empire-building in central and eastern Europe. She argues that the modern understanding of climate emerged as a means of thinking across scales within a state—the multinational Habsburg Monarchy, a patchwork of medieval kingdoms and modern laws—where such thinking was a political imperative. Led by Julius Hann in Vienna, Habsburg scientists were the pioneers in investigating the precise connections between local winds and storms and the broader circulation of the Earth's atmosphere. By linking Habsburg climatology to the political and artistic experiments of late imperial Austria, Coen establishes a profound connection between the seemingly esoteric science of the atmosphere and the everyday experiences of an earlier era of globalization.

Climate in Motion presents the history of modern climate science as a history of "scaling"—that is, the embodied work of moving between different frameworks for measuring the world. In this way, it offers a critical historical perspective on the concepts of scale that shape our thinking about the climate crisis today and the range of possibilities for responding to it.

The multiscalar, multicausal framework that governs our understanding of climate today evolved as a response to the complex challenges posed by the globalized world of the nineteenth century. The Habsburg Monarchy, a multinational empire encompassing central and eastern Europe, served as a fertile ground for the development of this framework. Within this state, the need to navigate across scales became a political imperative, driving the development of a new way of thinking about the environment.

Julius Hann, a prominent scientist based in Vienna, played a pivotal role in shaping the modern understanding of climate. Hann and his colleagues were the first to investigate the intricate relationships between local winds and storms and the broader circulation of the Earth's atmosphere. They recognized that the atmosphere was not a static entity but a dynamic system influenced by a multitude of factors, including temperature, pressure, and wind patterns.

Coen's book highlights the importance of scaling in the development of modern climate science. She argues that the Habsburg scientists' ability to think across scales was a critical factor in their ability to make groundbreaking discoveries. By examining the connections between local and global phenomena, they were able to develop a comprehensive understanding of the Earth's climate system.

The multiscalar, multicausal framework that emerged from the Habsburg Monarchy has had a profound impact on our understanding of climate today. It has helped us to identify the drivers of climate change, such as greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation, and to develop strategies for mitigating their effects. It has also inspired a new generation of scientists to think beyond traditional boundaries and to explore the complex interactions between different systems in the Earth's environment.

In conclusion, Climate in Motion offers a valuable historical perspective on the development of modern climate science. By tracing the roots of this framework back to the nineteenth century, Coen demonstrates how the need to think across scales became a political imperative and how this led to the development of a new way of understanding the environment. The multiscalar, multicausal framework that emerged from the Habsburg Monarchy has had a profound impact on our understanding of climate today and has inspired a new generation of scientists to explore the complex interactions between different systems in the Earth's environment.

Weight: 580g
Dimension: 154 x 228 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226752334