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Johannes Stripple

Johannes Stripple

Associate Professor | Senior Lecturer | Principal Investigator BECC

Johannes Stripple

My Space: governing individuals' carbon emissions

Author

  • Matthew Paterson
  • Johannes Stripple

Summary, in English

This paper examines the recent growth in projects designed to enable individuals to 'do their bit' in the struggle to limit climate change. It discusses them in relation to a long-standing critique of trends towards individualisation amongst environmentalists. It suggests that this critique misses the complex way that subjects are produced by these practices and proposes to analyse subjectification in relation to climate change through the lens of governmentality. The paper then proceeds to examine five specific sorts of practice: carbon footprinting; carbon offsetting; carbon dieting; Carbon Reduction Action Groups; and Personal Carbon Allowances. By drawing on the concept of governmentality we show how contemporary forms of carbon government work through calculative practices that simultaneously totalise (aggregating social practices, overall greenhouse gas emissions) and individualise (producing reflexive subjects actively managing their greenhouse gas practices).

Department/s

  • Department of Political Science
  • BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate

Publishing year

2010

Language

English

Pages

341-362

Publication/Series

Environment & Planning. D, Society and Space

Volume

28

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Pion Ltd

Topic

  • Political Science

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1472-3433