Against Catastrophism: Climate Change, Pandemics, and Hope for the Future

Against Catastrophism explores catastrophism from multiple vantage points and considers the impact of ongoing crisis on individuals.

Bringing together contributors from psychoanalysis, economics, anthropology, and gastroenterology, this book explores themes including fossil fuel culture, social movements like Extinction Rebellion, the COVID-19 pandemic, media messaging, and the future of food supply chains. By assessing the value of a constant barrage of information about catastrophes and considering the need for a containing environment, the chapters explore how we can avoid endorsing a closed-off vision of the future and instead unlock possibilities. The book concludes with a discussion of optimism, radical hope, and how we can put forward a new narrative on nature.

Against Catastrophism will be of great interest to psychoanalysts, psychologists, psychiatrists, economists, anthropologists, sociologists, food scientists, environmentalists, ecologists, politicians, and communication experts.