Abstract
In this article, I analyze climate change as a “predictable surprise,” an event that leads an organization or nation to react with surprise, despite the fact that the information necessary to anticipate the event and its consequences was available (Bazerman and Watkins, 2004). I then assess the cognitive, organizational, and political reasons why society fails to implement wise strategies to prevent predictable surprises generally and climate change specifically. Finally, I conclude with an outline of a set of response strategies to overcome barriers to change.
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This paper has benefitted from the excellent input from Alex Todorov, Michael Oppenheimer, and three anonymous reviewers.
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Bazerman, M.H. Climate Change as a Predictable Surprise. Climatic Change 77, 179–193 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-006-9058-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-006-9058-x