The tendency of modern science to reduce complex phenomena into their component parts has many advantages for advancing knowledge. However, such reductionism in climate science is also a problem because it narrows the evidence base, limiting visions of possible futures and the ways they might be achieved.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Relevant articles
Open Access articles citing this article.
-
National Climate Change Risk Assessments to inform adaptation policy priorities and environmental sustainability outcomes: a knowledge systems perspective
Climatic Change Open Access 21 December 2022
-
Climate change research and the search for solutions: rethinking interdisciplinarity
Climatic Change Open Access 18 October 2021
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Hulme, M. Osiris 26, 245–266 (2011).
Agrawal, A., Lemos, M. C., Orlove, B. & Ribot, J. Glob. Environ. Change 22, 329–331 (2012).
Castree, N. et al. Nat. Clim. Change 4, 763–768 (2014).
Tanner, T. & Allouche, J. IDS Bull. 42, 1–14 (2011).
Beck, S. et al. Gaia 23, 80–87 (2014).
Few, R., Brown, K. & Tompkins, E. L. Clim. Policy 7, 46–59 (2007).
Vardy, M., Oppenheimer, M., Dubash, N. K., O'Reilly, J. & Jamieson, D. Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 42, 55–75 (2017).
Adger, W. N., Barnett, J., Brown, K., Marshall, N. & O’Brien, K. Nat. Clim. Change 3, 112–117 (2012).
Tschakert, P., van Oort, B., St. Clair, A. L. & LaMadrid, A. Clim. Dev. 5, 340–350 (2013).
Barnes, J. et al. Nat. Clim. Change 3, 541–544 (2013).
Farbotko, C. & Lazrus, H. Glob. Environ. Change 22, 382–390 (2012).
Ward, P. J. et al. Nat. Clim. Change 5, 712–715 (2015).
Barnett, J., Tschakert, P., Head, L. & Adger, W. N. Nat. Clim. Change 6, 976–978 (2016).
Lövbrand, E. et al. Glob. Environ. Change 32, 211–218 (2015).
Chakrabarty, D. Crit. Inquiry 35, 197–222 (2009).
Malm, A. & Hornborg, A. Anthrop. Rev. 1, 62–69 (2014).
Taylor, M. Clim. Dev. 5, 318–327 (2013).
Acknowledgements
We thank J. Gabbert for his invaluable editorial assistance with this Comment.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rigg, J., Mason, L.R. Five dimensions of climate science reductionism. Nature Clim Change 8, 1030–1032 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0352-1
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0352-1
This article is cited by
-
National Climate Change Risk Assessments to inform adaptation policy priorities and environmental sustainability outcomes: a knowledge systems perspective
Climatic Change (2022)
-
Climate change research and the search for solutions: rethinking interdisciplinarity
Climatic Change (2021)
-
Including indigenous and local knowledge in climate research: an assessment of the opinion of Spanish climate change researchers
Climatic Change (2020)
-
The Achilles heel of climate-smart agriculture
Nature Climate Change (2019)