The Collapse of Western Civilization

In the interview with Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, the authors assert that The Collapse of Western Civilization is an optimistic story. Do you agree? Why or why not? Use excerpts from the text to support your answer.

Many climate-related texts accept and support modern climate science, but the authors criticize elements of real-world science, including reductionism, specialization, and statistical significance. Why did the authors elect to criticize these practices? How does this criticism impact The Promotion of Interdisciplinary and Holistic Science?

Explain why future scholars selected the name “Period of the Penumbra.” What are the characteristics of this period? What is its wider significance in the text?

The Collapse of Western Civilization includes numerous factual allusions or references to individuals, nations, and policies. What purposes do these allusions serve? How do they interact with the fictional elements in the text?

Although The Collapse of Western Civilization is considered a work of fiction, it contains many facts related to climate change. How can the reader delineate between factual and fictional elements? How does the blending of fiction and nonfiction impact the interpretation of the book and its potential as a type of popular science text?

Examine the book’s portrayal of capitalism and communism. What flaws does the historian identify in capitalism? In communism? What is the authors’ purpose in criticizing these political and economic philosophies?

Identify the irony found in the story. How does this irony impact the tone, mood, and messages? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

When discussing climate change, people often focus on weather and environmental impacts, but The Collapse of Western Civilization centers on the potential social consequences of climate change. What social consequences of climate change does the historian describe? How might these consequences be avoided?