How We Sold Our Future

A guide for creating realistic climate policies

»Climate change is a question of power and culture. Making it a topic of study for the social sciences.«

We have known about global warming and its dangers for decades. Yet global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. Clearly, we are failing in our quest to stop climate change. But how can we explain this failure? Why are societies so reluctant to respond to this threat? In his new book, Jens Beckert provides an answer. The fact that the necessary measures are not being taken is a result of the structures of political power and of the forces that motivate companies, politicians, voters, and consumers. The bitter truth is that we are selling our future to boost the next quarterly figures, to snare the upcoming elections, or for our own, shortsighted enjoyment.

Using numerous case studies and social-scientific tools, Beckert shows why climate change is an “insidious” problem that capitalist modernity – the product of 500 years of development – is almost doomed to fail at resolving due to its institutional and cultural structures. Meaning temperatures will continue to rise, and social and political conflicts will intensify. What we need is adaptability, resilience, and above all, solidarity. With these ideals in mind, we can begin to sketch out a horizon for realistic climate policies.

»We can no longer claim not to understand how the climate crisis got to this point, and why progress has been so elusive, now that we have this book. Beckert provides an authoritative, sobering diagnosis of our present condition and ultimately points us to where the most powerful levers of change might be found. An illuminating contribution.« Rebecca Elliott, London School of Economics and Political Science

»Jens Beckert’s book presents us with an outstanding synthesis of many of the debates around climate change. While Beckert acknowledges that some progress has been made, his book persuasively unpacks the complexity and interconnectedness of the forces that have made it so politically difficult to solve the problem. In the end, he argues that this can only be overcome by the concerted actions of citizens.« Neil D. Fligstein, University of California, Berkeley

»An excellent panorama of the issues, rich in material and highly readable.« Meike Fessmann, Der Tagesspiegel

»How We Sold Our Future is a landmark in the analysis of the climate crisis. Jens Beckert regards climate change as a ‘wicked problem’ for which there are no simple answers. This is an investigation without illusions, but that‘s why it‘s so important.« Sighard Neckel, University of Hamburg

»An intriguing analysis of modern capitalist society and its inability to fight the self-produced problem of climate change. Beckert’s book is down-to-earth, matter-of-fact, and enlightening.« Anita Engels, University of Hamburg

»How We Sold Our Future [offers] an excellent panorama of the issues, rich in material and highly readable.« Meike Fessmann, Der Tagesspiegel

»Beckert’s analysis draws its strength from its realistic perspective … a rewarding read.« Aschot Manutscharjan, Das Parliament

»[Beckert’s] book stands out starkly from the field of other books on the climate and biodiversity crisis.« Torsten Harmsen, Berliner Zeitung

»In a sober manner, Beckert demands more realism.« Joachim Müller-Jung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

»... great clarity, lucid expertise, and enlightened pragmatism.« Berthold Vogel, soziopolis.de