Ontologies of climate change

In Namibia, both Damara pastoralists (?N?khoen) and scientists agree that it rains less frequently than before. To explain their observations, however, refer to carbon dioxide molecules, while the point social tensions, neoliberalism, failures of postcolonial state. understand this discrepancy, I ask whether what call precipitation ?nanus are really same thing. Engaging with phenomenological theories, propose a worldliness continuum reveals substantial ontological difference between two. While occurs independently humans, encompasses everything—it is life death. If two different things, unsurprising one needs explanations for them. Acknowledging creates space navigate recognition multiple ontologies politicization emissions. [climate change, ontology, phenomenology, world, knowledge, environment, drought, Namibia] ?Gari-aose ?ansa (?N?khoe) ?aes tsî ?ansen tsîn hoan ge ?gui ?khais ai ra ?hû?guitimî - ?n?s n?si i kaise ?orose ?api ?khaisa, ?ge?aeb xa. ?N? mû?g??gauba khora?uis ?nân n? ?gam ?nanra khoena nausa ?kharaga. ?Ansen ?om?ui?oab ?nâ hâ ?khari ?ârodi ?aromasa mû, hîan ?gari-aose khoen ?aegu ?nâu??s?gudi, ??sa ?aeb hara ?norasa ûi?gaugu, ?h?b ?noras khao?gâ ?hanub ?oa?nâsasib tsîga ?aromadi ase ?gau?nûi?kh?. N? ?kharagagusiba ?nâu???gaos ta tita dîsa dî: x?-i “?apis” [precipitation] ti mî-i, n?, Damaran “?nanus” mî tsîna xare ?gui-e? Tita n?sa ôa?nâs x?n h??âhe ?gaugu ?ama ?gam ?ande sîsen?. Tsî n?pa ??-aisa ?h?baisi mâsaogu ?gauba ao?gui, hîa mûmûsa ?kharagusiba ?gauba, ? ?gaub ?hâ ?kharaga?nâgu mû?g??gaukha ?nâ. ?Apis khoesib ?kha ?gae?are-e tamase ?, ?n?b ais ?nanusa hoana ?kh??g? ?îs ??, ûi. hana nî ?kharagagus gao, o buruburusa tama ?kharagagu ?ereamdets ?îkha ?hâbasa. ?N?ti ?khaisa ?an?gâs soab hîats ?gû?nâ ?kh?ba kuru, ?gui?nâgu ?gu ?gaisa m??uis ?namipe ?hoasa ?g??g?x?d?s tsîra ?aegu. [?oab ?nanub ?khara?kharasens, ?gaub, x?na h??â ?h?baib, ?ans, ?namipeb, ?khurub, Namibiab] Most people have story tell about climate change. Over past decades, robust literature has shown these stories merge scientific those from other worldviews, forming hybrid understandings happening in environment (Barnes Dove 2015; O'Reilly et al. 2020; Schnegg, O'Brian, Sievert 2021). These analyses often built on assumption offer different, culturally informed representations “thing”—the weather its But so? Is change “thing” everywhere? And if not, does make difference? was nervous when drove Witklipp, spacious cattle farm arid Namibia still owned by descendants European settlers.11 All names pseudonyms. had been trying get information changes rainfall patterns long time hoped would eventually succeed. Jan, farmer, finally found notebook which his father grandfather recorded many years.22 use terms precipitation, rain, (the term used whom work) “water falling above.” Because intend explore people, rain as an overarching common term, describe understanding, think. They measured generations instruments: metal gauges, plastic now automated stations. opened pages saw 1971, year born, they 369 millimeters rain.33 average annual 303.6 (std. 150.1) almost exclusively (95 percent) October April. Jokingly, noted great must been. This before changed, Jan replied. When asked him meant, he talked industrialization Global North destroying earth. It affecting them here, remote place. could take booklet Khorixas, nearby town, copy data. Sunday morning shops were closed. my friend James's house see help. James, who refers himself (or ?N?khoen Khoekhoegowab), texted stationery store. She agreedto open shop, but only after church.44 Khoekhoegowab language Khoe-Kwadi family four (primary) click sounds (?, palatal; ?, lateral; ?, dental; !, alveolar) function like consonants. languages belong southern African non-Bantu phonemes that, although not single linguistic unit, conventionally subsumed under cover Khoisan (Güldemann Fehn 2014, 2). productive gender system, nouns can be assigned either masculine (-b, singular), feminine (-s), or (-i, singular, -n, plural) gender, based certain perceived attributes noun. The region around Fransfontein multiethnic multilingual. article, restrict myself largest ethnic group, people. So we waited tree near church, our conversation turned book held hands. told research partner over years, researching environmental important component it. also how explained rainfall. He agreed yes, Khoekhoegowab) now. past, green animals fat already, delicious eat Christmas Day. why things didn't hesitate. because all crime violence, said. Violence? did understand. Yes, changed since independence. People become selfish, sense solidarity (sîsen?ares, “working together”) gone. You read newspaper every day. steal even murder 100 Namibian dollars less.55 One hundred equaled seven euros 2019. pointed church opposite us. “It violence angry.” At point, began filling empty streets. Some umbrellas protect skin sun. Theresa, owner store, already spotted us, so went her office book. Back home, looking at charts made, reflected Jan's explanations. type direction vocabulary reasons gave quite different. descendant settlers, adopted global discourse located cause changing industrialized (Brüggemann Rödder Friedrich 2018). contrast, James country, present. Which behaviors then responsible: permeating present state, buildup activities? deal kind new challenge anthropology. established theories assume groups ways making world (Fairhead Leach 1996; Hulme 2009). “one representations” model, along Henrick E. Vigh David B. Sausdal (Vigh 2014).66 Mol (1999) describes plural perspectives world. Mario Blaser (2013b) offers more detailed analysis. comes interpret degradation Sian Sullivan (2000, 2002) convincingly meaningful through narratives relating political, educational, social, cultural positions. positions differ, development experts, scientists, come up distinct vegetation observe. Moreover, Ute Dieckmann (2009) equally insightful analysis western tourists Hai||om environment. recent justifications differ extend issue ontology—the nature exists. meant asking entities talk “the same” (Blaser 2013b; De la Cadena 2018; Henare, Holbraad, Wastell 2007; Holbraad Pedersen 2017). answer same,” one-world-many-representations useful constructions no, alternative many-worlds model (Mol 1999; 2014). idea worlds coexist partly developed medical studying atherosclerosis treatment Dutch hospital, Annemarie shows radiologists, clinicians, pathologists know disease produce realities. uses powerful adage capture this: “More one—but many” 2002, 55). Environmental studies another field productively mobilized (De Descola 2013; Green Omura Whatmore 2002). During last decade, several authors demonstrated things—including rivers lakes (Mészáros 2020), fires (Verran 2002), landscapes (Hannis 2017), forests (Kohn 2013), entities—can makes speak entirely entities. case winds study: depending relates them, person resource powering windmill pumps water livestock (Schnegg 2019). Although concepts available some time, few thinking ethnographically analyze (O'Reilly 2020). A notable exception work Mara J. Goldman, Meaghan Daly, Eric Lovell, questioned Maasai NGOs disagreed years drought (Goldman, Lovell 2016). As reveal, perceptions rained, something each party. Their ethnography, well related (e.g., Burman 2017; 2016; Turner, Daly Knox 2015), opens sociotechnical political structures bedrock knowing difference. Adding accounts, framework explaining behind Phenomenology theoretical approach phenomenon myriad experienced Inspired groundbreaking achievements Michael D. Jackson (1996), anthropologists during decades explored others, self (Desjarlais Throop 2011; Ram Houston 2015). anthropology, Husserlian claim (back) (Zurück zu den Sachen selbst!) combines (habitual) experiences framed appear differently situations (Duranti 2009; addition anthropology provides methodology epoché) reflect role ethnographers play (Mattingly 2019; For explore, such phenomenologically inspired show change) experience culture, technology, politics. builds previous indigenous broadly. very similar observations arrival seasonal rains. positioning economic spaces produces interpretations observations—as driven love natural laws. group way pastoral practices argument develop here takes step further applying showing shapes states determine (like ?nanus) same, need conceptual tools. seldom addressed debates, perhaps part sometimes pronounced. example, much philosophizing detect Sakhas Siberia body lake grandma problem subtle situations, mobilize philosophical biworldliness (Dreyfus Spinosa 1999) obvious no explore. prepare groundwork this, define is. With whole interrelated (“equipment”), tasks, identities carrying out tasks (Heidegger 2006; Dreyfus 1996, 748). broader most concepts, encompassing material practices, identities, networks form. doing, overcomes separation culture-bearing subject object meaningful, (2013b, 552) laid out. writing worlds, then, do imply live planets, nor cannot communicate switch worlds. Rather, connected overlap (Escobar Schnegg Though brought forward antagonistic. possibilities created situationally. What, like? Fransfontein, community where worked consists roughly 250 households situated 450 kilometers northwest capital, Windhoek. Like settlements comparable size, grouped fountain. communal pastures surrounding dotted small inhabitants life. salient weather-related Bollig Until ago, foraged survive. Foraging strategies supplemented trading small-scale ironwork. late 19th early 20th centuries German South colonization area forced relocate increasingly marginalized land. addition, access restrictions largely prevented mobility significantly worsened people's quality (Pauli Today, employ diverse strategies. everyone keeps livestock, there wide discrepancy quantity. combine pastoralism income strategies, including wage labor, migration, production trading, receiving state welfare payments (Schnegg, Pauli, Greiner 2013). colonizers came second half century, accompanied Protestant Rheinische Mission. missionaries involved establishing exists today. Before school constructed, foraging population fountain rarely stay. Backed colonial Christianization took place rapidly. Shortly inaugurated, significant number baptisms and, lesser degree, weddings funerals. themselves Christians exclusively, kinds. still-dominant evangelical Lutheran churches, Pentecostals rise. Religion practiced range arenas, services importantly everyday, choirs. choirs practice regularly week engage youth 2019, 104). first wife colleague, Julia ethnography. We lived returned times since. language, Khoekhoegowab, well. acquiring skills, bought sheep, goats, care am myself. resolve droughts differently, thinking, especially Martin Heidegger, entry point.77 Heidegger founder ideas engaged heavily philosophy personal involvement National Socialist Party Germany anti-Semitism made highly controversial figure. romanticizes national völkisch problematic ways, particular aspects can, should, critically. general remains useful, justifies continuing him—as kept mind historical perspective added existence, (2006) distinguishes there,” calls (Seiendes), forms being (Sein). According view, Seiendes Sein today's might “perceiving” “enacting.” illustrates well-known hammer example: hammer, thing composed wood steel, lying front me. Why me? philosophers argued recognize properties have, color, shape. Then process visually match cognitive frames have. Through perception unfolds object, subject. Vorhandenheit, translated “present hand.” Vorhandenheit according Heidegger. able name meaning once start hammering. Or, (1999, 77) writes clearly, reality “done enacted rather observed.” being-in-the-world Zuhandenheit, “readiness hammering, perceiving overcome, human-hammer emerges entity.88 Following current science attempt overcome subject-object divide specific Pierre Bourdieu's (1974) “habitus,” Donna Haraway's (1988) “situated knowledge,” Bruno Latour's (1991) “actor-networks.” Without hammering nails into wall, hammers! bicycling there, bicycle! pastoralism, kinds below exist 2006, 69)! seminal Perceptions Environment, Tim Ingold (2000) develops arguments “dwelling perspective,” pointing importance skills constructing Building authors, analytical framework: entity practical terms. enactment. second, somewhat interactions future-oriented guided aims. nail wall. bicycle somewhere. aims, relationship bicycle, rain) Heidegger's words, purposeful piece equipment (Zeug), without purpose achieve goal ontologically different.99 laypeople's understanding vorontologisch (pre-ontological). trained phenomenologist perform 12). will lay being. aim. third step, enactments aims form network relationships (Verweisungszusammenhang). involvements formation. Taken together, becomes enact aim relations forms. Consider following example being-in-Fransfontein. year, typically wake clouds covering sky. remember thought stepped hut days: “What ugly day.” cold enjoy brightness away joy, warmth skin, more. conversations became apparent peculiar feelings were. beautiful day,” likelihood delight. me feel comprehensively own feels helpless upon realizing feed except control. Now realized promise, life, embedded relationships. meteorologists become? Meteorological hold entities, wind, sun, us described such. lack agency, follow laws connect processes large temporal spatial scales. events happened Europe ago effects construct measure, quantify respective variables—including sun—in ways. circumscribe becomes. What led to? organizations distinguish least types liquid precipitation: (1) drizzle (a light consisting drops smaller 0.5 [0.02 inches] diameter); (2) (drops larger diameter, unlike drizzle, widely separated evaporate fall ground [National Weather Service 1996]); (3) cloudburst (an extreme amount short period); (4) sun shower (when falls shining). classification focuses physical raindrops “drizzle” “sun shower” atmospheric phenomena. dominance technological evident sitting air-conditioned building Windhoek, middle-aged man named Obeth entered room. After introduced mentioned stayed, straight Fransfontein. Pointing simulation computer screen configuration, low Angola draws wet air Atlantic Indian Ocean. flow sides fill vacuum otherwise develop. said, screen. you lucky, there. left, papers read. impact length rainy season (in days), daily 99th percentile reference period, mean hot nights 90th minimum temperature indicators constructed modeling detached everyday. transcribed interviews conducted little understood wrote Hubert, colleague—a meteorologist modeler. figures, increased degree 50 years. future like, showed results 1.5, 2, 3 degrees Celsius “global warming worlds” (his term). him, clear; matter degrees. occurred rising concentration hindered reradiation solar energy back space. “You see?” “The heatwaves going up, becoming shorter.” imagined jokingly liked standing wind. “I know,” never necessary work.” cornerstone Edmund Husserl's (1976) Die Krisis der europäischen Wissenschaften und die transzendentale Phänomenologie (The crisis sciences transcendental 1936), successful devaluated Scientists believe objectively reconstruct detachment lifeworld dwelling hardly realize developments: one, top “homeworld” everyday (Husserl 1976; Schütz 1945). insight helps scientist interlocutors express work. convinced measuring third-person perspective, “objectively.” consciously disconnect models underly construction subjective (Hulme workplaces, caught programming work, simulations, fascination doing “hard science” encompassed themselves, spaces. Caught routines, neglected fields, politics, media, economy, shape society defines thereby parameters select (Grundmann phenomenon. briefly comes: gendered animated responsible rain. hours huri?oab, female sea search male counterpart, t??oab, far inland. There, meet talk, quarrel, lovers do. agree, jointly return side bring loving caring ontology animals, tricksters, trees self, agency. form, draw line acting, cultured “natural” phenomena, Winds universe 11 gende