title: The human dimensions of climate change: A micro-level assessment of views from the ecological modernization, political economy and human ecology perspectives.
abstract: Understanding the manifold human and physical dimensions of climate change has become an area of great interest to researchers in recent decades. Using a U.S. nationally-representative data set and drawing on the ecological modernization, political economy, and human ecology perspectives, this study examines the impacts of energy efficiency technologies, affluence, household demographics, and biophysical characteristics on residential CO2 emissions. Overall, the study provides mixed support for the ecological modernization perspective. While several findings are consistent with the theory's expectation that modern societies can harness technology to mitigate human impacts on the environment, others directly contradict it. Also, the theory's prediction of an inverted U-shaped relationship between affluence and environmental impacts is contradicted. The evidence is somewhat more supportive of the political economy and human ecology perspectives, with affluence, some indicators of technology, household demographics, and biophysical characteristics emerging as important drivers of residential CO2 emissions.
authors: Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, USA. Electronic address: lazarus.adua@uni.edu.
authors: Lazarus
authors: L
authors: Adua
authors: Department of Sociology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1291, USA. Electronic address: rfyork@uoregon.edu.
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: York
authors: The John Glenn School of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University, USA. Electronic address: schuelke-leech.1@osu.edu.
authors: Beth-Anne
authors: BA
authors: Schuelke-Leech
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D058572:Carbon Footprint; D002648:Child; D057231:Climate Change; D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources; D004463:Ecology; D057217:Economic Development; D004777:Environment; D005191:Family Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D011057:Politics; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012922:Social Change; D012923:Social Class; D013672:Technology; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: CO(2) emissions; Climate change; Ecological modernization; Environmental Kuznets curve; Human ecology; I=PAT; Political economy