Ritið : tímarit Hugvísindastofnunar - 01.01.2016, Page 73

72
er lausnarfrásögnin skoðuð í samhengi samtímakenninga um nýfrjálshyggju sem
birtingarmynd þeirrar hugmyndafræði.

Efnisorð: Loftslagsbreytingar, nýfrjálshyggja, tæknilausnir, framfaragoðsögnin, lofts-
lagsafneitun, frásagnarfræði, myndskeið, orðræða, Bandaríkin
A B S T R A C T
“Push button. Save planet.”
Narratives, Neoliberalism and the Misrepresentation of Climate Change
The discussion on climate change has been dominated by a debate between those
who deny climate change and those who worry about the problem and want to
take mitigative action. With an ever strengthening scientific knowledge on climate
change this debate is not as notable as it once was and it seems as though a shift has
occurred within the general discussion.
The article argues that there is such a shift towards a significant solution-orienta-
ted narrative emphasizing technical solutions to the climate dilemma. This techno-
logical solution-narrative is distinguished and analyzed within three prominent
discourses in the US by considering online videos produced by political parties,
corporations, and non-profit organizations.
The analysis concludes that this specific narrative is a misrepresentation of
climate change and that it downplays the seriousness of the problem. Thus, it is
proposed that the apparent shift from denial narratives is a mere rerendering of
climate change denial. Finally, the article suggests that the narrative can be viewed
within the context of contemporary theories on neoliberalism as a materialization of
that particular ideology.
Keywords: Climate change, neoliberalism, technical solutions, the myth of progress,
climate change denial, narratology, online videos, discourse, the United States of
America
MaGnúS ÖRn SiGuRðSSon