Climate change is one of the most critical issues of the twenty-first century, presenting a major intellectual challenge to both the natural and social sciences. While there has been significant progress in natural science understanding of climate change, social science research has not been as fully developed.Climate Change and Society: Sociological Perspectives breaks new theoretical and empirical ground by presenting climate change as a thoroughly social phenomenon, embedded in our institutions and cultural practices. This collection of essays summarizes the existing approaches to understanding the social, economic, political, and cultural dimensions of climate change.From the factors that drive carbon emissions to the forces which influence societal responses to climate change, the book provides a comprehensive overview of the social dimensions behind climate change. An understanding of the relationship between climate change and human behavior is a critical element in developing a