Sains Malaysiana 42(8)(2013): 1027–1040

 

Platforms of Climate Change: An Evolutionary Perspective and Lessons for Malaysia

(Platform Perubahan Iklim: Perspektif Bersifat Evolusi dan Pengajaran untuk Malaysia)

 

 

Koh Fui Pin & Joy Jacqueline Pereira*

Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Institute (SEADPRI)

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43200 Bangi, Malaysia

 

Sarah Aziz

Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,

43200 Bangi, Malaysia

 

Received: 1 November 2011/Accepted: 3 April 2013

 

 

ABSTRACT

The discourse on climate change of both natural and anthropogenic origins has a long history, and the subject has been discussed from both scientific and social perspectives. This paper reports on a study that begins with a review of the historical perspective of the subject with a focus on the enhanced greenhouse effect from the 15th to 19th centuries by identifying the main discussion platforms and delineating their temporal and substantial interactions. The three main climate change platforms are the science platform, the media platform and the policy platform. The science platform is where theories related to the greenhouse effects and their enhancements are developed. The media platform comprises newspaper coverage on climate change themes, while the policy platform is mainly the UN and its decisions relating to climate change. The authors assert that if not for the discussions, attention and actions within each, the climate change discussion would not have become so intense and the climate change agenda would not have been furthered. It is observed that less attention is given to science-media interaction compared to science-policy interaction. Similarly, NGOs have received little attention in these platforms and their interactions. The second part of the paper presents a descriptive case study that was undertaken to discuss the climate change agenda at a national level to determine whether the national scenario will have a pathway similar to that of the global one. It is suggested that in Malaysia this agenda is more likely to be driven by policy. The country’s climate change policy is expected to address the needs and gaps identified in this study.

 

Keywords: Climate change; climate policy; climate science; environmental policy; Malaysia; media coverage

 

ABSTRAK

Wacana mengenai perubahan iklim kedua-dua asal-usul semula jadi dan antropogen mempunyai sejarah yang lama dan perkara ini telah dibincangkan daripada kedua-dua perspektif saintifik dan sosial. Kertas ini melaporkan satu kajian yang dimulakan dengan menilai semula platform-platform perbincangan utama perubahan iklim di peringkat antarabangsa dengan memberikan tumpuan kepada kesan rumah hijau yang semakin meningkat dari abad ke-15 sehingga ke-19 dan menggambarkan interaksi platform-platform tersebut secara temporal dan kepentingan. Tiga platform utama perubahan iklim adalah platform sains, platform media dan platform dasar. Platform sains ialah tempat teori-teori berkaitan dengan kesan rumah hijau dan peningkatan mereka dibangunkan. Platform media terdiri daripada liputan akhbar pada tema perubahan iklim, sementara platform dasar ialah PBB dan keputusannya yang berkaitan dengan perubahan iklim. Para penulis menegaskan bahawa jika tidak untuk perbincangan, perhatian dan tindakan dalam setiap platform, perbincangan perubahan iklim tidak akan menjadi begitu mendalam dan agenda perubahan iklim tidak akan dilanjutkan. Adalah diperhatikan bahawa kurang perhatian diberikan kepada interaksi sains-media berbanding dengan interaksi sains-dasar. Walau bagaimanapun, NGO telah menerima sedikit perhatian dalam ketiga-tiga platform tersebut dan interaksi mereka. Bahagian kedua kertas ini membentangkan satu kajian kes deskriptif yang telah dijalankan untuk membincangkan agenda perubahan iklim di peringkat kebangsaan untuk menentukan sama ada senario kebangsaan akan mempunyai satu trend yang serupa dengan yang global. Di Malaysia, agenda tersebut berkemungkinan didorong oleh dasar. Dasar perubahan iklim negara dijangka menangani keperluan dan jurang yang dikenal pasti dalam kajian ini.

 

Kata kunci: Dasar alam sekitar; dasar perubahan iklim; liputan media; Malaysia; perubahan iklim; sains perubahan iklim

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*Corresponding author; email: joy@ukm.my