On Prinsjesdag, the government presents the Budget Memorandum. What role do climate change and the reduction of emissions play in it? Sociologist Irene van Oorschot investigates how climate change is experienced and perceived in social terms: 'People living in poor-quality social housing, in particular, felt the effects of climate change this summer.' In her view, what is missing from the Budget Memorandum is that we view climate change solely as a technical issue, rather than a social one.
According to Van Oorschot, the roots of the climate crisis lie in the plantations
To solve a problem, you first need to understand where it comes from. Where were the foundations for climate change laid? ‘It is not about the people, but about the underlying structures that have led to nature becoming something we can exploit and pollute,’ explains van Oorschot.
The industrial revolution played a significant role in this, but according to Van Oorschot, the foundational split between humans and nature arose earlier: on the plantations in the territories colonised by European powers. 'There, you see two historical logics converging: that of ecological simplification, and that of racial classification.'
'Ecological simplification means growing a single crop in a particular area. This comes at the expense of a great deal of biodiversity. You choose a single crop that grows quickly, such as cotton, sugar or indigo. Eventually, the soil becomes depleted. In addition, racial classifications played a role, whereby certain people, for example, enslaved people, were deemed most suitable for doing the heavy labour. This teaches us that it is not so much the factory, but the plantation, where modern constructs of race and the distinction between humans and nature truly took shape.'
According to the sociologist, this is where a significant part of the origins of the climate crisis lies. She argues that we are still living in the era of the plantation. 'You still see monoculture in our agriculture. The work is now mostly done by Eastern European migrant workers, who regularly work in appalling conditions and, in practice, lack adequate protection. You see this throughout Europe. In the United States, the agricultural sector relies heavily on the labour of migrants from Latin America, including people without legal residency status.'
This method of farming depletes the soil, making artificial fertiliser necessary to continue growing crops. In the Netherlands, this in turn contributes to the nitrogen problem, which is damaging nature reserves, woodlands and trees.
How are the Dutch forests doing?
Because that is where Van Oorschot also carries out her research: in the forest. For example, at Staatsbosbeheer. She spoke to forest rangers and walked through the woods with them. 'Forests have long been the neglected child in the debate on nature conservation. Over the past ten years, that has been changing, mainly because the effects of climate change on forests are becoming increasingly clear. Forest rangers see this very clearly, particularly in forests on high sandy soils, like the Veluwe and the Utrechtse Heuvelrug: bare branches, avenues of beech trees giving up, and the native oak struggling. It is becoming very apparent to forest rangers that the forest is slowly dying.'
'Our forests are not properly represented, even though they are such an important place'
Irene van Oorschot
Sociologist
Nitrogen plays a crucial role in this. Yet, the nitrogen crisis is mainly about farmers and not about forest rangers. 'Our forests are not properly represented, even though they are such an important place: ecologically, socially, and to some extent economically. We have more agricultural land than forest, but I think we have fewer farmers than people who enjoy the forest. The question that always occupies my mind in my work is: whose appreciation of our land, our shared earth, really matters? I am now going to study that question through a European comparative analysis as part of my new ERC Starting Grant.'
Climate change is becoming a tangible reality in poor-quality social housing
According to Van Oorschot, there is also a problem with the way we talk about climate change. In social science research, it is often framed as something you can either believe in or not, and about which you can hold an opinion. This makes it seem external to us, as if it were not our concern. Van Oorschot therefore conducted research in Rotterdam into how people experience climate change. 'You see that people in Rotterdam, too, are genuinely affected by climate change. Especially, those living in urbanised neighbourhoods with few trees and in social housing that has seen little maintenance for decades are feeling the effects. The heat lingers there for a long time in summer. This can lead to health problems. That is when climate change really becomes tangible.'
The big question is: how do we sort this out? 'You see people constantly coming up with makeshift solutions: hanging sheets over the windows, putting their baby in a cool bath a bit more often, and visiting your grandmother more often to check whether she is drinking enough. This approach effectively shifts the responsibility onto individuals. You see this focus on individual adjustments more broadly too, for example when people are told they need to consume better and more sustainably whilst large companies can count on tax breaks and subsidies.'
The government must treat the climate crisis as a collective problem, says Van Oorschot. 'If you look at people’s experiences, it becomes clear that we need to do something about the way our cities are designed. We also need to tackle the fact that people are living in very poor-quality social housing, which is often built to cater for the climate of the past. It is about threating the problem as a collective effort. That is not happening enough now. The solution is being placed on people’s shoulders, whilst they cannot achieve it on their own.'
'From a professional perspective, I expect to be disappointed by the Budget Memorandum. I think the problem is not taken seriously enough in it, whilst at the same time public funds continue to go towards subsidies for polluting industries', she says. For instance, in 2023, those subsidies, in the form of tax breaks for fossil fuel industries, still amounted to between 39.7 and 46.4 billion euros.
How can we get closer to a solution?
We live in a capitalist system. For many, this feels like second nature. We do not know any better. According to Van Oorschot, this is not only the root of the problem, but also the starting point for the solution. 'In this system, nature only has a right to exist if it creates economic value somewhere. If that is the foundation on which we build our systems, then it is difficult to find a truly effective solution within the system itself.'
'It cannot be the case that there are no alternatives for capitalism'
Irene van Oorschot
Socioloog
'The good news is: this is not set in stone', says the scientist. 'Take this example: in Europe, the divine right of kings once prevailed, whereby kings were accountable to no one but God. Eventually, this changed because people no longer accepted that order. Structures, even if they seem impossible to overcome, are not untouchable. It is difficult to think of alternatives, but it is possible. Humans have been walking this earth for tens of thousands of years, and capitalism is about five hundred years old. So, it cannot be the case that there are no alternatives. Exploring those alternatives is at the heart of a democracy.'
People are not crazy
Capitalism is about ownership, and according to Van Oorschot, this also has an ecological dimension. 'In our system, you can claim ownership of something in the world, so that other people cannot make use of it. But ultimately, we share everything here: water, air, land and trees. So why do we find it normal that certain companies or people can lay exclusive claim to things on which we all depend? When looking for alternatives, you must try to let go of that assumption.'
According to Van Oorschot, government policy is not sufficiently in line with what people observe around them. This has consequences for society. 'People start to doubt their own observations. They see that the weather is changing. In the past, summers were not this hot, the trees were not this yellow by mid-August, and the heat was not as much of a burden at night. Many people sense that something is not quite right. Because some politicians cast doubt on climate change, people start to doubt their own observations: “Am I going crazy? Am I seeing this wrong?” But I do not think they are crazy. Your sensory perception is also a way of knowing and understanding. You should take that seriously.'
According to Van Oorschot, this year could go down in history as a year in which many Europeans once again felt very directly what climate change means for their lives, partly due to the forest fires and the sense of danger that goes with them. 'A good time for the government to pay more attention to this', the sociologist concludes.
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Press enquiries? Marjolein Kooistra, Communications / Press Relations, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
emaill: kooistra@essb.eur.nl | 06 83676038Want to read more about other studies? Take a look at Erasmus Extra.
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