Time, Power and Environmental Impact: A Growth Curve Model of the Relationship Between Temporal Change and CO2 Emissions Per Capita

Abstract

In this analysis, I examine the effect of social-structural factors associated with the passage of time on carbon dioxide (CO 2) per capita, while also accounting for global power relations. I use World Development Indicator data on 91 nations over a 60year period. I control for global power relations using Clark and Beckfield's (2009) trichotomous world-system categories to assign each country to a world-system stratum. I then use a hierarchical linear growth curve model to highlight the extent to which countries belonging to core, semi-periphery, and periphery categories are able to rely upon changes captured by the passage of time, such as improvements in technology, to reduce CO 2 emissions per capita. Key findings indicate that, in nations belonging to the core and semi-periphery, such factors are associated with increases in CO 2 emissions per capita, rather than the decreases that might be expected.

The Lagged Environmental Consequences of Demographic and Economic Change

“…Indeed, while the dynamics in which social change feeds into environmental change have long been core questions for environmental sociologists (York et al. 2003), less frequently have scholars focused on the temporality of these processes (e.g., Greiner 2019; Liu et al. 2007).…”

challenges and promises of confronting conflicting narratives: a case study on sustainability and well-being

“…7 There are notable exceptions where social scientists work with actual impacts, such as ecological footprints or ecological footprint directly; see, e.g., Verhofstadt et al 2016, Givens 2015, Greiner 2019, Brulé et al 2022. Also, there are natural scientists who work with surveys and qualitative research; see, e.g., Matthews, Cizauskas andLayton 2019, Bercht 2021.…”