Ola Uhrqvist is a PhD-candidate at the Department of Water and Environmental Studies at Linköping University, affiliated with the Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research (CSPR).

The research seeks to connect ways of knowing with rationalities of governing in order to understand the how it became seen as rational to know and manage global environmental change via the optics of the Earth system, and more specific via integrated global models able to produce images of past, present and future states of the planet. Being a critical perspective this research seeks to enhance the possibilities to reflect on knowledge produced based on the embedded assumptions underpinning any research project. Simultaneously, being constructive, better understanding the history of present Earth system knowledge enhances communication of the results to broader audiences. This locates the inquiries at the intersection between history of (scientific) ideas, sociology of scientific knowledge and their disciplinary neighbours.

The doctoral thesis project Earth system governmentality (2009-2014) traces the discourses concerning relevant and productive ways of knowing the Earth System as they emerge in IGBP and IHDP. At the centre of these efforts are the production and use of Earth system models as a technique to give advice about future states of the planet.

In a wider sense, drawing on a background in history, ethics and education, the interests includes ways of developing Environmental communication in general and education in particular. Combining the critical studies of scientific knowledge production and participating in education and making films for wide audiences provides interesting and productive tensions between reflection and practice.

Publications and Papers

• Uhrqvist, O. and Lövbrand, E., (accepted for publication). Rendering Global Change Problematic: The Constitutive Effects of Earth System Research in the IGBP and IHDP. Environmental Politics.
• Uhrqvist, O., Governing through knowledge – START and the expansion of global environmental research. 2013, InMethmann et al. Interpretive Approaches to Global Climate Governance: (De)constructing the greenhouse, Routledge pp., 152-165
• Neset, T-S S, Wibeck, V., Uhrqvist, O., Johansson, J. 2009. Visualizing Climate Change: the Potential of Dome Presentations as a Tool for Climate Communication COMPUTER GRAPHICS Forum (12/2009)
• Uhrqvist and Lövbrand. 2009 Conference paper – Seeing and knowing the Earth as a system – tracing the history of the ESSP. Presented at the Amsterdam Conference on Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change – Earth System Governance, People, places and the planet.

Submitted Manuscripts

• Uhrqvist (under review) One model to fit all?: The pursuit of integrated Earth System models in GAIM and AIMES
• Neset T. Uhrqvist O (under review) Visualizing Climate Change – beyond technological enchantment and critical deconstruction

Contact:

Department of Thematic studies – Water and Environmental Studies
Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research (CSPR)
Tema, Norrköping
Linköping University
601 74 Norrköping 
Sweden
Email: ola.uhrqvist [at] liu.se
http://www.tema.liu.se/tema-v/medarbetare/uhrqvist-ola?l=en&sc=true