Karen O'Brien

Bilde av Karen O'Brien
English version of this page
Telefon +47 22858480
Mobiltelefon +47 90063814
Rom 339
Brukernavn
Besøksadresse Harriet Holters Hus
Postadresse Postboks 1096 Blindern 0317 Oslo

Faglige interesser

Karen’s research focuses on the human and social dimensions of global environmental change. Her work explores the relationship between adaptation and transformations to sustainability. She emphasizes integrative approaches, including how beliefs, values, worldviews, and paradigms influence systems change and social change. She is interested in how quantum social science can inform how we understand, engage with, and scale social change. Karen’s recent books include You Matter More Than You Think: Quantum Social Change for a Thriving World and Climate and Society: Transforming the Future (with Robin Leichenko). Karen has been named by Web of Science as one of the world’s most influential researchers of the past decade. In 2021 she was co-recipient of the BBVA Foundations Frontiers of Knowledge Award for Climate Change. Karen is currently co-chair of the International Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) transformative change assessment.

 

Undervisning

Bakgrunn

  • B.A. in International Relations at the College of William and Mary, 1985
  • M.S. in Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1990
  • Ph.D. in Geography at the Pennsylvania State University, 1995
  • Post-doc at the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), 1996
  • Senior Research Fellow at CICERO, 1997-2005
  • 20% position in the Department of Human Geography, 2001-2005
  • Professor in Human Geography in the Department of Sociology and Human Geography, 2005 - present
  • Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa at Linköping University, Sweden (awarded in May 2022 due to Covid-19).

Priser 

  • 2022  Member of Academia Europaea, The Academy of Europe.
  • 2021 BBVA Foundation's Frontiers of Knowledge award for climate change research
  • 2015 University of Oslo Student Parliament's Teaching Award
  • 2011 Burtoni Prize for Adaptation Research
  • 2008 AAG Meridian Book Award (with Robin Leichenko) for ”Environmental Change and Globalization: Double Exposures
  • Shared in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize awared to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Verv

  • 2021- current  Co-chair, IPBES transformative change assessment
  • 2014 – 2015    Science Committee, Our Common Future in a Changing Climate Conference, Paris 2015
  • 2013 – 2015    Member of Science Committee, Future Earth
  • 2012 – 2014    Transdisciplinary Advisory Board member, EU Joint Programming Initiative –Climate Change.
  • 2012 – 2014    Core Writing Team Member for the Synthesis Report (SYR), IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, and Topic 3 Co-Facilitator
  • 2012 – 2014    Author, Summary for Policy Makers, IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, Working Group II.
  • 2009 – 2014    Lead Author, IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, Working Group II, Chapter 20.
  • 2012 – 2014    Board Member, Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo.
  • 2011 -- 2013    Chair of Working Group "Towards a Revolution in Education and Capacity Building" for ESF-COST Forward Look RESCUE Project
  • 2011– 2013     Member, Transition Team, 10-year Initiative on Earth System Science for Global Sustainability. Co-Chair of Working Group on “Research Vision”.
  • 2009 – 2012    Coordinating Lead Author of Chapter 8 of the IPCC SREX report
Emneord: Human geography, Environment, Climate change, Transformation, Social Change

Publikasjoner

Bentz, J., O’Brien, K. and Scoville-Simonds, M. (2022). Beyond “blah blah blah”: exploring the “how” of transformation. Sustainability Science 17: 497–506 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-022-01123-0.

O'Brien, K. (2021). You Matter More Than You Think: Quantum Social Change for a Thriving World. Oslo: cCHANGE press.

Vogel, C. and O’Brien, K. (2021) Getting to the Heart of Transformation. Sustainability Science

Leichenko, R., Gram-Hanssen, I. and O’Brien, K. (2021) Teaching the “how” of transformation. Sustainability Science.

O’Brien, K. (2021). Reflecting on the Anthropocene: The Call for Deeper Transformations. Ambio 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Anthropocene.

Shrivastava, P., Stafford Smith, M., O’Brien, K., and Zsolnai, L. (2020). Transforming sustainability science to generate positive social and environmental change globally. One Earth 2(4): 329-340.

Leichenko, R. and O’Brien K. (2020). Teaching Climate Change in the Anthropocene”: An Integrative Approach. Anthropocene 30: 100241.

Leichenko, R.M. and K.L. O’Brien 2019. Climate and Society: Transforming the Future. London: Polity Press.

Bentz, J. and O’Brien, K. (2019). ART FOR CHANGE: Transformative learning and youth empowerment in a changing climate. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene.

O’Brien, K. and Leichenko, R. (2019). Towards an Integrative Discourse on Climate Change. Dialogues in Human Geography 9 (1): 33-37.

Bradbury, H., S. Waddell, K. O’Brien, M. Apgar, B. Teehankee, and Fazey I.  (2019). A call to Action Research for Transformations: The times demand it. Action Research 17(1): 3–10.

O’Brien, K. L., El Khoury, A., Schafenacker, N. and Rosenfeld, J. (eds). 2019. Our Entangled Future: Stories to Empower Quantum Social Change. AdaptationCONNECTS Research Project, University of Oslo: Oslo, Norway.

Van der Merwe, S., Biggs, R., Preiser, R., Cunningham, C., Snowden, D.J., O’Brien, K., Jenal, M., Vosloo, M., Blignaut, S., and Goh, Z. (2019). Making Sense of Complexity: Using SenseMaker as a Research Tool. Systems 7(2): 25.

O’Brien, K., Selboe, E. and Hayward, B.M. (2018). Exploring youth activism on climate change: dutiful, disruptive, and dangerous dissent. Ecology and Society 23(3):42. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-10287-230342

O'Brien, K. (2018). Is the 1.5°C Target Possible? Exploring the Three Spheres of Transformation. Current Opinion in Sustainability 31: 153-160. 

Fazey, I., Moug, P., Allen, S., Beckmann, K., Blackwood, D., Bonaventura, M., Burnett, K., Danson, M., Falconer, R., Gagnon, A.S., Harkness, R., Hodgson, A., Holm, L., Irvine, K.N., Low, R., Lyon, C., Moss, A., Moran, C., Naylor, L., O’Brien, K., Russell, S., Skerratt, S., Rao-Williams, J., and Wolstenholme, R. (2017) Transformation in a changing climate: a research agenda, Climate and Development. DOI: 10.1080/17565529.2017.1301864

O’Brien, K. (2016) Climate change and social transformations: Is it time for a quantum leap? WIREs Climate Change doi: 10.1002/wcc.413.

Brondizio, ES, O’Brien, K, Bai, X, Biermann, F, Steffen, W, Berkhout, F, Cudennec, C. Lemos, MC, Wolfe, A, Palma-Oliveira, J, and Chen-Tung, AC. (2016). Re-conceptualizing the Anthropocene: A call for collaboration. Global Environmental Change. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2016.02.006

Bai, X, van der Leeuw, S, O'Brien, K, Berkhout, F, Biermann, F, Brondizio, E, Cudennec, C, Dearing, J, Duraiappah, A, Glaser, M, Revkin, A, Steffen, W, and Syvitski, J. (2015). Plausible and desirable futures in the Anthropocene: A new research agenda. Global Environmental Change.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2015.09.017

O’Brien, K. (2015) Political agency: The key to tackling climate change. Science  350(6265): 1170- 1171.

Pelling, M., O’Brien, K. and Matyas, D. (2015) Adaptation and Transformation. Climatic Change 133: 113-127.

O’Brien, K.L. and E. Selboe (eds) (2015) The Adaptive Challenge of Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Inderberg, T.H., S. Eriksen, K.L. O´Brien and L. Sygna (2015) Climate Change Adaptation and Development: Transforming Paradigms and Practices. London: Routledge.

O’Brien, K.L., L. Sygna and J. Wolf (eds) (2013) A Changing Environment for Human Security: Transformative Approaches to Research, Policy and Action. London: Earthscan.

O’ Brien, K.L., A. St. Clair, and B. Kristoffersen (eds) (2010) Climate Change, Ethics, and Human Security. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Matthews, R. A., J. Barnett, B. McDonald and K. L. O'Brien (eds) (2010) Global Environmental Change and Human Security, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

O´Brien, K. (2012) Global environmental change II. From adaptation to deliberate transformation. Progress in Human Geography 36(5): 667-676.

Leichenko, R.M. and K.L. O’Brien (2008) Environmental Change and Globalization: Double Exposures. New York: Oxford University Press

O’Brien, K.L. et al. (2007) Why different interpretations of vulnerability matter in climate change discourses, Climate Policy 7: 73-88.

O’Brien, K. et al. (2004) Mapping vulnerability to multiple stressors: Climate change and economic globalization in India, Global Environmental Change 14(4): 303-313.

O’Brien, K.L., L. Sygna and J.E. Haugen (2004) Vulnerable or resilient? A multi-scale assessment of climate impacts and vulnerability in Norway, Climatic Change 64: 193-225.

Leichenko, R. and K. O’Brien (2002) The dynamics of rural vulnerability to global change: The case of Southern Africa, Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 7: 1-18.

O’Brien, K. and R. Leichenko (2000) Double exposure: Assessing the impacts of climate change within the context of economic globalization, Global Environmental Change 10(3): 221-232.

 

 

 

  • O'Brien, Karen (2023). The Role of Actionless Action in Generating Quantum Social Change: Forum on Snapshots from Home. Journal of International Political Theory. ISSN 1755-0882. s. 1–6. doi: 10.1177/17550882231214891. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
  • O'Brien, Karen; Carmona, Rosario; Gram-Hanssen, Irmelin; Hochachka, Gail; Sygna, Linda & Rosenberg, Milda (2023). Fractal approaches to scaling transformations to sustainability. Ambio. ISSN 0044-7447. 52, s. 1448–1461. doi: 10.1007/s13280-023-01873-w. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
  • O'Brien, Karen & Milkoreit, Manjana (2022). Climate Politics and Social Change: What Can Cognitive and Quantum Approaches Offer? . I Der Derian, James & Wendt, Alexander (Red.), Quantum International Relations: A Human Science for World Politics. Oxford University Press. ISSN 9780197568248. s. 127–152. doi: https:/doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197568200.001.0001.
  • Sæther, Bjørnar & O'Brien, Karen (2022). "The hottest summer ever!": exploring vulnerability to climate change among grain producers in Eastern Norway. I Bankoff, Greg & Hilhorst, Dorothea (Red.), Why vulnerability still matters. Routledge. ISSN 9781032113432. s. 222–237. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
  • Bentz, Julia; O'Brien, Karen & Scoville-Simonds, Morgan (2022). Beyond ‘blah blah blah’: Exploring the ‘how’ of transformation. Sustainability Science. ISSN 1862-4065. 17(2), s. 497–506. doi: 10.1007/s11625-022-01123-0.
  • Vogel, Coleen & O'Brien, Karen (2021). Getting to the Heart of Transformation. Sustainability Science. ISSN 1862-4065. doi: 10.1007/s11625-021-01016-8. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Reflecting on the Anthropocene: The Call for Deeper Transformations. Ambio. ISSN 0044-7447. 50(10), s. 1793 –1797. doi: 10.1007/s13280-020-01468-9. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
  • Leichenko, Robin; Gram-Hanssen, Irmelin & O'Brien, Karen (2021). Teaching the “how” of transformation. Sustainability Science. ISSN 1862-4065. doi: 10.1007/s11625-021-00964-5.
  • Fazey, Ioan; Schäpke, Niko; Rosenberg, Milda Nordbø; Caniglia, Guido; O'Brien, Karen & Hodgson, Anthony [Vis alle 40 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2020). Transforming knowledge systems for life on Earth: Visions of future systems and how to get there. Energy Research & Social Science. ISSN 2214-6296. doi: 10.1016/j.erss.2020.101724. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
  • Leichenko, Robin M. & O'Brien, Karen (2020). Teaching climate change in the Anthropocene: An integrative approach. Anthropocene. ISSN 2213-3054. 30:100241, s. 1–4. doi: 10.1016/j.ancene.2020.100241. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
  • Shrivastava, Paul; Stafford Smith, Mark; O'Brien, Karen & Szolnai, Laszlo (2020). Transforming Sustainability Science to Generate Positive Social and Environmental Change Globally. One Earth. ISSN 2590-3330. 2(4), s. 329–340. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2020.04.010. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
  • O'Brien, Karen (2019). Towards an Integrative Discourse on Climate Change. Dialogues in Human Geography. ISSN 2043-8206. 9(1), s. 33–37. doi: 10.1177/2043820619829933.

Se alle arbeider i Cristin

  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). You Matter More Than You Think: Quantum Social Change for a Thriving World. cCHANGE Press. ISBN 978-82-691819-5-1. 179 s.

Se alle arbeider i Cristin

  • O'Brien, Karen; Hausner, Vera Helene & Stokland, Håkon Borchgrevink (2024). Transformative change assessment. Overview for second external review.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2023). What’s the Risk? Engaging with Deliberate Transformations in Response to Climate Change.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2023). Education for Transformation: How can universities meet the challenges of sustainability? .
  • O'Brien, Karen (2023). Quantum Social Change For a Thriving World: You Matter More Than You Think!
  • O'Brien, Karen (2023). Responding to Climate Change: You Matter More Than You Think! .
  • O'Brien, Karen (2023). Climate Change and Transformations To Sustainability: You Matter More Than You Think! .
  • O'Brien, Karen (2023). Transformations To Sustainability: You Matter More Than You Think! .
  • O'Brien, Karen (2023). Getting to 2050: The Three Spheres of Transformation .
  • O'Brien, Karen (2023). Three Spheres of Transformation.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2023). Scaling Transformations to Sustainability: You Matter More than You Think.
  • Eriksen, Siri Ellen Hallstrøm; Degvold, Frode; O'Brien, Karen; Ulsrud, Kirsten & Mosberg, Marianne (2022). Chapter 18: Climate Resilient Development Pathways. I Pörtner, Hans-Otto; Roberts, Debra C.; Tignor, Melinda M.B.; Poloczanska, Elvira S.; Mintenbeck, Katja; Alegría, Andrés; Craig, Marlies; Langsdorf, Stefanie; Löschke, Sina; Möller, Vincent; Okem, Andrew & Rama, Bardhyl (Red.), IPCC, 2022: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press. ISSN 9781009325844. doi: 10.1017/9781009325844.027.
  • O'Brien, Karen; Samset, Bjørn Hallvard; Saltvedt, Thina Margrethe; Lomelde, Ingrid Margrete & Vandvik, Vigdis (2022). Naturkrise - hva må til? Hvordan kan vi endre de strukturene i samfunnet som gjør at vi overforbruker naturen vår?
  • O'Brien, Karen & Pavel, Paloma (2022). Breakthrough Communities. [Internett]. Cities & Society [Podcast].
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). 144. Karen O’Brien on Quantum Social Change & Mattering More Than We Think. [Internett]. The RegenNarration Podcast.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Pathways for June 26, 2022: You Matter More Than You Think – Karen O’Brien. [Radio]. Pathways Radio by Paul O'Brien [Podcast].
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). #37 - Quantum Social Change, med Karen O'Brien. [Radio]. Dekodet [Podcast].
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). En 30 dagers utfordring – for klima. [Internett]. NRK.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Karen O’Brien: – Det er ikke CO2-utslippene som er det største problemet. [Avis]. Aftenposten A Magasinet.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). – Jeg tror det er et paradigmeskifte på vei. [Internett]. Forskerforum.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Karen O’Brien skal lede utredning for FNs naturpanel. [Internett]. Universitet i Oslo.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Vil vi klare å overholde Paris-avtalen? . Forskersonen.no.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Fractals of Change: The Role of Agency in Transformations to Sustainability.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Taking the Urgency seriously: You matter more than you think.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Transformations to Sustainability: What are they and how do we make them happen?
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). The Challenge of Global Change: How do we Transform? .
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Transformations to Sustainability.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Importas más de lo que crees! .
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Climate Change: It’s a Relationship Problem.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). The Human Dimensions: They matter more than you think!
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Climate Change and Sustainability: Three Spheres of Transformation.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Sustainability: You Matter More Than You Think!
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Transformative Change and Biodiversity: Integrating the Practical, Political, and Personal Spheres of Transformation.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Transformative Change: Integrating the practical, political, and personal spheres of transformation.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Quantum Social Change: You Matter More Than You Think .
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Hope for the Paris Agreement? You matter more than you think! .
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Transformations to Sustainability: You Matter More Than You Think! .
  • O'Brien, Karen (2022). Quantum Social Change: You Matter More Than You Think! [Keynote].
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). DF #21for21 - #8 - Karen O'Brien. [Internett]. Digital Society School [Podcast].
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Conversations with Michael & Karen O'Brien ~Climate and Society: Transforming the Future. [Radio]. WE Earth Radio: Conversations That Make A ... [Podcast].
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Karen O'Brien ~You Matter More Than You Think: Quantum Social Change For A Thriving World. [Radio]. WE Earth Radio: Conversations That Make A ... [Podcast].
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Møtereferat: En aften som skal snu opp-ned på tankemønstre. [Avis]. Morgenbladet.
  • O'Brien, Karen; Bjordam, Tone; Cooper, Lisa & Skadal, Martin (2021). Book Launch: "You Matter More Than You Think".
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Climate Change: It’s A Relationship Problem.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Climate Change: It’s A Relationship Problem.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Quantum social change.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Climate Change: We Matter More Than We Think.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Transformative Change.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Dekolonisering av paradigmer. I Ossavy, Nina & Kolbenstvedt, Marius (Red.), Naturtro. Om å dekolonisere naturen.. Iris forlag. ISSN 9788293359265. s. 67–68.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). You Matter More Than You Think: Quantum Social Change for a World in Crisis.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Accelerating Action on Climate Change: Engaging with the practical, political, and personal spheres of transformation.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Transforming to reach the 1.5℃ target.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Transformative Change: Integrating the practical, political, and personal spheres of transformation.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Integrative Approaches to Transformations.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Education for Transformation.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Democracy and Change.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). You Matter More Than You Think: Climate change, Social change, and The Humanities in the 21st Century.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Social and Cultural Values and Fractal Perspectives.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Transformation in Action.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Relationship matter.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). The Three Spheres of Transformation.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Political Agency for Transformations: What does it take?
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Governing Transformations: It’s All About Relationships.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). From Problems to Solutions: Engaging People in Transformations to Sustainability.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2021). Looking into the Crystal Ball: What Does the Future Hold for the Cultural Environments.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). Just Transformations: How can ideas of transformation be integrated into possible pathways and corridors to a safe and just future?
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). A springboard in the transition to a low emission society.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). Paneldebatt: Hvordan lager vi en klimapolitikk som oppleves som rettferdig?
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). Fractals Matter.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). Agency Matters.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). Quantum Social Change.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). Transforming the Future.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). The Adaptive Challenge of Sustainable Development: Looking beyond a purely technical approach.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). Education for Transformation: The significance of paradigms, politics, and practices.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). Transformational Leadership for Sustainability .
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). Taking the Climate Crisis Seriously: Three Spheres of Transformation.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). Education for Transformation: Whose Values and Visions are Shaping the Future? .
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). En helhetlig tilnærming til mobilitetsomstilling: Det handler om transformasjon.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). The Decade that Matters: Taking Transformations to Climate Change and Transformations to Sustainability Seriously.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). Education for transformation: Aligning values and visions for a sustainable future.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). Forskere mener vi ikke lenger kan stole på at teknologien skal redde klimaet. [Internett]. Forskning.no.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). Transformative Change at a Global Scale: From Understanding to Action.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2020). It’s a Relationship Problem: Addressing Biodiversity Loss, Climate Change, Inequality, and Global Pandemics.
  • O'Brien, Karen (2019). 006 Karen O'Brien - Climate Change and Societal Transformation. [Internett]. State of Emergence [Podcast].
  • O'Brien, Karen; El Khoury, Ann; Schafenacker, Nicole & Rosenfeld, Jordan (2019). Stories of Quantum Social Change. I O'Brien, Karen; El Khoury, Ann; Schafenacker, Nicole & Rosenfeld, Jordan (Red.), Our Entangled Future: Stories to Empower Quantum Social Change. AdaptationCONNECTS. ISSN 978-82-691819-2-0. s. 1–13.
  • Daszak, Peter; Amuasi, John; Das Neves, Carlos G; Hayman, David; Kuiken, Thijs & Roche, Benjamin [Vis alle 24 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2020). IPBES (2020) Workshop Report on Biodiversity and Pandemics of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

Se alle arbeider i Cristin

Publisert 4. okt. 2010 08:39 - Sist endret 28. apr. 2023 11:38