In 2001, David Demeritt published an article in the Annals of the Association of American Geographers titled, ‘The construction of global warming and the politics of science‘. It has been cited nearly 1000 times (Google Scholar). Now, more than two decades later, I and Rebecca Lave offer short retrospectives on the significance of Demeritt’s article as part of the ‘classics in human geography’ series in the journal Progress in Human Geography.

I conclude my essay thus: “In retrospect, [Demeritt’s] article is a masterclass in applying ‘critical human geography’, informed by STS scholarship, to disclose the epistemic-political construction of ‘climate change’ with which today’s world continues to grapple. It is indeed ‘a classic’”.

Mike Hulme, 3 March 2022