Pirate's Cove

Of course, it doesn’t matter what you call it, few Believers will practice what they preach

If you want Americans to pay attention to climate change, just call it climate change

You probably have been hearing phrases like “climate crisis,” “climate emergency” or “climate justice” more often lately as people try to get across the urgent risks and consequences of climate change. The danger is real, but is using this language actually persuasive?

It turns out that Americans are more familiar with – and more concerned about – climate change and global warming than they are about climate crisis, climate emergency or climate justice, according to a recent survey we conducted with a nationally representative sample of 5,137 Americans.

Moreover, we found no evidence that the alternative terms increased people’s sense of urgency, willingness to support climate-friendly policies or willingness to act.

The familiar terms – climate change and global warming – did at least as well, and sometimes better, than climate crisis and climate emergency in eliciting concern, perceived urgency and willingness to act. Climate justice consistently tended to do worse, likely in part because it was the least familiar. The responses were similar among Republicans, Democrats and independents.

To me, it appears as if once you start using the other phrases you’re fearmongering and putting it in a political context. Not that climate change and global warming aren’t really backed by politics instead of science, but, they at least give the impression that this is somewhat related to science. Climate justice? 100% politics.

Regardless, people may pay attention, but, most are not going to make any changes in their own lives. Why should they, when most of the elites pushing this stuff make zero changes in their lives?