War and religion: the metaphors hampering climate change debate

[orogenicman]

A mirror of what we see on so many forums, including this one:

War and religion the metaphors hampering climate change debate - opinion - 15 April 2015 - New Scientist

Language is rarely neutral, and the language we use to discuss climate change can shape how we understand it and respond to it, if at all. Metaphors are an especially persuasive part of language, which is why we decided to analyse their use in 287 climate-change-related editorials and op-eds published since 2006. These appeared on the websites of the UK Guardian and Daily Mail newspapers, sites which attract millions of readers.

The Guardian used war metaphors such as "battle", "fight", "retreat", "combat" and "triumph" repeatedly to argue that the science of climate change is settled and must be acted on. Religious metaphors dominated in Daily Mail pieces; "ayatollahs", "crusaders", "cultists", "conversion" and "recant" were used to question climate science and the necessity to act on it.

What are the implications? War metaphors can instil unity, emphasising the seriousness of a problem and the importance of doing something about it. If enough people think of climate change in such terms, it may be easier to enact mitigation policies, even harsh ones, because extraordinary measures are justified in a war.

However, these metaphors may backfire by failing to induce a sense of urgency. Research on communicating health messages shows that trying to scare people into action can lead to apathy instead. The war trope may also create a false picture. Making an abstract thing called "climate change" the enemy makes it hard to see that the enemy is actually ourselves and our behaviour.

More at the link.

 

[S.J.]

Here we go again with another bogus theory.

 

[there4eyeM]

Ahh! Metaphors!

 

[orogenicman]

Ahh! Metaphors!

At least Spock's metaphors were colorful.

 

[orogenicman]

Here we go again with another bogus theory.

Wow, what a remarkable rebuttal. Oh wait...

 

[there4eyeM]

A post was recently 'busted' (another poster said the word 'metaphor' was not understood) for inferring that the word 'God' was a metaphor.
What else could 'God' be but a metaphor? It certainly is not, of itself, 'God', but merely refers to a human concept of the universe and how it works/is constructed.

 

[mamooth]

At least Spock's metaphors were colorful.

Speaking of Star Trek references ...

This sequence illustrates, in metaphor, the attempts of the rational people to deal with a problem in cooperation with deniers, the denier betrayal, the destruction of the denier arguments by the rational people, the denier collapse and rage, and the final choice of the rational people to simply ignore deniers.

---

Darmok and Jalad, at Tanagra

The beast at Tanagra

Kadir, beneath Mo Moteh

Kiteo, his eyes closed.

Chenza at court, the court of silence

Kiazi's children, their faces wet

Uzani, his army with fists open

Uzani, his army with fists closed

Shaka, when the walls fell.

Zinda, his face black, his eyes red

Mirab, with sails unfurled