Climate change to ‘climate crisis’

CLIMATE change, a global crisis that is unfolding faster than we expected, is complex and urgent. There is not a day that passes by when the word ‘climate change’ is not used. This word has become a popular and important word that is vital to all, regardless of whether it is used on social media, television or radio, as well as in newspapers.

Although ‘climate change’ seems to be the most frequently used word in popular media, ‘climate crisis’ has become significantly more widespread within the past two or three years. In the Oxford Monitor Corpus of English, ‘climate crisis’ was 20 times more common in the first half of 2021 than it was in the first half of 2018.

The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom revised its style guide in May 2019, replacing the term ‘climate change’ with terms like ‘climate crisis’, ‘climate emergency’, ‘climate breakdown’, etc. Following the Guardian’s move, several other news organisations, such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CNN, TED Radio Hour, and many others have expanded their usage of ‘climate crisis.’

Climate crisis and terms such as climate emergency have become more prominent in the public discourse on climate change and its effects. Katharine Viner (editor-in-chief, Guardian) says climate experts and organisations ranging from the United Nations and meteorological offices of countries are using increasingly forceful language and changing their terminology to describe the current state of affairs.

Even in the 116th United States Congress, a committee was constituted using the term ‘climate crisis’ in its title named the US house select committee on the climate crisis, which is responsible for coordinating and enacting policies, strategies, and technologies, resulting in significant and long-term reductions in pollution and other activities related to the climate crisis.

What’s the reasoning? A popular American online magazine, Grist that publishes environmental news, once said that ‘climate change’ and ‘global warming’ — these two words are just too neutral, overused, and pleasant-sounding terms to represent the planet’s crisis. Many environmental activists believe that the word ‘climate change’ lacks the clarity and firmness required to confront the enormity of the climate crisis. Activists have adopted the term to call for an immediate response from those in power, in order to save the world’s future and their own.

In reality, the phrase ‘climate crisis’ is used to express a higher feeling of urgency and concern about climate change. That is, the climate is not just changing — producing a crisis, with potentially disastrous repercussions if people don’t act quickly. Oxford Learner’s Dictionary explains climate crisis as ‘a situation in which immediate action is needed to reduce or stop climate change and prevent serious and permanent damage to the environment.’

Some international media define that ‘climate change’ appears to be passive and benign when scientists are discussing a global disaster. Climate change is a real threat to humanity, so more urgent rhetoric will have a greater chance of inspiring people to take action.

Since the 1980s, former US vice-president Al Gore has used and actively advocated the term ‘climate crisis’, which was formalised in 2004 by the establishment of the Climate Crisis Coalition. He even uses the term ‘climate crisis’ in every tweet he makes about the topic. In 2019, Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist’ tweeted, ‘It’s 2019, can we all now please stop saying “climate change” and instead call it what it is: climate breakdown, climate crisis, climate emergency, ecological breakdown, ecological crisis, and ecological emergency?’

SPARK Neuro, a New York-based neuroanalytics company, wanted to explore whether there were any other phrases that had more impact on people than ‘climate change’; so it ran a research to find out and discovered that the word ‘climate crisis’ generated a 60 per cent higher emotive response than ‘climate change’ among Democrats and a threefold increase in emotional response among Republicans. To establish the term ‘climate crisis’ among influential media and newspapers, a campaign named ‘Call it a Climate Crisis Campaign’ is being undertaken by Public Citizen, The Climate Reality Project, Food and Water Watch, and other US-based non-profit organisations.

These things are scientifically paradoxical. Some say that changing the term ‘climate change’ to ‘climate crisis’ is unwise and that exacerbates the problem. Experts say that although a crisis may have a long-lasting effect and be severe, it can also provide the opportunity to restore normalcy. This is currently impossible for climate change.

There must be discussions in scientific and intellectual circles regarding the issue. Whatever the things, it is no secret that the phrase ‘climate change’ may not be the most effective word in engaging the public in action against climate change.

So, words matter. A technically minor modification can have a profound impact on making the planet more liveable.

Tasneem Fahim works with the UNDP Bangladesh’s Local Government Initiative on Climate Change Project.