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An examination of the false and destructive rhetoric in the USA justifying the fossil-fuel economy, The Language of Climate Politics offers readers powerful new ways to talk about the climate crisis that will help create transformative change.
With incisive linguistic analysis, Dr. Genevieve Guenther shows that the climate debate is not, in fact, neatly polarized – with Republicans obstructing climate action and Democrats merely advancing climate solutions. Both sides often talk about the climate crisis in surprisingly similar terms. This bipartisan echo reflects a centrist consensus that helps to keep the fossil-energy system in place even as global heating accelerates.
Weaving this analysis through fascinating critical histories of the terms that dominate the language of climate politics – we, alarmist, cost, growth, "India and China", innovation, and resilience – Dr. Guenther shows how this consensus is established. Fossil-fuel interests weaponize the discourses of science, economics, and even activism, co-opting and twisting words to help greenwash their plans for ongoing extraction. But all too often climate scientists, economists, and even advocates will unwittingly echo the false and dangerous assumptions of their supposed political opponents. This apparent agreement between foes, filtered through the news media, not only influences our common-sense yet mistaken views about the climate crisis but also enables powerful decisionmakers blocking decarbonization to justify their corporate and policy actions that threaten us all.
Ultimately, The Language of Climate Politics is an inspiring call to arms – a book that equips readers with powerful new terms that will enable them to fight more effectively for a livable future.
Preface: We
Introduction: Why Words Matter in Climate Politics
Chapter 1. Alarmist
Chapter 2. Cost
Chapter 3. Growth
Chapter 4. "India and China"
Chapter 5. Innovation
Chapter 6. Resilience
After Words: Walking the Talk
Index of Keywords
Notes
Genevieve Guenther is the founding director of End Climate Silence and affiliate faculty at The New School, where she sits on the board of the Tishman Environment and Design Center. Dr. Guenther advises NGOs, corporations, and policymakers on fossil-fuel disinformation and climate communication, and she serves as an Expert Reviewer for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Her research has appeared in both scholarly journals and media outlets such as Scientific American, The New Republic, and MSNBC, and she has been invited to speak about climate and language to audiences at Duke, Columbia, and Harvard, among other universities. She lives in New York City with her family.
