Climate Porn?
UK 'think-tank' the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), has accused the media, the British government and environmental groups (waves hand... 'that'd be us, guvnor') of indulging in the promotion of 'climate porn' through promotion of alarmist apocalyptic climate change scenarios.
The IPPR's report Warm Words: How are we telling the climate story and can we tell it better? makes for interesting reading, and I do recommend taking a read of it. The only problem is, the IPPR are committing the same sin that they've accused the rest of us of - by using their "climate porn" catchphrase as an alarmist marketing tool to sell their idea of "climate porn" as a concept, they seem to want to scare people into acting on climate change!
Which is a little bizarre.
Alarmism (‘we’re all going to die’): this pessimistic approach refers to climate change as awesome, terrible, immense and beyond human control. It excludes the possibility of real action - ‘The problem is just too big for us to take on’. Alarmism might even become secretly thrilling – effectively a form of ‘climate porn’. It is seen in almost every form of discussion on the issue.
‘A world of climate chaos spiralling out of control’Small actions (‘I’m doing my bit for the planet – and maybe my pocket’): the ‘small actions’ approach is the dominant one in campaign communications from government and green groups. It asks a large number of people to do a few small things to counter climate change. The language is one of ease and domesticity with references to kettles and cars, ovens and light switches. It is often placed alongside alarmism. It is likely to beg the question: how can this really make a difference?
‘20 things you can do to save the planet from destruction’
IPPR: ‘Climate porn’ turning off public from action »
Warm Words:
How are we telling the climate story and can we tell it better? » (pdf report)
BBC: Media attacked for 'climate porn' »
Guardian: 'Climate porn' blamed for global warming 'despair' »
Follow Greenpeace »
Comments
I agree. If we want to create change of the scale we need, then this will require the public to demonstrate enthusiasm for far-reaching legislative interventions. And our enthusiasm for these will, presumably, be linked in part to our understanding of the full consequences of inaction.
Afterall, when the government seeks public support for far-reaching anti-terrorism legislation, it reaches for a set of scare tactics before all else. Is all climate porn bad?
Posted by: Tom Crompton | October 26, 2007 3:41 PM