Communicating about Climate Change

Climate change has reached a stage where its effects are felt all over the planet and the need for urgent action is recognised by national and international bodies. However, notwithstanding the cogent arguments in favour of drastic measures which climatologists have provided for decades, many objections are still raised by diverse groups in society to measures seen as unrealistic or too radical. Yet, in order to make the transition fair and successful, it is crucial to take everyone on board. Honest and clear communication is therefore essential and close analysis of how it operates is called for. This is the area of expertise of communication studies, media studies and linguistics. The present volume brings together contributions that approach climate communication from all these angles. Many contributions deal with the Flemish situation but the overall scope is not restricted to Flanders. The broad array of topics and methodologies gives the reader a window into the complex interplay of political choices, media strategies and ideological positions involved in climate communication. Special attention goes to how these are conveyed – both overtly and connotatively – by linguistic choices.