Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault’s department asked Canadians if they preferred the phrase “climate change,” “extreme weather,” or “climate crisis” in a poll costing taxpayers more than $79,000, with “inconclusive” results.. Trudeau and Steven Guilbeault. .“Participants were asked which of the following descriptors they would prefer: ‘climate change,’ ‘extreme weather,’ ‘climate crisis,’ and ‘climate emergency,’” said a pollsters report..“Preference was split between ‘climate change’ and ‘climate crisis.’”.“Those who favoured staying with ‘climate change’ felt it is a widely known and familiar phrase and should be used in order to appeal to a broader audience, and also not to turn off people who are skeptical about the seriousness of climate change,” said the report Nature Based Solutions And Cleaner Environment Advertising Campaign Testing..“Those who favoured ‘climate crisis’ did so because they believe it is a crisis and should be called as such and that ‘climate change’ has been around for a long time and they believe it has lost emotional impact,” wrote researchers..“‘Climate crisis’ is better at evoking an emotional response and a sense of urgency.”.Findings were drawn from eight online focus groups nationwide. The environment department paid $79,015 for the report by Sage Research Corporation..Researchers noted “climate crisis” appeared overwrought, according to Blacklock’s Reporter..“You might get some people’s hackles up,” the report quoted one focus group participant..“There are some folks out there who dispute the whole climate change issue in the first place,” said another..“There were also a few participants who felt using the word ‘crisis’ may actually discourage belief in individual action because the tasks seem to be overwhelming for individuals to tackle,” said Campaign Testing..“Climate change” was described as “familiar” and more likely to “appeal to a broader audience.”.The Commons, in 2019, by a vote of 186 to 63, passed a motion stating “climate change is a real and urgent crisis.” .A worldwide campaign to use more alarming language was launched by the British newspaper The Guardian in 2019 when it rewrote its style guide to replace the reference to “global warming” or “climate change” with “climate emergency” or “climate crisis.”.Jonathan Watts, the environmental editor at The Guardian, told a 2021 meeting of the Canadian Journalism Foundation that phrasing was important..“Let’s have language that conveys the urgency of the situation,” said Watts..“You know, climate change, what does that mean?” said Watts..“Duh, of course, the climate changes. But if we have ‘climate crisis,’ ‘climate disruption,’ we use these kinds of terms much more.”
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault’s department asked Canadians if they preferred the phrase “climate change,” “extreme weather,” or “climate crisis” in a poll costing taxpayers more than $79,000, with “inconclusive” results.. Trudeau and Steven Guilbeault. .“Participants were asked which of the following descriptors they would prefer: ‘climate change,’ ‘extreme weather,’ ‘climate crisis,’ and ‘climate emergency,’” said a pollsters report..“Preference was split between ‘climate change’ and ‘climate crisis.’”.“Those who favoured staying with ‘climate change’ felt it is a widely known and familiar phrase and should be used in order to appeal to a broader audience, and also not to turn off people who are skeptical about the seriousness of climate change,” said the report Nature Based Solutions And Cleaner Environment Advertising Campaign Testing..“Those who favoured ‘climate crisis’ did so because they believe it is a crisis and should be called as such and that ‘climate change’ has been around for a long time and they believe it has lost emotional impact,” wrote researchers..“‘Climate crisis’ is better at evoking an emotional response and a sense of urgency.”.Findings were drawn from eight online focus groups nationwide. The environment department paid $79,015 for the report by Sage Research Corporation..Researchers noted “climate crisis” appeared overwrought, according to Blacklock’s Reporter..“You might get some people’s hackles up,” the report quoted one focus group participant..“There are some folks out there who dispute the whole climate change issue in the first place,” said another..“There were also a few participants who felt using the word ‘crisis’ may actually discourage belief in individual action because the tasks seem to be overwhelming for individuals to tackle,” said Campaign Testing..“Climate change” was described as “familiar” and more likely to “appeal to a broader audience.”.The Commons, in 2019, by a vote of 186 to 63, passed a motion stating “climate change is a real and urgent crisis.” .A worldwide campaign to use more alarming language was launched by the British newspaper The Guardian in 2019 when it rewrote its style guide to replace the reference to “global warming” or “climate change” with “climate emergency” or “climate crisis.”.Jonathan Watts, the environmental editor at The Guardian, told a 2021 meeting of the Canadian Journalism Foundation that phrasing was important..“Let’s have language that conveys the urgency of the situation,” said Watts..“You know, climate change, what does that mean?” said Watts..“Duh, of course, the climate changes. But if we have ‘climate crisis,’ ‘climate disruption,’ we use these kinds of terms much more.”
