The Language of Climate Politics: Fossil-Fuel Propaganda and How to Fight It
Genevieve Guenther
(Author)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
A groundbreaking investigation into the propaganda 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. "If you want to understand the climate crisis and you only have time to read one book, this should be it." - Kieran Setiya, author of Life is Hard "A revelatory study...It's a breath of fresh air." Publishers' Weekly Starred Review In an illuminating analysis, Dr. Genevieve Guenther shows that the climate debate is not, in fact, neatly polarized, with Republicans obstructing climate action and Democrats advancing climate solutions. Partisans on the right and the left often repeat the same fossil-fuel talking points, and this repetition produces a centrist consensus upholding the status quo, even as global heating accelerates. Weaving this analysis through fascinating critical histories of the terms that dominate the language of climate politics--the words 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 activism, co-opting and twisting climate language 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 to justify the corporate and policy actions that threaten us all. Revealing this dynamic, Guenther shows how to transform it. 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.
Product Details
Price
$29.99
$27.89
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Publish Date
July 10, 2024
Pages
280
Dimensions
6.46 X 9.46 X 0.85 inches | 1.2 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9780197642238
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
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 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.
Reviews
"It's hard to imagine a savvier or more useful new account of our greatest crisis. People who care about the future will cherish this smart volume, which will turn them into far more effective advocates; it is a genuine gift to the world." -- strongBill McKibben, Author of emThe End of Nature/em/strong"This is a brave, compelling, and necessary book. Guenther blasts away the most persistent myths of the climate crisis: that rapidly phasing out fossil fuels will devastate our economy; that China and India are the evil twins of climate politics; that building greater 'resilience' to climate impacts is a simple, catch-all solution. Guenther knows her subject and is a fabulous bullshit detector. Reading The Language of Climate Politics is an excellent way to arm yourself for the fight for a better future." -- strongJeff Goodell, Author of the emNew York Times/em bestseller emThe Heat Will Kill You First/em /strong"This remarkable, empowering book is not just about, but a model instance of, climate communication. It makes a lucid, passionate case for moral anger directed at executives, politicians, economists, and journalists who obfuscate, exacerbate, or profit from the harms inflicted by the use of fossil fuels. If you want to understand the climate crisis and you only have time to read one book, this should be it." -- Kieran Setiya, Professor of Philosophy, MIT, and author of Life is Hard "An enlightening and inspiring journey through the politics of climate change. It's a pivotal read for those committed to shaping America's future." -- Ro Khanna, Member of Congress"In this genius book, Dr. Genevieve Guenther takes the whole overwhelming universe of fossil fuel propaganda and distills it to six key words and one key narrative, exposing the rhetorical tricks used so effectively by the various powers obstructing climate action and thus ridding them of their power entirely. Dr. Guenther shows how these words have come to dominate the discourse on climate not only amongst those who seek to delay climate action but also in the increasingly watered-down proposals of those who support climate policy. This is one of the best explanations I've read of how the heck the climate crisis has gone unchecked for so long. I'm sure I'll be recommending it to people for a long time." -- Amy Westervelt, Investigative Climate Journalist, Founder, Drilled Media"The primary obstacle to tackling the climate crisis is political, not technological. And the political battle has become a war of words. In this important book, Genevieve Guenther navigates the battlefield with insight and wit, expertly elucidating the ways in which the modern climate discourse has been polluted by bad actors with an agenda of business-as-usual dependence on fossil fuels. Read this book and be better prepared to meet the defining challenge of our time." -- Michael E. Mann, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Earth & Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons from the Earth's Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis
