The Importance of Understanding Climate Change
Updated: Aug 25
The term “Climate Change” has been one of the most controversial political terms in recent history. It is an issue that has long a ffected international diplomacy, national elections, and hometown school board races. Today, it sparks discussion at every level of political engagement.
For some individuals, climate change is an abstract idea that is difficult to understand on a practical level. When climate change isn’t properly understood, it is far too easy to caricaturize differing perspectives in unserious ways: “you hate the environment” or “you hug trees.” It is likely that neither of these stereotypes truly exist in either form, yet we see these kinds of ridiculous insults hurled anyway.
We can all do better to contribute to the climate change conversation more meaningfully. For those who have been educated in the hard sciences and who champion the climate change cause, it is important for their messaging to include the “how” in addition to the “what”. If the “how” isn’t articulated, the “what” is harder to understand and less likely to be taken seriously.
Speaking from my own personal experience, the issue of climate change wasn’t always one that I understood or took seriously. It wasn’t until my college professors explained the butterfly affect (the how) that leads to climate change challenges (the what), that I started to understand the issue more meaningfully. It was then that I began to see the seriousness of the threats the Arctic faces and understand the need for serious conversation on the issue.
The conversational process that led me towards a better understanding of Arctic climate change looks something like this: I couldn’t just hear that polar bears struggle when there is less sea ice, I needed to know what the polar bears’ struggle is when there is less sea ice. I needed to understand that polar bears need sea ice in order to hunt seals, and without sea ice, seals become more elusive. Additionally, with less ice in the Arctic, orcas become competition for polar bears and hunt the same seals that were previously hunted almost exclusively by polar bears.
Until Arctic challenges are properly articulated and understood, we will continue to see a caricature-like discourse that will only delay the meaningful progress necessary for the preservation of the Arctic and its inhabitants. By communicating in good faith, we can eliminate the prevalent degradation of one another that so often occupies the space surrounding the conversation of climate change. Progress does take all of us, but progress always starts with our individual self. We cant change the world unless we change ourselves first. If we all put more effort into building conversational bridges, we can restore political decorum and preserve life in the Arctic.
Climate change doesn’t need to be a controversial issue. If we meet one another where we are at, we can create a dialogue that more of us can partake in. When more of us are engaging thoughtfully with one another, the issue becomes less controversial and is more comfortable to engage with.
Further Reading:
Comments