rebecca small, author at planet forward - 克罗地亚vs加拿大让球 https://planetforward1.wpengine.com/author/rebeccasmall/ inspiring stories to 2022年卡塔尔世界杯官网 wed, 23 oct 2024 16:51:33 +0000 en-us hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 essay | climate change to climate crisis: an evolution in rhetoric //www.getitdoneaz.com/story/essay-climate-change-to-climate-crisis-an-evolution-in-rhetoric/ fri, 18 feb 2022 20:00:06 +0000 http://dpetrov.2create.studio/planet/wordpress/essay-climate-change-to-climate-crisis-an-evolution-in-rhetoric/ from "global warming" to "climate change" to "climate crisis," the terms that we use to refer to the worsening environment have political and social implications.

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climate change is one of the greatest challenges to global governance in the 21st century.

according to a study conducted by the proceedings of the national academy of sciences, the planet could see a greater increase in global temperatures in the next 50 years than it did in the last 6,000 combined.

climate change has already started to affect global affairs and today strains relations between countries.

countries in the middle east are fueding over water, a decline in agricultural output is fueling hunger and poverty in latin america, and changing weather patterns are contributing to rapid urbanization worldwide, which in turn reinforces the problem of climate change.

as demonstrated by publishers and magazines like the council on foreign relations and foreign policy, climate change is a foreign policy issue and will require multilateral cooperation to mitigate, or it will continue to affect international relations for years to come.

interestingly, the language used to refer to this global phenomenon has shifted over the years. it was first referred to as “global warming,” but this term has been phasing out in the past decade or so in favor of “climate change” which is an all encompassing term that better describes the worsening environment.

however, there has been a third term that has gained popularity in recent years: the “climate crisis.” other related terms include the “climate emergency” and “climate catastrophe.” these terms put more urgency on the situation so that people can better understand the stakes of climate change.

various organizations have made a point to replace outdated terminology with more accurate ones in regards to the environment.

for example, in 2019 the guardian, a british daily newspaper, published an article addressing the fact they are updating their “style guide” to “to introduce terms that more accurately describe the environmental crises facing the world.”

these changes came less than a year after the un secretary general antónio guterres first used the term “climate crisis” in a speech in september of 2018.

the guardian made six main language changes on the environment. for example, “climate crisis” will be used instead of “climate change” in order to more accurately reflect the seriousness of the situation. also, “climate denier” will be used instead of “climate skeptic” to be more specific, as well as “greenhouse gas emissions” in place of “carbon emissions.” 

the guardian stands as an example of how language can have power in society and can affect public opinion, and prompts other news sources to make similar changes. 

in addition to rhetoric changes in the media, new words have even been added to the dictionary.

in the month prior to the 26th conference of the parties to the united nations framework convention on climate change (cop26) in november of 2021, the oxford english dictionary (oed) released an update on climate terminology.

according to the oxford monitor corpus of english, a source that analyzes trends in the english language, the term “climate crisis” made its first appearance in the dictionary in 2021 and the term became 20 times more popular from 2018 to 2020. also, while the oed usually doesn’t usually include chemical formulas, it recently added co2 to the dictionary because of its frequent use in society today.

“global heating” is another addition to the dictionary –– despite “global warming” already existing –– because of how it reflects a more urgent and accurate connotation. additionally, terms like “eco-anxiety” and “climate refugees” have been added as well.

the update on the oxford english dictionary is a telling sign of the urgency of the climate situation and better equips people to add to the discourse on environmentalism. 

it has become clear that the climate crisis is a problem that cannot be solved by one actor alone.

it will require global governance and the participation of leading international organizations, individuals, and states. the window for action is closing, and measures need to be taken immediately to mitigate the climate crisis.

language and rhetoric hold a lot of power in our society and should be used with caution and good intentions. news sources can learn from the guardian, which made a point to switch to more effective and informed language when referring to the climate crisis.

this switch in rhetoric has many political implications, which consequently affects the economy and society as well. despite clear scientific evidence of a worsening environment, climate change continues to be one of the most polarizing issues in the world today.

there is a clear partisan divide over environmental regulations in the united states. presidential candidates often address energy and environmental issues during their campaigns, and how their policies will (or will not) affect the economy. 

in an interview for the journal of critical thought and praxis, dr. danielle endres, associate professor of communication and faculty in the environmental humanities masters program at the university of utah, introduces climate change rhetoric as a social phenomenon.

she states that “climate change is not only a material phenomenon; it is also a social phenomenon. we cannot hope to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, slow the warming of the planet, and adapt to the changes already in effect without broad societal change.”

the science itself is rather straightforward, but it is what we do with the science that is causing extreme deliberation in our society.

increased environmental regulation is necessary to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis. new environmental organizations, regional responses, and improved education methods are just a few ways in which we can halt or even reverse the effects of climate change in our generation.

the climate crisis is one of the largest and most consequential problems that we have faced as a society and will require collective action to overcome. changing the way in which we refer to the changing climate will determine the methods we use to effectively respond to the situation –– rhetoric holds power and it is time that we yield this tool to create a more environmentally-conscious society. 

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how cultural survival promotes indigenous sustainable development //www.getitdoneaz.com/story/protecting-indigenous-environments/ wed, 29 dec 2021 04:37:00 +0000 http://dpetrov.2create.studio/planet/wordpress/how-cultural-survival-promotes-indigenous-sustainable-development/ the work of indigenous communities goes unrecognized every day. in an interview with cultural survival’s bia’ni madsa’ juárez lópez, we are able to better understand how indigenous peoples are making enormous strides in creating a more sustainable world.

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not many people have the courage to dedicate their lives to making a difference. bia’ni madsa’ juárez lópez from ‘cultural survival’ cannot say the same. 

cultural survival is a non-profit organization that advocates for the rights of indigenous peoples around the world. as the program manager for ‘cultural survival’s keepers of the earth fund (koef)’, bia’ni awards grants to grassroots indigenous-led organizations from different countries to support them as they achieve their autonomy and sovereignty. 

according to the koef website, “since 2017, the fund has provided grants and technical assistance to over 177 indigenous-led projects in 35 countries around the world, totaling $764,317 usd.” 

this past semester, i had the amazing opportunity to work closely with this organization as an advocacy intern, where i researched and wrote articles on various topics while providing general support on projects relating to indigenous rights. 

at the end of my internship, i was able to meet with bia’ni to discuss the impactful work that ‘cultural survival’ and the ‘koef’ are doing for the future of indigenous rights and sustainability. 

when asked if there was a particular project that stood out to her, bia’ni was able to share about a women’s project in chiapas, mexico that is producing organic food through sustainable indigenous practices. 

bia’ni said, “i think it is really nice because the project itself is about food but it also helps to empower young women in their community.” many koef-funded projects highlight gender equality in addition to supporting the revitalization of indigenous practices, because the two topics are often intertwined. 

when i asked her to share her favorite thing about working on the ‘koef’, bia’ni stated “i love having the opportunity to know a very diverse group of people. being indigenous myself, i really love the opportunity to know other people on other sides of the world, to know their culture, to know what they are doing, and also to know what they are facing or struggling with.”

indigenous peoples live in harmony with their environment. but according to bia’ni, “it is because we have been living in our territories and taking the time to get to know our land and environment.”

bia’ni shared that this harmony is also achieved by making mistakes. she explained, “we have faced moments in our lives where we, for example, polluted the river, but we learned from those experiences and we changed what we were doing so, with time, we learned how to live more in peace with nature.”

bia’ni cautions people not to make generalizations about indigenous peoples. she states, “we do have a lot of knowledge and it’s nice to hear that that is something that is now recognized, but what i would like for people to know is that not everyone or every culture knows everything.”

according to bia’ni, we often incorrectly say that ‘indigenous peoples have solutions for climate change’; this is a huge generalization. 

bia’ni says that “talking from my own experience, my territory is very specific and even though i am indigenous, i have no idea how indigenous peoples that live on the ice manage their environment.” 

bia’ni advises that, when talking about environmental solutions, “to remember that we need to go to the specific cultures and not just give a general idea of ‘oh all the indigenous peoples have knowledge’ because there are all kinds of problems.” 

it is important to remember that indigenous peoples “are a diverse group of people and are willing to help but also there are a lot of things that we need to learn, specifically about climate change.” 

bia’ni stated that “climate change has made indigenous people re-learn things we have been doing for a very long time.” for example, today with frequent severe weather events, food cultivation has become a large problem for many communities. bia’ni shared that “some of our partners are currently working to develop new alternatives and knowledge to produce food in a more efficient way.”

at the end of our interview, bia’ni left me with one piece of wisdom. in helping indigenous peoples fight for their land and for the environment, the most important thing is to learn. she said it is important, “to really be able and willing to learn from the most experienced people. that is our task.” 

i cannot say enough good things about ‘cultural survival’. the work that they are doing is directly benefiting thousands of indigenous peoples daily through the development of sustainable projects. i am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work closely with this organization and the amazing, selfless people that run it. 

projects like the ‘keepers of the earth fund’ are at the forefront of the fight against climate change, so we should continue to look to indigenous organizations like ‘cultural survival’ for guidance in this endeavor.

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seven ways to support indigenous peoples //www.getitdoneaz.com/story/seven-ways-to-support-indigenous-peoples/ thu, 23 dec 2021 14:18:19 +0000 http://dpetrov.2create.studio/planet/wordpress/seven-ways-to-support-indigenous-peoples/ indigenous peoples play a key factor in the protection of the environment. here are seven ways in which you can support indigenous peoples all around the world.

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indigenous peoples play a key factor in the protection of the environment. they are actively fighting against harmful practices like deforestation and pollution on sacred land. here are seven ways in which you can help indigenous people fight for their rights and our planet.

1. donate to indigenous organizations

cultural survival is an indigenous-led non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping indigenous communities around the world. with this organization, you can be sure that your donation is going directly to supporting grassroots indigenous community movements as they fight for the rights to their land and cultures. click here to be brought to their ‘donate’ page.

2. educate yourself about indigenous cultures

finding accurate information nowadays can be difficult, so make sure to get information about indigenous peoples right from the source. check out the news sections of these websites of reputable indigenous-led organizations to learn about current indigenous affairs:

3. shop from indigenous-founded businesses

another way to directly support indigenous peoples is through purchasing their products online. here are a few sustainable indigenous companies to support: 

4. attend indigenous events, seminars, and workshops

many indigenous organizations hold events open to the public to get people involved and more informed about indigenous peoples. for example, watch these recorded webinars from the national museum of the american indian to learn about different indigenous topics. keep an eye out for any events in your area!

5. volunteer or intern with indigenous organizations

if you have a skill that might be useful to an indigenous organization (foreign language, article writing, programming, etc), why not support a good cause and intern or volunteer? for example, i interned at cultural survival, but many indigenous organizations also have volunteer opportunities available! you can also research ways to support indigenous peoples in your community.

6. support indigenous rights public policy

making your voice heard in politics, both at a local and national level, is incredibly important. here are just a few petitions to sign to support indigenous causes:

7. spread the word on social media!

in today’s society, social media has a lot of reach. supporting indigenous creators on different platforms is a great way to support and learn about indigenous communities. on the internet, everyone has influence so make sure to spread the word about indigenous rights. 

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