\n
Essentially, metaphors work by transferring properties of an idea or concept to another, less tangible concept. Let’s take the example of the green lungs. Photosynthesis, exchange of CO2 and oxygen are processes that are not immediately intuitive to humans. However, the function of our lungs and breathing can be felt in our own bodies and is therefore much more accessible than a process that is otherwise invisible to us. So when we talk about the Amazon as the green lungs of the earth, the role and importance of the Amazon is directly tangible to us. Metaphors thus help us to understand and talk about facts, stimulate the imagination and highlight certain aspects of a fact. At the same time, they can activate emotions and imagination and thus make certain topics more accessible. Metaphors, which we also use in sustainability communication, thus play a fundamental role in the emotions with which we charge our discourse and the associations we awaken in our interlocutors. Ultimately, they also influence our decisions and our actions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhat metaphors do we use for sustainability and climate change?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\nSince metaphors shape the way we think and act, particular attention must be paid to which metaphors are used, especially in the area of sustainability. Here, it is especially important that people have access to the complex processes and triggers of climate change in a way that does not mislead them or can be misunderstood. Metaphors can be a powerful tool for communicating scientific findings to the population at large.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nHowever, there is also a lot of room for error here in particular. It is therefore of particular importance to understand which metaphors for sustainability and climate change are beneficial in which contexts and which ones we should generally steer clear of. Currently, there are a number of metaphors in use in sustainability consulting and in the media that highlight different interpretations of the issues. Some of these metaphors are presented in more detail below and their implications are discussed.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe green metaphor\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0This metaphor for sustainable development is very nature-based. We experience a healthy nature (often) as green, with bushes, trees and grasses in different shades. The green metaphor originates from our experience of nature and equates sustainable development and sustainable processes with healthy nature and the color green. This then includes ,,green companies”, ,,green products”, ,,green energy” but also ,,green washing”. As with any metaphor, certain aspects are emphasized. The focus on the greening of nature highlights particularly nature-related measures (reforestation, inner-city greening, nature conservation), but may in some circumstances distract from other measures.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe journey metaphor\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0The journey or path metaphor is another very common metaphor used to describe efforts toward sustainability. Here, the overall process is equated to a journey and, as with any journey, there is a destination (the full implementation of a sustainable society), various stops along the way (milestones in a company’s sustainable development, for example, or achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement), and first steps (a sustainability report, a certain percentage of renewable energy, etc.) Example metaphors include: “the shift towards sustainability,” “pathways for global change,” “we still have hurdles to overcome on the way to climate neutrality,” or even “sustainability has arrived in the middle of society. These are all metaphors that equate sustainable development with a journey. What needs to be watched out for here are, for example, companies that present isolated individual projects as “first steps towards sustainability”, exploiting the journey metaphor to give the public the impression that they are sub-projects of a larger and long-term strategy, when no such strategy has been established.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe war metaphor<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe war metaphor is also a widely used metaphor and is primarily used to help people understand efforts against a progression of climate change. This metaphor is also used, for example, in the infectious disease field, such as Covid-19, to mobilize people to unite against a common enemy. In the case of this metaphor, the common enemy is climate change. Applications of this metaphor include:\u00a0 “fighting climate change,” “fighting pollution,” and “sustainability advocates\/fighters”. The advantage of this metaphor is the fact that a military attack or war conveys a high sense of urgency and unites people against a common enemy, which increases the will to act. On the other hand, this highlighting of climate change as an adversary distracts from the fact that climate change is man-made, so we should actually be fighting our own behaviors and economic systems. In this respect, this metaphor should be used with caution, so as not to distract from our own responsibility and thus from our own possibilities for action.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nLiteratur: <\/span>Lakoff, George, and Mark Johnson. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago, University Of Chicago Press, 1980<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Why metaphors are relevant in sustainability communication Metaphors play an important role in successful, but also unsuccessful sustainability communication. We are familiar with metaphors from literature, but also in everyday use. These include metaphors such as: “Breaking someone’s heart” or “Looking for a needle in a haystack” or even “The green lungs of the earth”. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3818","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n
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We are familiar with metaphors from literature, but also in everyday use. These include metaphors such as: \"Breaking someone's heart\" or \"Looking for a needle in a haystack\" or even \"The green lungs of the earth\". 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