Femke van Bruggen | Greenhouse effect, band-aid or carbon budget? Analyzing the role of metaphors as communicative tools in shaping discourses of climate science, technology and the future.

Global warming, caused by humans through the emission of greenhouse gases, is one of the major issues of our time (Jackson, n.d.). Its associated consequences are experienced by people all over the globe and disrupt the lives of billions (Hardy, 2003). While climate scepticism remains among some groups (Hornsey & Lewandowsky, 2022), scientific evidence and changing environmental conditions contribute to a growing awareness that action should be taken to prevent further damage to the earth.  This awareness has led to attempts to develop (controversial) technological interventions to keep temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times.

Discussions  about such interventions are characterized by uncertainties and varied expectations, often influenced by media representations. Metaphors play a crucial role in shaping these debates by constructing meaning and framing perspectives, which can impact public understanding and have performative effects through the influence of policy decisions. Therefore, this project aims to map these discourses, analyze the role of metaphors, and develop a framework to assess the benefits and risks of metaphor use in controversial and uncertain public debates on climate science and the future more generally and the development of associated technologies. An often-overlooked aspect in environmental communication is the role that different actors play in terms of representing these debates and the future of science and technology. Therefore, we also aim to ask who has the power to use metaphorical language to represent issues related to climate science and technology? Do these metaphors overlap, clash or help bridge misunderstandings?

The overall focus will be on three focus areas: products (what is the influence of framing and news media representation), production (how do journalists and experts see their roles) and publics (how do audiences make sense of issues on different platforms). These studies will be conducted to answer the following main question: