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What’s the Climate Culture and Communication Challenging ?

 

  1. The challenging of the new ways for communication .

The climate change issue has become increasingly present in our society in the last decade and central also to communication studies. Nowadays, so many people get the effect from climate change and it seems this topic become big issue in several countries in the world.  so many people died, houses, buildings, cars were destroyed by the climate change, because of that  the governments, also so many projects have the policy that focus on the climate change. They have tried to let people to be aware how to protect, adaptation and how can they survive from these effects.  Anyhow there are still so many people got the effect that.

The key climate change communication, which  identifies some of the challenges and opportunities of communicating climate change. The findings follow directly from the information provided by the participants in the Hidden Heat research project, and represent a wide range of climate change communication stakeholders – from civil society organisations, the media and government representatives:

  • There is a major lack of co-ordination in the communication of climate change information. Although several governmental and non-governmental bodies are potentially in a position to act as a central hub for climate change information and engagement, currently they are poorly funded and have a low public profile. Perhaps the most urgent priority for effective communication of climate change  is the development of a central coordinating body that can engage with all sectors of society.
  • The media is not fully engaged in covering climate change – certainly not to the extent warranted by the seriousness of the threat. Training programmes to assist both journalists and editors are essential, but civil society organisations must also improve the way they engage with the media, packaging information in a clear and simple way and actively attracting media attention.
  • Local languages lack terms for many key concepts involved in climate change including ‘climate change’ itself. Communicators should attempt to explain climate change using terms that already exist, using graphic examples of local environmental problems and innovative communication methods (e.g. dramatization) to get the message across.
  • At the local level, politicians tend to be poorly informed about climate change, local government structures represent a crucial opportunity for reaching  large numbers of ordinary citizens. Sensitization campaigns should focus on local politicians as a key constituency that can catalyze action on climate change.
  • Indigenous knowledge about land management and the environment is incredibly valuable when trying to engage people on climate change – but it must be supplemented with scientific information about the causes and consequences of climate change. Climate change represents a significant challenge to indigenous ways of understanding the weather and farming – and so people must be supported with additional knowledge and information wherever possible, including the improved dissemination of meteorological information through local radio stations.
  • Try to contact with the political representative and the media to tell people to be aware. Try to always remind them that reducing greenhouse mission will also build healthier communities, spur economic innovation and create new jobs. And next time you’ re at the  polls, vote for politicians who support effective climate policies
  • We can make a community that concerning to the climate change and maybe we take some people who’s already got the effect from climate change for announcement and try to let people involve start from young people such a how to keep environment that we can start from the basic things.  EX: like a German policy they try to use only one big  to buy something in the supermarket and try to convince people who’s work in the office use the paper both sides, etc.

2. The idea of climate culture.

Climate change is a global matter. It might have different effects on several countries, but nevertheless the changing of our climate is a problem that will influence the whole World. Therefore, several countries will have to cooperate in the battle against climate change. A global problem needs a global solution.

To provide a solution, cross-cultural communication will be necessary. People from various countries, with various backgrounds, have to exchange their ideas and opinions about how to solve this problem. The cultural differences between these people influence both the content of their message as well as the way it’s been expressed.  The aim of this case study is to find out in what way the content of the message is influenced by the cultural differences of people.

Example: The cultural elements of Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States have been compared to their policies on climate change. These three countries have played an important role in climate change negotiations from the start. To define the culture specific elements of the nations. Distinctions between the cultural dimensions are that both the United Kingdom and the United States are individualistic countries, while Germany is a more collectivistic country. Germany also has a high uncertainty avoidance index, which means that the society prefers rules and guidelines. Another aspect in which the countries differ from another is how status is attained. In the United States, status can only be attained by achievement. In the United Kingdom where you come from is often more important than what you have done in your life.

Germany is a more collectivistic country. For this reason, status can be achieved by groups more then by individuals. The three countries also have different perceptions on the climate change matter, comparing results from the countries on three categories of interest, namely: polluter interest, supporter interest and victim interest. Germany has a strong interest for both the polluters as the supporters, whereas in the UK the focus of interest lies on the victims. In the United States, the interest is spread evenly over the three categories. In the last chapter, the cultural specific elements of the countries are brought in connection to their policy on climate change.

This showed that culture can indeed be a predictor for the policy on climate change of a country. Coming to this conclusion, it is important to see what this actually means for climate change negotiations. When culture influences the policy of a country, it could be useful for the different countries to have knowledge about other countries’ cultural dimensions, because they can explain the rationale for the policy change. This could lead to mutual understanding and more fruitful negotiations

3.  Definition of climate culture.

Climate is patterns of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind and seasons. “ Climate change “ affects more than just a change the weather, it refers to seasonal change over a long period of time. These climate patterns play a fundamental role in shaping natural ecosystems, and the human economics and cultures that depend on them.

Because so many systems are tied to climate, a change in climate can affect many related aspects of where and how people, plants and animals live, such as food production, availability and use of water, and health risks.

For example: a change in the usual timing of rains or temperatures can affect when plants bloom and set fruit, when insects hatch or when streams are their fullest. This can affect historically synchronized pollination of crops, food for migrating birds, spawning of fish, water supplies for drinking and irrigation, forest health, and more.

Some short-term climate variation is normal, but longer-term trends now indicate a changing climate. A year or two of an extreme change in temperature or other condition doesn’t mean a climate change trend has been „erased.”

There are many definitions in literature to describe the term culture. There is no consensus about what exactly it is. In general, culture is described as a total of meanings or knowledge that human beings need to function in a certain situation: knowledge of language, habits, rituals, opinions, values and norms (Shadid, 2007).

The culture frames the way people perceive, understand, experience, and respond to key elements of the worlds which they live in. This framing is grounded in systems of meanings and relationships that mediate human engagements with natural phenomena and processes. This framing is particularly relevant to the study of climate change.

Climate Culture is a trans disciplinary research focus on the Humanities, which focus on the topic of climate change and exploring new ways of Analysis of profound social change processes. Climate and Culture closes to existing areas of research at colleges, also for the Perception and coping with climate impacts investigate important aspects. These include questions of social responsibility, of cultural memory and intercultural differences.

Reference:

– The connection between culture and climate change By Bernadet van den Pol ( cs- Bernadet- van den –Pol.pdf )

Northwest Tribes: Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change by Chief Johny Jackson

– Hidden Heat Communicating climate change in Uganda: Challenges and Opportunities (www.panosea.org ).

– E. Feresin, The challenges of communicating climate change, Jcom 08(02) (2009) R01

– Departmenent of Ecology, State Washington, What is Climate Change
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/whatis.htm
[2014-06-03]

– Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen, Projektbereich Klimakultur
http://www.kulturwissenschaften.de/home/index.html
[2014-06-03]

– David Suzuki Foundation, 10 ways you can stop climate change
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/top-10-ways-you-can-stop-climate-change/
  [2014-06-03]

– Centre for  research in the arts, social sciences and humanities,
http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/page/34/climate-change.htm
  [no more online]

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