Climate Change Depiction in the Media

Here are some examples of how Climate Change is depicted in the media. No climate message is neutral and they display a frame of some sort. Most of the images of Climate Change are negative, so I think it's best to discuss them (as they are more likely to be viewed by the public). Studies have found that images displaying negativity do not cause of long-term behavior change. Therefore, I find it prudent to discuss them so they may be avoided in the future. 

The first image was produced by Greenpeace. It presents two images. The top represents "then" while the bottom represents "now." This image is meant to provoke an emotional response from the viewer. Hulme, Chap 7 referenced a figure from Shanahan (2007) that stated various Climate Change frames. I would classify this image as a "catastrophe frame," because the melting glacier is meant to convince the audience that the Earth is indeed warming. The glacier melting represents the potential disasters mankind may face due to anthropogenic climate change. The catastrophe frame is meant from those who are already concerned about the future of the planet. I have some issues with this image, the first being the validity of the image. These images could have been taken during different seasons; however, there is no way to verify. Also, while this image may induce immediate worry from the audience, I do not believe it would cause a behavior change. Typically, images of this sort disengage the viewer. O'Neill et al. 2013 found that climate impact images were less efficacious, which is not the desired outcome of the Climate Change campaign. The audience has a difficult time connecting the image of the melting glacier to their personal life. Not to mention, the image gives to solution to the problem, which may cause the audience to feel helpless. In conclusion, I’ve seen this approach done frequently. I do not believe it has made much of an impact in the past. Therefore, I believe it is best to avoid images such as these in the future. Especially since most of the American public believes Climate change is occurring, but they place it low amongst their priorities.

source: http://tomohalloran.com/2014/01/11/risking-lives-promote-climate-change-hype/

The second image depicts a well-dressed man representing the “industrialized polluting nations” destroying the developing countries with Climate Change. The intended audience is for those who care about those in the developing countries. The frame used in this cartoon is the industrialized polluting nations are solely responsible for destroying the developing countries. The audience is assumed to distrust politicians and possess sympathy for the developing countries. While I understand the cartoon is meant to be comical, I do not think it will cause anyone to change his or her opinion. This cartoon is meant for those who already share similar opinions. To be frank, it may provoke frustration amongst the audience who oppose Climate Change because the artist portrays the polluting nations in a negative manner. I personally do not like this image because all it does is places blame. Cartoons, such as these, are seen as “liberal alarmists” ones and further divides the nation into skeptics and alarmists (Nisbet 2000). If we are going to solve this problem, we cannot be divided.