The Siberian cold that has frozen Beautiful Croatia is, scientists claim, a result of global warming. As they warn, we, the Earthlings, are to blame for the increasing oscillations and more frequent breaking of temperature records (whether positive or negative), so it is high time that we try to slow down climate change, since we cannot stop it. However, this process is hindered by insufficient awareness among people, as well as the incredible ignorance of decision-makers in high positions, such as the leader of one of the most powerful countries in the world, also one of the largest polluters – the USA.
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Donald Trump is, in fact, convinced that global warming does not exist, or that it is a conspiracy theory, a trick by the Chinese who want to get their hands on dollars and weaken the American economy. Thus, at the end of last year, the wise president, on the occasion of the polar cold that penetrated the East Coast, posted a foolish tweet in which he mockingly comments on the announcement of low temperatures: ‘Maybe we could use that old global warming for which our country, but not others, intended to pay billions of dollars to protect itself. Dress warmly!’
It is necessary to make people aware that with every, even the smallest, intervention in their lifestyle, they can slow down the climate changes that threaten the future of the entire planet. How? The author of professional bestsellers, Seth Godin, argues that no idea will spread thanks to facts or brilliant technology. People react to stories, therefore storytellers, not scientists, need to devise a new message.
Due to such comments, but also because new data on the state of affairs is not at all optimistic (global warming will exceed the worst predictions of UN experts by 15 percent by 2100), it is high time for the public to realize what danger climate change poses to them and, of course, to engage in ways to slow them down.
The Harsh Truth
Activists, ecologists, scientists, climatologists, and numerous informed experts are seeking help from the media, public figures, and marketers in conveying messages and debunking a part of the population that does not believe that global warming even exists. However, claims marketing expert and author of professional bestsellers Seth Godin, nothing will change unless the storytelling changes and, believe it or not, the term ‘global warming’ is replaced with another. Godin, by the way, argues that no idea will spread thanks to facts or brilliant technology. It is human nature to react to stories; those that stand out for some reason, that create culture, influence behavior change, or even provoke change themselves. This, of course, also applies to scientific topics, which is why Godin believes that the problem of climate change (raising awareness and changing the behavior of residents) can only be solved through ‘storytelling.’ As he stated at a business conference in Oslo at the end of last year, this thesis is confirmed by examples such as the campaign for the legalization of same-sex marriages.
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– Just ten years ago, it was perfectly fine, even respectable, to be against gay marriages, but today that is no longer the case. Rarely is anyone openly against it. Does that mean that the majority has changed their minds? Of course not. The culture has changed, and it has been changed by the story – said Godin, who therefore suggests to experts that they change the story, and the term ‘global warming’ to – ‘atmospheric cancer.’
The Efforts of Brands
In his opinion, storytellers, not dry scientists, should craft messages that reach the broader public, but on a personal level. The name of the phenomenon, Godin believes, does not do this well enough.
Seth Godin
– To begin with, the words ‘global’ and ‘warming’ have positive associations. If scientists changed it to ‘atmospheric cancer,’ the whole story would take on a different tone because the word ‘atmosphere’ has scientific associations, while ‘cancer’ has negative ones. Everyone knows that cancer is a serious and chronic disease that needs to be stopped – explained Godin.
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Thus, global warming should be viewed as a deadly disease that, if we do nothing, will not kill us, but, even worse, our children and grandchildren. The phenomenon of global warming, or climate change, needs to take on a threatening tone, a note of tragedy, catastrophe, and not just at moments when nature retaliates for the poor relationship towards it (floods, fires, tornadoes, polar cold…). As long as the way of telling the story does not change as advised by Seth Godin, some marketers, brands, and celebrities (e.g., Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the louder ecologists among the famous) are launching campaigns aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of warming. One of the better and newer examples is the work of Rosapark, a French agency that, in collaboration with the Good Planet Foundation, decided to warn citizens about the dangers of climate change.
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THE WORDS ‘GLOBAL’ AND ‘WARMING’ HAVE POSITIVE MEANINGS, SO THEY SHOULD BE CHANGED TO ‘ATMOSPHERIC CANCER,’ CLAIMS SETH GODIN. The word ‘atmosphere’ has scientific associations, while ‘cancer’ has negative ones. Cancer is a serious and chronic disease that needs to be stopped. Thus, global warming should be viewed as a deadly disease.
A giant life preserver and a warning ‘Prepare for Global Warming’ have been placed on the Zouave statue under the Paris Alma bridge, which has served for decades as an indicator of the Seine’s height. As the agency explained to the media, none of them commissioned this work; their action stemmed from the fact that as a communication agency, they are obliged to spread messages and encourage people to take action for the common good. This goal is also in the minds of an increasing number of advertisers when launching campaigns.
Awareness Campaigns
For example, the automotive brand Toyota in the ad ‘Frozen’ warns about the consequences of climate change and increasingly sends the message about the importance of sustainable living and promises a future with fewer harmful gases. The candy brand M&M’s, owned by Mars, plans to reduce harmful gas emissions in production by 67 percent by 2050, investing one billion dollars. The well-known ice cream manufacturer Ben & Jerry’s has been trying since 2002 to raise consumer awareness about the importance of reducing the warming of the Earth’s surface. In addition to regularly launching awareness campaigns, it has completely transformed its production method into an ecological one (by 2020, it intends to use 100 percent of its energy from sustainable sources).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB4T4VLPUaw
If world media predictions are to be believed, more and more companies will follow the example of Ben & Jerry’s and (because consumers value this) will strive to reduce the negative impact of their business on the environment. This is certainly commendable, but in the context of the entire story about climate change, it is not enough. Perhaps Godin goes too far with the name change, but he is actually right – it is urgently necessary to change the way of telling the story and make people aware that with every, even the smallest, change in their lifestyle, they can prevent the metastasis of the dangerous cancer that threatens the future of the entire planet.
