Fewer polar bears, more people

It’s no coincidence that when asked to describe what imagery they associate with climate change, my interview participants (and nearly everyone I’ve asked since out of curiosity) listed images consistent with visuals that accompany climate news the most in mainstream media. Despite the complexity of climate change issues, the diversity of images used in its communication are surprisingly limitedand animals, extreme weather events, and natural disasters are the persistent favourites. Climate change and associated environmental issues are often perceived as somewhat abstract and difficult to imagine, especially when a lot of us don’t consider ourselves to be on the frontline of climate consequences. Therefore the mental images we develop are heavily influenced by what we see in the public domain.

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