Climatic changes
What are some examples of the different ways climate changes has been framed?
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): these are halocarbons composed of chlorine, fluorine, carbon and hydrogen. Before being banned, they were extensively used in refrigerants and aerosols. They are pegged to be a threat to the earth’s ozone layer.
Involuntary climatic change: even in the past century, the earth had shown signs of climatic change. Human activities, majorly those that result to greenhouse gases, such as clearing away land cover and combustion of fossil fuels, only add salt to the injury.
What informs these different framing?
Evidence: The CFCs have been found responsible for the large hole in the ozone that scientists discovered to be enlarging every year over Antarctica.
Meteorological history: Based on the meteorological history spanning a period of 140 years, it has indicated that the hottest decade was the 1990s and the hottest year in that meteorological history being 1998 and year 2001 slotting into the second position. The World Meteorological Organization reported that the nine hottest years in the recorded history of meteorological happened from the 1990s.
Rise in sea level: The World Meteorological reports have shown an increment in the sea level by 10-20 cm.
Decreasing snow cover: snow coverage has been reported to have decreased by about 10% since the 1960s.
Worse El Nino effects: For the last three decades, the World Meteorological Organization has reported of adverse El Nino effects in the Southern Hemisphere.
How does the existence of alternative framing affect policy negotiation and debate?
Extrinsic reasons: to cushion against the adverse impacts of climatic change, some practices such as preservation of tropical rainforests. However, some people claim that the aim of preserving the rainforests is because they are a source of medicines, cushion against mudslides and source of oxygen.
Quasi-Biblical reasons: some people paint images of prophesied in the Bible to their audiences.