As the Northeastern United States turns prematurely tropical (it is way too early for me to enjoy the sweltering heat of August when it's only mid-May), my thoughts turn to the spinmeisters of the Republican Noise Machine and their flippant denial of the greenhouse effect on our climate.
Frank Luntz, the king of Republican spinmeisters, quipped smugly with Bill Maher, last Friday evening, during a lively exchange on Real Time with Bill Maher "It's not global warming... it's climate change. (chortle)" The meme stuck like skin to a car seat on a hot May day. "Wait a minute you fools!" I screamed at my TV set. "Someone on the panel, pleeease point out the seriousness of this problem and stop smiling!" My TV and the panel were silent.
Calling our current meteorologic crisis a climate change is like calling Europe's Black Plague a change in environmental bacterial flora. It is true, but the phrase does nothing to convey the perilousness of the problem.
What we now are experiencing is GLOBAL OVERHEATING. Luntz spins while the earth burns.
The Rockridge Institute, and it's founder George Lakoff, are known for their work on how framing can lead to a better understanding of problems and ultimately to action. The Rockridge Institute is planning a coordinative effort with DailyKos, in order to raise the profile of framing in political dialogue. Rockridge plans to post on DailyKos this Thursday at 4 P.M. PDT.
With a tip of the hat to Lakoff's seminal work on framing and to more accurately describe the solar baking of the earth's crust, I propose that the term GLOBAL OVERHEATING be substituted for the inappropriately soothing phrases "global warming" or "climate change".
Global overheating conjures up a vision of a disabled car, stranded on the roadside, with thick steam pouring out from under a raised hood. Global warming is like a cheery fire on a cold winter's day.
Most Americans have become programmed to think in simple, self-explanatory memes. The name of something and its meaning are one in the same.
The temperature is rising. What are your thoughts?