'Climategate': paradoxical metaphors and political paralysis

Nerlich, Brigitte

Abstract

Climate scepticism in the sense of climate denialism or contrarianism is not a new phenomenon, but it has recently been very much in the media spotlight. When, in November 2009, emails by climate scientists were published on the internet without their authors’ consent, a debate began in which climate sceptic bloggers used an extended network of metaphors to contest (climate) science. This article follows the so-called ‘climategate’ debate on the web and shows how a paradoxical mixture of religious metaphors and demands for ‘better science’ allowed those disagreeing with the theory of anthropogenic climate change to undermine the authority of science and call for political inaction with regard to climate change.

Citation

Nerlich, B. 'Climategate': paradoxical metaphors and political paralysis. Environmental Values, 14(9), https://doi.org/10.3197/096327110X531543

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Deposit Date: Oct 14, 2010
• Journal: Environmental Values
• Print ISSN: 0963-2719
• Electronic ISSN: 1752-7015
• Publisher: White Horse Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 9
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3197/096327110X531543
• Keywords: Climate scepticism, climate science, policy, metaphor, framing, religion
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1012946
• Publisher URL: http://www.erica.demon.co.uk/EV/EV1919.html