More than a change in the climate: Evidence, reasons and emotions in narratives of environmental and ecological pandemic

Authors

Abstract

We emphasise the importance of communication in order to understand fully the process of environmental and ecological degradation of planet Earth. We propose ending the use of the term climate change to communicate this process, which we characterise as an environmental and ecological pandemic of anthropogenic origin. We argue for communication aimed at persuasion, and the search for consensus based on the acceptance of dissent through argument and dialogue; communication that combines reasoning backed by data and evidence, as well as by critical and reflective analysis and appeals to emotions and values, taking into account the importance of the dynamics and dimensions of ethics. We call for scientific communication to be seen as culture. We advocate an epistemic and institutional framework that incorporates a communicative ecology, paying greater attention to the contexts of reciprocal relationships between human beings, the environment and other forms of life on the planet, and to the sense of global community.

Keywords

environmental and ecological degradation, climate change, communication, persuasion, consensus, dissent, communicative ecology, values, communication as culture, environmental and ecological crisis

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Author Biographies

Jesús Rey Rocha, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) / Instituto de Filosofía (IFS)

Jesús Rey Rocha has a degree in Biological Sciences (Complutense University of Madrid) and a PhD in Sciences (Autonomous University of Madrid). He is currently a research scientist in the Department of Science, Technology and Society at the Institute of Philosophy, part of the Spanish National Research Council (IFS, CSIC), where he leads the group Science, Life and Society. He is a member of LifeHUB CSIC, the network that brings together researchers to explore the origin, (co)evolution, diversity and synthesis of life. His scientific interests in recent years have been focused on science-life-society relations; the perception and communication of science; the challenges, impacts and social implications of research on life; the social and philosophical aspects of the environmental and ecological crisis; and the social impact of science.

Emilio Muñoz Ruiz, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) / Instituto de Filosofía (IFS)

Emilio Muñoz Ruiz is Emeritus Professor at the Institute of Philosophy (IFS) of CSIC and until 2023 Emeritus Professor at CIEMAT. Until his retirement he was Head of the Science, Technology and Society Department at the IFS. Until 2019 he held the presidency of the Scientific Advisory Committee of ASEBIO, and the Technical Direction of the Chair of Ethics and Values in Engineering of the School of Mining Engineers of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. He has been, among other positions, president of CSIC and general secretary of the National R&D Plan. He is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), of the Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (area of Biotechnology), and the LifeHUB CSIC, and a corresponding member of the Royal Academy of Pharmacy. He is the author of nearly a thousand articles in the fields of biochemistry, biotechnology and philosophy of biology and science and technology policy.

Published

2024-10-29

How to Cite

Rey Rocha, J., & Muñoz Ruiz, E. (2024). More than a change in the climate: Evidence, reasons and emotions in narratives of environmental and ecological pandemic. Enrahonar. An International Journal of Theoretical and Practical Reason, 73, 57–81. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/enrahonar.1556

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