Research Paper on Climate Change: Communicating the Urgency to a Broader Audience

Introduction

Climate change is one of the threats to the human race globally. Reports made by the media, governments and international agencies have covered aspects of climate change, majorly global warming. The realisation that climate change requires urgent redress globally brings the discussion on how best it can be communicated to the broader audience outside the environmental enthusiast's circle. The subject of climate change is mainly scientific, with piles of data and statistics. The packaging of that information for non-specialists to understand the threat and how they can help mitigate it is crucial. Discussed in the paper is a climate change communication drive titled 'ActNow climate campaign' by the United Nations.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

ActNow Climate Campaign

The world has witnessed a drastic change in technology and industrial systems. The 21st century has been punctuated with breakthroughs, especially in the technological world where artificial intelligence and software have been developed to make life easier. The United Nations has embraced the new wave of technology and even incorporated it towards delivering their mandate, one being environmental conservation. Its ActNow climate campaign is a digital-based communication drive which seeks to capitalise on the increasing numbers of people connected to the internet worldwide.

The campaign is running on social media, which is regarded to be the new media, by using the software application Facebook messenger. On the interactive messenger platform, the United Nations can share with users on tips to keep their environment safe in their daily activities. The users also register their actions, thereby creating a community set up which can collectively lobby for pollution-free engagements by government and people who hold managerial positions in businesses.

The campaign was launched subsequent of the prominent Paris Agreement 2015 where global leaders received a clarion call to combat climate change by implementing the guidelines formulated during the summit. Climate change has, as a result, become a salient topic in science and society (Brigitte Nerlich, Nelya Koteyko, Brian Brown )To access the climate communication service, one just needs to search the United Nations Facebook page from where they can interact with the ActNow.bot which is an automated chatting mechanism on the platform. It can respond to any queries directed to it. The views and ideas collected from the social media users are then tabled during the United Nations Secretary-General's Climate Summit.

Climate Change Communication Debates About Actnow Campaign

Climate change communication can be subject to the debate concerning packaging information, delivery and the content delivered. The discussions can arise in various circles like the scientific, political class and individuals. ActNow is, therefore, likely to generate debates among individuals since its outreach is individually based.

Firstly, communicating in a way that suggests that human factors can influence climate change can bring discomfort and a sense of guilt among individuals. When ActNow chat bot recommends environmental safety tips that suggest human behaviour negatively affects climate, it can be interpreted to be low critical insults to the people. Climate change communication to individuals can bring a sense of guilt in their lifestyles, a good example being the emissions subject. Suggesting vehicle-free days among the people can be interpreted to be breaching their desired lifestyles. From that angle, the people may turn against the statistical data by questioning its credibility. When climate change communication appears to imply that people are no longer in control of the environment, the people, especially conservative ones, will move to oppose the campaign. The idea that man is above nature in a moral hierarchy, that nature is there (put there by God) purely for human use and exploitation can inhibit efforts towards climate change (Lakoff).

Politically, climate change communication also results in debate among the political elite who continuously endear their policies and ideas to their people. With regards to the scientific data and recommendations provided, some political figures may support or differ. The collective thoughts and views taken up from people on ActNow platform can be used in the formulation of policy and law to battle climate change in different nations. Leaders who agree with the scientific data and the recommendations in those readily come on board. For example, in the United Kingdom, majority leaders agreed with the experimental data and in 2008 passed the Climate Change Act. However, in some countries, politicians may disagree and question the viability and necessity of the proposed regulations to climate change. The competitive nature of politics brings the debates in climate change communication on the political stage.

Another dimension of the debate on climate change communication is the communication to the group of people who are not scientists. Scientific evidence sometimes contradicts some people's values, for example, the religious people (Hendricks). Expecting understanding and action from these people by communicating the experimental part of it has been heavily criticised. The non-scientists are probably the majority of the population. However, the evidence-based scientific method of communication cannot be done away with. This is because there exists another group of people who are decision makers. These decision makers maybe legislators or government officers. They rely on the evidential data to make decisions and chart out plans. This is a debate about the packaging of information which should be of concern to ActNow climate campaign.

Probable Goals of the ActNow Climate Campaign

The United Nations was seeking to launch an alternative and innovative form of integrating the call to action in addressing climate change. The earlier communication methods were devised and used with the masses in mind. Therefore, the guidelines given were inconsiderate of specific people in specific environments. For example, instructions to combat climate change can be relevant to city residents and not rural residents. The ActNow platform, therefore, looks to reach people on the individual scope and not the mass setting. Through this effort, the campaign seeks to build personal appeal and initiative to take action towards climate change. Each individual who is convinced and decides to heed to the call adds to a cumulative large global community out to make the environment better by combating climate change.

The ActNow Climate campaign seeks to empower people. It imparts knowledge individually, depending on what a user submits to the chatbot. It, therefore, provides specific and straightforward pieces of information that suit the individual concerning their economic level, the environment they occupy and their daily schedules. Original equipment with that knowledge assists individuals in understanding their environments better. They also get empowered on how best they can utilise their environment. This creates a win-win situation where the individual benefits economically, stays healthy, and the environment pollution free.

The United Nations aimed at maximising on technological development. The evolving of technology is a recipient of partial blame on the subject of climate change. For example, the evolution of technology can bring sporadic growth of the motor vehicle industry. The motor vehicles have turned to be significant environmental pollutants by fume emissions, leading to aspects of climate change like global warming. However, the United Nations moved in to take advantage of the technological threat by using that same technology to communicate and build awareness. Social media is driven by technology since people are increasingly owning mobile devices and getting connected to the internet. Through using technology, it has become much more comfortable to relay advice and guide the people on climate change at the comfort of their phones and computers. The ActNow campaign, therefore, is out to utilise the technology resource in creating awareness entirely.

The campaign also targets to enhance the experience of the people in climate change communication. Before the introduction of the digital ActNow chatbot, it was difficult for people to be heard, especially at the individual level. The interactive interface is meant to give the user a feeling of appreciation that the international agency and the world in that sense are listening to what they have to contribute to the subject of climate. The campaign looks to get valuable feedback and general details from the entries that users make on the platform.

The campaign seeks to redefine environmental activism and spearhead the issue of climate change into the minds of the majority. As opposed to street demonstrations against insensitive climate practices, the platform seeks to create a more significant community with worldwide status. The users on the platform can denounce activities which are not environmental friendly perpetrated by government and business moguls who operate industries. The online community can send a message to condemn such retrogressive actions without necessarily taking to the streets where they can face retaliation from security forces.

The United Nations, through the ActNow campaign, targets to gather suggestions from the users worldwide. The climate communication is meant to be a two-way type of communication where the solutions can come from both ends. Each user gives ideas in the course of interacting with the chatbot. When cumulatively looked at, the insights from users worldwide could unlock miseries and provide vital intelligence towards combating the negative impact of climate change. The collected thoughts from users are presented to the United Nations for consideration where some can even be adopted as international law.

Strengths of the Actnow Climate Campaign With Regards to Its Objectives

In assessing the muscles, the area of interests are the unique features used by the campaign and the extent to which the campaign has simplified and enhanced the quality of communication.

Firstly, flexibility is one of the strengths of the ActNow chat bot communication mechanism. The system can generate responses based on the entries of the user. It, therefore, gives it the upper hand where someone needs an answer or uncertain about something. Reading articles in the papers may offer a variety of solutions, but they are rigid. The content on the documents for example, once published, it cannot be reverted or changed to address a specific need by a person. However, the chatbot goes the extra mile in serving what the user needs about environmental safety at a given time. The flexibility of the online campaigns, therefore, tries to address the question of information packaging when communicating about climate change. The details are packaged according to the queries presented, making it an ideal learning platform.

Technology can be considered a strength of the ActNow United Nations climate change communication campaign. Basing the campaign on social media, especially Facebook, places it in a better position to reach more people worldwide. Facebook, as a social media platform, boasts of a large following worldwide alongside other social networks like WhatsApp. Recent findings suggest that users spend quality time on social media, which makes it the ideal avenue to bring climate change awareness. Compared to the newspapers and magazines, social platforms are the most consumed media considering that the readership of publications has sharply declined.

Two-way communication. The countercurrent information flow of information is another strength of the ActNo...