Leave only Footprints? Reframing Climate Change, Environmental Stewardship, and Human Impact

Abstract

Cheryl Hall has argued that framing of climate change must acknowledge the sacrifices needed to reach a sustainable future. This paper builds on that argument. Although it is important to acknowledge the value of what must be sacrificed, this paper argues that current frames about the environment falsely portray humans and the environment as in a zero-sum game, and in doing so ask people to give up the wrong things (namely, their humanity and sense of self). This could undermine the public’s trust in environmentalism, and might even create a backlash against action on climate change. I propose we need alternative framing that portrays humans as a keystone species, and highlights positive human activity.

Keywords:

• Climate change
• zero-sum game
• sustainability
• stewardship
• framing

Notes

1. Even after we have accounted for the perfect storm of a disperse cause and effect, fragmented agency, and institutional inadequacy (Gardiner, 2006).

2. Here, the alien visitor declares that human life is incompatible with a thriving ecosystem. In order to save the earth, the aliens will destroy the human race. As the alien Klaatu argues, ‘If the Earth dies, you [humans] die. [But] if you die, the Earth survives’.

3. Although many academics, scientists, and activists have avoided making a choice and have rightly recognized it as a false dichotomy (e.g. Plumwood, 1991), many members of the public have felt the need to choose and have done so.

4. http://www.earthfirst.org/about.htm