Words, Words, Words
Sunday, 24. February 2008, 15:21:20
What’s in a word? A word like hmmm for instance? At the Accretionary Wedge #6 You will find rather different opinions on Things that make you go "hmmm". - Geohmmms.
Recently there has been quite a discussion on how to spell sulphur/sulfur or palaeontology/paleontology, in short a fight between UK/British English and US/USA-ish English at Highly Allochtonous - not without a bit of humour/humor.
For many people it still seems to make quite a difference, whether you speak of nuclear energy or atomic power / atomic energy.
And take Global Warming! Warming is something that’s kind of cosy (cozy to some of you) and comfortable. James Lovelock pushed for “global heating”. Personally I prefer to call it “climate change”. Here are a few alternative terms featured in Dot Earth. “Global climate disruption” is favoured by John P. Holdren, the head of Harvard’s centre on science and technology policy, who calls global warming a misnomer. How about “atmosphere cancer” or “pollution death”?
Global climate instability is a great challenge for scientists and policy-makers. Information and communication is vital.
Are words worthless in the climate fight? In spite of the limits of language - whatever language - we must talk about it. And beware there are denialists out there (some of them better with words than with science).
• http://lablemminglounge.blogspot.com/2008/02/geohmms-accretionary-wedge-6.html
• http://scienceblogs.com/highlyallochthonous/2008/02/its_our_language_and_we_want_i.php
• http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/global-heating-atmosphere-cancer-pollution-death-whats-in-a-name/
Recently there has been quite a discussion on how to spell sulphur/sulfur or palaeontology/paleontology, in short a fight between UK/British English and US/USA-ish English at Highly Allochtonous - not without a bit of humour/humor.
For many people it still seems to make quite a difference, whether you speak of nuclear energy or atomic power / atomic energy.
And take Global Warming! Warming is something that’s kind of cosy (cozy to some of you) and comfortable. James Lovelock pushed for “global heating”. Personally I prefer to call it “climate change”. Here are a few alternative terms featured in Dot Earth. “Global climate disruption” is favoured by John P. Holdren, the head of Harvard’s centre on science and technology policy, who calls global warming a misnomer. How about “atmosphere cancer” or “pollution death”?
Global climate instability is a great challenge for scientists and policy-makers. Information and communication is vital.
Are words worthless in the climate fight? In spite of the limits of language - whatever language - we must talk about it. And beware there are denialists out there (some of them better with words than with science).
• http://lablemminglounge.blogspot.com/2008/02/geohmms-accretionary-wedge-6.html
• http://scienceblogs.com/highlyallochthonous/2008/02/its_our_language_and_we_want_i.php
• http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/global-heating-atmosphere-cancer-pollution-death-whats-in-a-name/
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