The times reports that, “EcoAmerica has been conducting research for the last several years to find new ways to frame environmental issues and so build public support for climate change legislation and other initiatives. The term turns people off, fostering images of shaggy-haired liberals, economic sacrifice and complex scientific disputes, according to extensive polling and focus group sessions conducted by ecoAmerica, a nonprofit environmental marketing and messaging firm in Washington. Instead of grim warnings about global warming, the firm advises, talk about “our deteriorating atmosphere.” Drop discussions of carbon dioxide and bring up “moving away from the dirty fuels of the past.” Don’t confuse people with cap and trade; use terms like “cap and cash back” or “pollution reduction refund.””
There is an important essay written by Eric Blair (George Orwell), called Politics and the English Language (May 1945) where he states, “In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defence of the indefensible. Things like the continuance of British rule in India, the Russian purges and deportations, the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan, can indeed be defended, but only by arguments which are too brutal for most people to face, and which do not square with the professed aims of the political parties. Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness.””
So, since the idea of Global Warming has been effectively riddled with holes, we already got to see it morph into “Climate Change” so that when any unusual weather event happened (including a cold snap, blizzard, etc.) could be blamed on humanity, and now we are seeing it changing into other terms as well. This is also proof that this effort is not a grass-roots one, but a centrally controlled effort run by a group of people who are telling others how to phrase their messages in order to square with the aims of the political movement called ‘environmental activism’.
If something is a truth, one does not need to re-package that something. It stands on its own for all to see and observe and to take from it what one may. Truths and half-truths along with lies need to be re-packaged, re-markets, and changed in order to seem like a novel or new idea so that the deception can be kept in view of everyone’s mind’s eye. The obvious deception involved with the modern environmental activist can be seen with the talking points conveyed: “Moving away from the dirty fuels of the past” is an obvious lie. Oil is still the most used fuel, dirty or not. It is not something int he past but very much used in the present and for the foreseeable future – to say otherwise is either mis, or uninformed, or… deceptive.
By keeping the definitions and words as fluid as possible they are able to change what needs to be changed in order to keep their agenda moving. They are not burdened with consistency, they need not be true or even accurate, they will just invent new terms and act like a brand new day is here. Deception.
Are we the people really so stupid that we would fall for this deception? Time will tell. While waiting for time to tell us, I’d suggest reading Orwell’s essay — it is delightful.
Zeno Sees, Zeno Writes 