In last week’s podcast I introduced you to the work of George Layoff. Layoff is a cognitive linguist who has been studying the use of metaphors and the effect they have on our behavior. Metaphors are formed early in life. The associations between physical experiences and emotional responses are formed so early we aren’t even aware of the links. We talk about warm-hearted people and relationships that are hot and cold because as an infant when our mothers held us we experienced warmth and affection linked together.

What has this got to do with climate change? It turns out quite a lot. We are a very divided country and the divisions are becoming ever greater. If we’re going to find effective solutions to the climate change crisis, we need to find ways to talk to one another. Lakoff’s work offers a great structure for framing conversations so we can hear one another.