By Michael Farrelly & Tom Bartlett
Language is crucial to understanding societies. It’s crucial to recognising the ecological, social, political, and economic conditions in which we live. We use language to frame problems, formulate
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The podcast currently has 26 episodes available.
We take a step back from COP28 to discuss what makes a successful text for climate change and sustainability. We analyze different speakers and their approach to addressing these issues, including speakers like Txai Suruí, an indigenous activist; Arnold Schwarzenegger, former California governor; and Jeremy Clarkson, a motor journalist. We examine how these speakers utilize their cultural capital and contextualize their messages for their audiences. We also discuss concepts like intertextuality and positive discourse analysis, ultimately emphasising the importance of a diverse network of voices promoting environmental change.
See the podcast on YouTube or join us on Patreon to access discussion boards for every episode; take part in polls on podcast content; see exclusive posts on upcoming episodes; get transcripts of the main episodes.
Language & Power YouTube channel
Language & Power Patreon page
Power and Language Podcast Webpage
A final text from COP 28 has been announced - including the phrase ‘fossil fuels’ for the first time. We discuss this and some of the reaction to the text.
COP28 Final text
See the podcast on YouTube or join us on Patreon to access discussion boards for every episode; take part in polls on podcast content; see exclusive posts on upcoming episodes; get transcripts of the main episodes.
Language & Power YouTube channel
Language & Power Patreon page
Power and Language Podcast Webpage
Food, Agriculture & Water was the theme of COP 28 on 10th December 2023. We discuss a new document published at COP28: ‘Achieving SDG2 without breaching the 1.5C threshold: A Global Roadmap - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ - in particular, the topic of sustainable fisheries.
COP26 Alok Sharma Opening Speech
COP27 Sameh Shoukry Opening Speech
COP 28 Al Jaber Opening Speech
FAO Document: Achieving SDG2 without breaching the 1.5C threshold: A Global Roadmap
See the podcast on YouTube or join us on Patreon to access discussion boards for every episode; take part in polls on podcast content; see exclusive posts on upcoming episodes; get transcripts of the main episodes.
Language & Power YouTube channel
Language & Power Patreon page
Power and Language Podcast Webpage
Just transition is a theme at COP 28. We discuss the definitions of ‘just transition’ found in documents related to a ‘high level ministerial roundtable on just transitions’ held at COP28:
UN Article: Ensuring No One is Left Behind: First High-Level Ministerial Roundtable on Just Transition
UN Agenda: First Annual High-level Ministerial round table on just transition
UN Powerpoint Slides: First Annual High-level Ministerial round table on just transition
ILO: Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all
US Vice President Harris speech at COP28
See the podcast on YouTube or join us on Patreon to access discussion boards for every episode; take part in polls on podcast content; see exclusive posts on upcoming episodes; get transcripts of the main episodes.
Language & Power YouTube channel
Language & Power Patreon page
Power and Language Podcast Webpage
Dr Sultan Al Jaber opened COP 28, with some media controversy, on 30th November 2023; UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, flew to the UAE and gave a press conference. We discuss the two speeches in terms of argumentation strategies - both appeal to pragmatic and moral arguments.
Rishi Sunak press conference speech transcript
Sultan Al Jaber COP 28 opening address transcript
Rishi Sunak press conference video
Sultan Al Jaber COP 28 opening address video
See the podcast on YouTube or join us on Patreon to access discussion boards for every episode; take part in polls on podcast content; see exclusive posts on upcoming episodes; get transcripts of the main episodes.
Language & Power YouTube channel
Language & Power Patreon page
Power and Language Podcast Webpage
In this second episode of our mini-series that responds to themes around COP27, we discuss ‘greenwashing’ in relation to COP 27, which was recently was held in Egypt. This topic is inspired by an article that we found in The Guardian authored by the well-known writer, Naomi Klein: “Greenwashing a police state: the truth behind Egypt's COP 27 masquerade”. With us on the podcast is special guest. Dr Michael Kranert from the University of Southhampton.
Greenwashing a police state: the truth behind Egypt’s Cop27 masquerade
Sharm El-Sheikh Mangroves and Sustainability
Three protected areas you need to visit if you’re a nature-lover travelling to Sharm El Sheikh for COP 27 this November
Welcome Message From President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
Power and Language Podcast Webpage
In this first episode of our mini-series that responds to themes around COP27, we discuss sustainable consumption and sustainable production. With our guest, Alex Caveen, we look at four articles from The Guardian newspaper in the UK. Each of them addresses some aspects of consumption, and some raise issues of sustainable production.
Cut meat consumption to two burgers a week to save planet, study suggests
Enormous emissions gap between top 1% and poorest, study highlights
Embrace what may be the most important green technology ever. It could save us all
Lab-grown food is no way to nourish the planet
Power and Language Podcast Webpage
In the final episode of series 2, Tom and Michael discuss some of the text of the 2022 reports on climate from the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change. We discuss abstract written style, the apparent absence of people in describing many processes in the reports, and the potential effect of this on presenting human agency in the causes of, and solutions for, climate change.
AR6 Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
AR6 Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change
Communicating Sustainability Conference, Glasgow, September 2022
Language & Power Podcast Webpage
In the seventh episode of series 2, Tom and Michael discuss the discourse of public apologies. We look at the example of actor Will Smith apologising for assaulting comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars ceremony. Chris Rock had made a joke at the expense of Smith’s wife.
The Independent: Read the Best Actor winner’s full apology to Chris Rock over Oscars slap
Language & Power Podcast Webpage
The podcast currently has 26 episodes available.