Risk Communication, Public Engagement, and Climate Change Essay (Critical Writing)

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The article “Risk Communication, Public Engagement, and Climate Change: A Role for Emotions” by Roeser (2012) focuses on examining the role of emotions in attitudes towards climate change. The author clarifies that many people consider climate change as something that occurs in distant places with others, which shows that they lack a sense of urgency. In this connection, the appeal to emotions in communicating the necessity of changing one’s views can be a useful instrument. The author begins by introducing the background of the problem, stating that risk perception is directly connected with emotions. The situation is complicated by the fact that people prefer collective-level policies instead of personal contributions. In particular, such feelings as fear promote a greater understanding of climate change threats.

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The emphasis put on moral insights can serve as the way to explain to people that their own actions can improve the current negative impact on climate. Even though emotions are often perceived as misleading factors, they can also cause rational beliefs. For example, a person may think that planes pollute the air and stop using them; however, from the rational stance, such a decision cannot change the situation since other people would continue flying (Roeser, 2012). In addition, the use of emotional appeals can benefit due to their ability to evoke empathy, likewise in the case of children in Africa. As the climate change topic is abstract and complicated, people have uncertain information. Therefore, the article suggests integrating factual data with emotional responses to avoid misleading decisions.

The key purpose of risk communication is to inform people about threats that concern not only others but also their own lives. Since the scientific explanation of climate change can be ambiguous and complex, feelings of care and worry can be used. The promotion of individual responsibility for society is another option to help people understand their role. One more challenge is associated with the fact that complex information may cause misunderstanding and a lack of knowledge on how exactly people can contribute to the problem of climate change. The emotions can be applied as motivators for altering environment-related behaviors.

This article offers valuable insights into the practical ways of using emotions to increase people’s awareness of climate change. The author uses proper references to credible sources to support her arguments. The well-structured organization of the article is another strength that helps the readers to comprehend new ideas. Since a range of examples and real-life situations are used in this research, it is easy for an average reader to trace the author’s assumptions. The emotional considerations in the context of climate change have great potential to revolutionize the very approach of people towards this problem. It seems that everyday communications can include climate change discussions. For example, it is possible to bridge workplace tasks with their environmental impact and the methods to reduce it. However, it would be better if the author also provided the practical steps that can be taken by environmental organizations to attract the attention of society by means of emotions. Nevertheless, this issue can be examined in future studies.

Reference

Roeser, S. (2012). Risk communication, public engagement, and climate change: A role for emotions. Risk Analysis: An International Journal, 32(6), 1033-1040.

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IvyPanda. (2021, August 8). Risk Communication, Public Engagement, and Climate Change. https://ivypanda.com/essays/risk-communication-public-engagement-and-climate-change/

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"Risk Communication, Public Engagement, and Climate Change." IvyPanda, 8 Aug. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/risk-communication-public-engagement-and-climate-change/.

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IvyPanda. (2021) 'Risk Communication, Public Engagement, and Climate Change'. 8 August.

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IvyPanda. 2021. "Risk Communication, Public Engagement, and Climate Change." August 8, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/risk-communication-public-engagement-and-climate-change/.

1. IvyPanda. "Risk Communication, Public Engagement, and Climate Change." August 8, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/risk-communication-public-engagement-and-climate-change/.


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IvyPanda. "Risk Communication, Public Engagement, and Climate Change." August 8, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/risk-communication-public-engagement-and-climate-change/.

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