ALTHOUGH language has an overall impression in representing the broad communication framework in the climate change discourse, it is carefully chosen words which drive the whole communication process. GUEST COLUMN:PETER MAKWANYA Words can be used to establish walls or bridges depending on the climate situation to be communicated. The climate change discourse thrives on crafting new terms in order to communicate meaning and inspire action. While some words are purely and purposefully environmental in scope and content, others are both environmental and commercial, designed to enhance opportunities that come with the climate change problem. Words in climate change discourse are carefully chosen and designed to have an impact, change of mindset and communicate behaviour change in the overall climate change and environmental conservation discourse. The chosen terms are designed to shake the mind, creating mental impressions and thoughts thereby transforming the overall thought process. Of course, language use has to target the mind because human behaviour or attitudes start from there. Human activities accelerating climate change cannot be corrected without dealing with the mind. Just like how linguists and communication experts select words, climate scientists use words to represent climate processes. Words such as fossilisation, deforestation, global warming, pollution, land degradation, emissions, among others derive meaning from science. It requires the power of communication to unearth the meanings of those words to avoid communication roadblocks. Words such as carbon war, climate crises, catastrophes, disasters, forest plunder among others have not done much to stop carbon emissions, deforestations and land degradations. In this regard, the overall climate discourse will continue to be seen as battles even in the way the global negotiations are conducted, they are actually a war of words, mistrusts and vote-buying. Even words like artisanal miners used to describe the chaotic and unregulated small-scale mining have not stopped anarchy and human rights abuses in gold mining because they are simply words and nothing else. Climate change is a moral or an ethical issue gone wrong, leading to climate injustices and emission gaps and inequalities. Therefore, the role of these words is to highlight people’s shortcomings towards the environment for image building, responsibility and accountability purposes. All climate change communication processes in the form of print, electronic, broadcasting, online, visual and storytelling media are designed to mould responsible citizens through the power of language. The ability to manage the impacts of climate change depends on the communication interventions used. Taming wildlife plunder and poaching also depends on the nature of words used to communicate conservation issues. For some time, words such as ivory war, eliminating poaching syndicates, among others have not been able to bring desired results, leading to wildlife conservation being at crossroads. If authorities do not le
