Until the mid 2010s, the scientific community had been using neutral, constrained language when discussing climate change. Advocacy groups, politicians and media have traditionally been using more-powerful language than that used by climate scientists. From around 2014, a shift in scientists' language connoted an increased sense of urgency.: 2546 Use of the terms urgency, climate crisis and climate emergency in scientific publications and in mass media has grown. Scientists have called for more-extensive action and transformational climate-change adaptation that focuses on large-scale change in systems.: 2546
In 2019, the language describing climate appeared to change: the UN Secretary General's address at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit used more emphatic language; Al Gore's campaign The Climate Reality Project, Greenpeace and the Sunrise Movement petitioned news organizations to alter their language; and in May 2019, The Guardian changed its style guide to favor the terms "climate emergency, crisis or breakdown" and "global heating". Editor-in-Chief Katharine Viner said: "We want to ensure that we are being scientifically precise, while also communicating clearly with readers on this very important issue. The phrase 'climate change', for example, sounds rather passive and gentle when what scientists are talking about is a catastrophe for humanity." The Guardian became a lead partner in Covering Climate Now, an initiative of news organizations Columbia Journalism Review and The Nation that was founded in 2019 to address the need for stronger climate coverage.
In May 2019, The Climate Reality Project promoted an open petition of news organizations to use climate crisis instead of climate change and global warming. The NGO said: "it's time to abandon both terms in culture".
There could also be a "crisis fatigue" in which urgency to respond to threats loses its appeal over time. Crisis terminology could lose audiences if meaningful policies to address the emergency are not enacted. According to researchers Susan C. Moser and Lisa Dilling of University of Colorado, appeals to fear usually do not create sustained, constructive engagement; they noted psychologists consider human responses to danger—fight, flight or freeze—can be maladaptive if they do not reduce the danger. According to Sander van der Linden, director of the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab, fear is a "paralyzing emotion". He favors climate crisis over other terms because it conveys a sense of both urgency and optimism, and not a sense of doom. Van der Linden said: "people know that crises can be avoided and that they can be resolved".
In 2019, an advertising consulting agency conducted a neuroscientific study involving 120 U.S. people who were equally divided into supporters of the Republican Party, the Democratic Party and independents. The study involved electroencephalography (EEG) and galvanic skin response (GSR) measurements. Responses to the terms climate crisis, environmental destruction, environmental collapse, weather destabilization, global warming and climate change were measured. The study found Democrats had a 60% greater emotional response to climate crisis than to climate change. In Republicans, the emotional response to climate crisis was three times stronger than that for climate change. According to CBS News, climate crisis "performed well in terms of responses across the political spectrum and elicited the greatest emotional response among independents". The study concluded climate crisis elicited stronger emotional responses than neutral and "worn out" terms like global warming and climate change. Climate crisis was found to encourage a sense of urgency, though not a strong-enough response to cause cognitive dissonance that would cause people to generate counterarguments.
Research has shown the naming of a phenomenon and the way it is framed "has a tremendous effect on how audiences come to perceive that phenomenon" and "can have a profound impact on the audience's reaction". Climate change, and its real and hypothetical effects, are usually described in scientific-and-practitioner literature in terms of climate risks.
Sobczyk, Nick (July 10, 2019). "How climate change got labeled a 'crisis'". E & E News (Energy & Environmental News). Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060718493
Center for International Environmental Law. (1990). "Selected International Legal Materials on Global Warming and Climate Change". American University International Law Review. 5 (2): 515. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2019. https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1589&context=auilr
Vickers, Emma (September 17, 2019). "When Is Change a 'Crisis'? Why Climate Terms Matter". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-17/when-is-change-a-crisis-why-climate-terms-matter-quicktake
Mukheibir, Pierre; Mallam, Patricia (September 30, 2019). "Climate crisis – what's it good for?". The Fifth Estate. Australia. Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/climate-change-news/climate-crisis-whats-it-good-for/
Sobczyk, Nick (July 10, 2019). "How climate change got labeled a 'crisis'". E & E News (Energy & Environmental News). Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060718493
Sobczyk, Nick (July 10, 2019). "How climate change got labeled a 'crisis'". E & E News (Energy & Environmental News). Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060718493
Samenow, Jason (January 29, 2018). "Debunking the claim 'they' changed 'global warming' to 'climate change' because warming stopped". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/01/29/debunking-the-claim-they-changed-global-warming-to-climate-change-because-its-cooling/
Maibach, Edward; Leiserowitz, Anthony; Feinberg, Geoff; Rosenthal, Seth; Smith, Nicholas; Anderson, Ashley; Roser-Renouf, Connie (May 2014). "What's in a Name? Global Warming versus Climate Change". Yale Project on Climate Change, Center for Climate Change Communication. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.10123.49448. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2020. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316859513
Sobczyk, Nick (July 10, 2019). "How climate change got labeled a 'crisis'". E & E News (Energy & Environmental News). Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060718493
Yoder, Kate (April 29, 2019). "Why your brain doesn't register the words 'climate change'". Grist. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. https://grist.org/article/why-your-brain-doesnt-register-the-words-climate-change/
Hodder, Patrick; Martin, Brian (September 5, 2009). "Climate Crisis? The Politics of Emergency Framing" (PDF). Economic and Political Weekly. 44 (36): 53, 55–60. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 10, 2020.(subscription required) https://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/09epw.pdf
"Words That (Don't) Matter: An Exploratory Study of Four Climate Change Names in Environmental Discourse / Investigating the Best Term for Global Warming". naaee.org. North American Association for Environmental Education. 2013. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. https://naaee.org/eepro/research/library/words-dont-matter-exploratory-study-four
Dean, Signe (May 25, 2019). "ScienceAlert Editor: Yes, It's Time to Update Our Climate Change Language". Science Alert. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. https://www.sciencealert.com/is-it-time-to-call-it-a-climate-crisis
Ripple, William J.; Wolf, Christopher; Newsome, Thomas M.; Barnard, Phoebe; Moomaw, William R. (January 1, 2020). "World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency". BioScience. 70 (1): 8–12. doi:10.1093/biosci/biz088. hdl:2445/151800. ISSN 0006-3568. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2020. https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/70/1/8/5610806
Ripple, William J.; Wolf, Christopher; Newsome, Thomas M.; Gregg, Jillian W.; et al. (July 28, 2021). "World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency 2021". BioScience. 71 (9): biab079. doi:10.1093/biosci/biab079. hdl:10871/126814. Archived from the original on August 26, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021. https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biab079/6325731
Bedi, Gitanjali (January 3, 2020). "Is it time to rethink our language on climate change?". Monash Lens. Monash University (Melbourne, Australia). Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. https://lens.monash.edu/@environment/2020/01/03/1379384/is-it-time-to-rethink-our-language-on-climate-change
New, M., D. Reckien, D. Viner, C. Adler, S.-M. Cheong, C. Conde, A. Constable, E. Coughlan de Perez, A. Lammel, R. Mechler, B. Orlove, and W. Solecki, 2022: Chapter 17: Decision-Making Options for Managing Risk. In: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, pp. 2539–2654, doi:10.1017/9781009325844.026 https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_Chapter17.pdf
New, M., D. Reckien, D. Viner, C. Adler, S.-M. Cheong, C. Conde, A. Constable, E. Coughlan de Perez, A. Lammel, R. Mechler, B. Orlove, and W. Solecki, 2022: Chapter 17: Decision-Making Options for Managing Risk. In: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, pp. 2539–2654, doi:10.1017/9781009325844.026 https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_Chapter17.pdf
Carrington, Damian (November 5, 2019). "Climate crisis: 11,000 scientists warn of 'untold suffering'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/05/climate-crisis-11000-scientists-warn-of-untold-suffering
Ripple, William J.; Wolf, Christopher; Newsome, Thomas M.; Barnard, Phoebe; Moomaw, William R. (January 1, 2020). "World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency". BioScience. 70 (1): 8–12. doi:10.1093/biosci/biz088. hdl:2445/151800. ISSN 0006-3568. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2020. https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/70/1/8/5610806
Ripple, William J.; Wolf, Christopher; Newsome, Thomas M.; Barnard, Phoebe; Moomaw, William R. (January 1, 2020). "World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency". BioScience. 70 (1): 8–12. doi:10.1093/biosci/biz088. hdl:2445/151800. ISSN 0006-3568. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2020. https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/70/1/8/5610806
Lenton, Timothy M.; Rockström, Johan; Gaffney, Owen; Rahmstorf, Stefan; Richardson, Katherine; Steffen, Will; Schellnhuber, Hans Joachim (2019). "Climate tipping points — too risky to bet against". Nature. 575 (7784): 592–595. Bibcode:2019Natur.575..592L. doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03595-0. hdl:10871/40141. PMID 31776487. S2CID 208330359. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)
Lenton, Timothy M.; Rockström, Johan; Gaffney, Owen; Rahmstorf, Stefan; Richardson, Katherine; Steffen, Will; Schellnhuber, Hans Joachim (2019). "Climate tipping points — too risky to bet against". Nature. 575 (7784): 592–595. Bibcode:2019Natur.575..592L. doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03595-0. hdl:10871/40141. PMID 31776487. S2CID 208330359. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)
Lenton, Timothy M.; Rockström, Johan; Gaffney, Owen; Rahmstorf, Stefan; Richardson, Katherine; Steffen, Will; Schellnhuber, Hans Joachim (2019). "Climate tipping points — too risky to bet against". Nature. 575 (7784): 592–595. Bibcode:2019Natur.575..592L. doi:10.1038/d41586-019-03595-0. hdl:10871/40141. PMID 31776487. S2CID 208330359. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier)
Mukheibir, Pierre; Mallam, Patricia (September 30, 2019). "Climate crisis – what's it good for?". The Fifth Estate. Australia. Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/climate-change-news/climate-crisis-whats-it-good-for/
Mukheibir, Pierre; Mallam, Patricia (September 30, 2019). "Climate crisis – what's it good for?". The Fifth Estate. Australia. Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/climate-change-news/climate-crisis-whats-it-good-for/
"What does climate crisis mean? / Where does climate crisis come from?". dictionary.com. December 2019. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. https://www.dictionary.com/e/tech-science/climate-crisis/
Dean, Signe (May 25, 2019). "ScienceAlert Editor: Yes, It's Time to Update Our Climate Change Language". Science Alert. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. https://www.sciencealert.com/is-it-time-to-call-it-a-climate-crisis
Sobczyk, Nick (July 10, 2019). "How climate change got labeled a 'crisis'". E & E News (Energy & Environmental News). Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060718493
Center for International Environmental Law. (1990). "Selected International Legal Materials on Global Warming and Climate Change". American University International Law Review. 5 (2): 515. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2019. https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1589&context=auilr
Center for International Environmental Law. (1990). "Selected International Legal Materials on Global Warming and Climate Change". American University International Law Review. 5 (2): 515. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2019. https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1589&context=auilr
Sobczyk, Nick (July 10, 2019). "How climate change got labeled a 'crisis'". E & E News (Energy & Environmental News). Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060718493
Sobczyk, Nick (July 10, 2019). "How climate change got labeled a 'crisis'". E & E News (Energy & Environmental News). Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060718493
Meyer, Robinson (December 28, 2018). "Democrats Establish a New House 'Climate Crisis' Committee". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on July 25, 2019. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/12/house-democrats-form-new-committee-climate-crisis/579109/
Sobczyk, Nick (July 10, 2019). "How climate change got labeled a 'crisis'". E & E News (Energy & Environmental News). Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060718493
Vickers, Emma (September 17, 2019). "When Is Change a 'Crisis'? Why Climate Terms Matter". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-17/when-is-change-a-crisis-why-climate-terms-matter-quicktake
Yoder, Kate (June 17, 2019). "Is it time to retire 'climate change' for 'climate crisis'?". Grist. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. https://grist.org/article/is-it-time-to-retire-climate-change-for-climate-crisis/
Yoder, Kate (June 17, 2019). "Is it time to retire 'climate change' for 'climate crisis'?". Grist. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. https://grist.org/article/is-it-time-to-retire-climate-change-for-climate-crisis/
"Call it a Climate Crisis". ActionNetwork.org. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Earliest Wayback Machine archive is May 17, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190517213330/https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/call-it-a-climate-crisis
"Call it a Climate Crisis". ActionNetwork.org. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Earliest Wayback Machine archive is May 17, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190517213330/https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/call-it-a-climate-crisis
Yoder, Kate (June 17, 2019). "Is it time to retire 'climate change' for 'climate crisis'?". Grist. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. https://grist.org/article/is-it-time-to-retire-climate-change-for-climate-crisis/
Yoder, Kate (June 17, 2019). "Is it time to retire 'climate change' for 'climate crisis'?". Grist. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. https://grist.org/article/is-it-time-to-retire-climate-change-for-climate-crisis/
"Letter to Major Networks: Call it a Climate Crisis – and Cover it Like One". citizen.org. Public Citizen. June 6, 2019. Archived from the original on October 17, 2019. https://www.citizen.org/article/letter-to-major-networks-call-it-a-climate-crisis-and-cover-it-like-one/
Visram, Talib (December 6, 2021). "The language of climate is evolving, from 'change' to 'catastrophe'". Fast Company. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. https://www.fastcompany.com/90702024/the-language-of-climate-is-evolving-from-change-to-catastrophe
Hickman, Leo (May 17, 2019). "The Guardian's editor has just issued this new guidance to all staff on language to use when writing about climate change and the environment..." Journalist Leo Hickman on Twitter. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2019. https://twitter.com/LeoHickman/status/1129322707110236160
Carrington, Damian (May 17, 2019). "Why The Guardian is changing the language it uses about the environment". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/17/why-the-guardian-is-changing-the-language-it-uses-about-the-environment
Carrington, Damian (May 17, 2019). "Why The Guardian is changing the language it uses about the environment / From now, house style guide recommends terms such as 'climate crisis' and 'global heating'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 6, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/17/why-the-guardian-is-changing-the-language-it-uses-about-the-environment
Guardian staff (April 12, 2021). "The climate emergency is here. The media needs to act like it". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/12/covering-climate-now-guardian-climate-emergency
Hertsgaard, Mark (August 28, 2019). "Covering Climate Now signs on over 170 news outlets". Columbia Journalism Review. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. https://www.cjr.org/covering_climate_now/covering-climate-now-170-outlets.php
Sobczyk, Nick (July 10, 2019). "How climate change got labeled a 'crisis'". E & E News (Energy & Environmental News). Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060718493
"Why Do We Call It the Climate Crisis?". climaterealityproject.org. The Climate Reality Project. May 1, 2019. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/why-do-we-call-it-climate-crisis
Yoder, Kate (June 17, 2019). "Is it time to retire 'climate change' for 'climate crisis'?". Grist. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. https://grist.org/article/is-it-time-to-retire-climate-change-for-climate-crisis/
"Recognising the climate crisis". Hindustan Times. November 24, 2019. Archived from the original on November 25, 2019. https://www.hindustantimes.com/editorials/recognising-the-climate-crisis-ht-editorial/story-v3GecFh9xed242exHphqhP.html
"Do European media take climate change seriously enough?". European Journalism Observatory (ejo.ch). Switzerland. February 18, 2020. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. https://en.ejo.ch/specialist-journalism/do-european-media-take-climate-change-seriously-enough
"Treat climate change like the crisis it is, says journalism professor". Interviewed by Gillian Findlay. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. July 5, 2019. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. • Archive of CBC quote in Osoyoos Times. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/the-sunday-edition-for-july-7-2019-1.5198309/treat-climate-change-like-the-crisis-it-is-says-journalism-professor-1.5198311
"Treat climate change like the crisis it is, says journalism professor". Interviewed by Gillian Findlay. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. July 5, 2019. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. • Archive of CBC quote in Osoyoos Times. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/the-sunday-edition-for-july-7-2019-1.5198309/treat-climate-change-like-the-crisis-it-is-says-journalism-professor-1.5198311
Barnard, Anne (July 5, 2019). "A 'Climate Emergency' Was Declared in New York City. Will That Change Anything?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 11, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/05/nyregion/climate-emergency-nyc.html
Zhou, Naaman (November 20, 2019). "Oxford Dictionaries declares 'climate emergency' the word of 2019". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 21, 2019. "Climate emergency" was named word of the year. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/21/oxford-dictionaries-declares-climate-emergency-the-word-of-2019
Smith, Lilly (February 16, 2021). "This chilling font visualizes Arctic ice melt". Fast Company. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. https://www.fastcompany.com/90604481/this-chilling-font-visualizes-arctic-ice-melt
Smith, Lilly (February 16, 2021). "This chilling font visualizes Arctic ice melt". Fast Company. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. https://www.fastcompany.com/90604481/this-chilling-font-visualizes-arctic-ice-melt
Ripple, William J.; Wolf, Christopher; Newsome, Thomas M.; Gregg, Jillian W.; et al. (July 28, 2021). "World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency 2021". BioScience. 71 (9): biab079. doi:10.1093/biosci/biab079. hdl:10871/126814. Archived from the original on August 26, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021. https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biab079/6325731
Ripple, William J; Wolf, Christopher; Gregg, Jillian W; Levin, Kelly; Rockström, Johan; Newsome, Thomas M; Betts, Matthew G; Huq, Saleemul; Law, Beverly E; Kemp, Luke; Kalmus, Peter; Lenton, Timothy M (October 26, 2022). "World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency 2022". BioScience. 72 (12): 1149–1155. doi:10.1093/biosci/biac083. hdl:1808/30278. https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fbiosci%2Fbiac083
Ripple, William J.; Wolf, Christopher; Newsome, Thomas M.; Gregg, Jillian W.; et al. (July 28, 2021). "World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency 2021". BioScience. 71 (9): biab079. doi:10.1093/biosci/biab079. hdl:10871/126814. Archived from the original on August 26, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021. https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biab079/6325731
Yourish, Karen; Daniel, Annie; Datar, Saurabh; White, Isaac; Gamio, Lazaro (March 7, 2025). "These Words Are Disappearing in the New Trump Administration". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 13, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/07/us/trump-federal-agencies-websites-words-dei.html
Vickers, Emma (September 17, 2019). "When Is Change a 'Crisis'? Why Climate Terms Matter". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-17/when-is-change-a-crisis-why-climate-terms-matter-quicktake
Guskin, Emily; Clement, Scott; Achenbach, Joel (December 9, 2019). "Americans broadly accept climate science, but many are fuzzy on the details". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/americans-broadly-accept-climate-science-but-many-are-fuzzy-on-the-details/2019/12/08/465a9d5e-0d6a-11ea-8397-a955cd542d00_story.html
Mukheibir, Pierre; Mallam, Patricia (September 30, 2019). "Climate crisis – what's it good for?". The Fifth Estate. Australia. Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/climate-change-news/climate-crisis-whats-it-good-for/
Hodder, Patrick; Martin, Brian (September 5, 2009). "Climate Crisis? The Politics of Emergency Framing" (PDF). Economic and Political Weekly. 44 (36): 53, 55–60. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 10, 2020.(subscription required) https://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/09epw.pdf
Hodder, Patrick; Martin, Brian (September 5, 2009). "Climate Crisis? The Politics of Emergency Framing" (PDF). Economic and Political Weekly. 44 (36): 53, 55–60. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 10, 2020.(subscription required) https://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/09epw.pdf
Hodder, Patrick; Martin, Brian (September 5, 2009). "Climate Crisis? The Politics of Emergency Framing" (PDF). Economic and Political Weekly. 44 (36): 53, 55–60. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 10, 2020.(subscription required) https://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/09epw.pdf
Hodder, Patrick; Martin, Brian (September 5, 2009). "Climate Crisis? The Politics of Emergency Framing" (PDF). Economic and Political Weekly. 44 (36): 53, 55–60. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 10, 2020.(subscription required) https://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/09epw.pdf
Bedi, Gitanjali (January 3, 2020). "Is it time to rethink our language on climate change?". Monash Lens. Monash University (Melbourne, Australia). Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. https://lens.monash.edu/@environment/2020/01/03/1379384/is-it-time-to-rethink-our-language-on-climate-change
Bedi, Gitanjali (January 3, 2020). "Is it time to rethink our language on climate change?". Monash Lens. Monash University (Melbourne, Australia). Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. https://lens.monash.edu/@environment/2020/01/03/1379384/is-it-time-to-rethink-our-language-on-climate-change
Moser, Susan C.; Dilling, Lisa (December 2004). "Making Climate Hot / Communicating the Urgency and Challenge of Global Climate Change" (PDF). University of Colorado. pp. 37–38. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 10, 2017. Footnotes 33–37. Also published: December 2004, Environment, volume 46, no. 10, pp. 32–46 Archived May 18, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. https://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/admin/publication_files/resource-1734-2005.22.pdf
Rigby, Sara (January 3, 2020). "Climate change: should we change the terminology?". BBC Science Focus. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/climate-change-should-we-change-the-terminology/
Dean, Signe (May 25, 2019). "ScienceAlert Editor: Yes, It's Time to Update Our Climate Change Language". Science Alert. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. https://www.sciencealert.com/is-it-time-to-call-it-a-climate-crisis
Dean, Signe (May 25, 2019). "ScienceAlert Editor: Yes, It's Time to Update Our Climate Change Language". Science Alert. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. https://www.sciencealert.com/is-it-time-to-call-it-a-climate-crisis
Reimer, Nick (September 19, 2019). "Climate Change or Climate Crisis – What's the right lingo?". Germany. Clean Energy Wire. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. https://www.cleanenergywire.org/blog/climate-change-or-climate-crisis-whats-right-lingo
Shahan, Zachary (June 6, 2023). "Why Arnold Schwarzenegger Wants Us To Focus On Pollution Rather Than Climate Change". Clean Technica. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. https://cleantechnica.com/2023/06/06/why-arnold-schwarzenegger-wants-us-to-focus-on-pollution-rather-than-climate-change/
de Bruin, Wandi Bruine; Kruke, Laurel; Sinatra, Gale M.; Schwarz, Norbert (August 12, 2024). "Should we change the term we use for "climate change"? Evidence from a national U.S. terminology experiment". Climactic Change. 177 (129). doi:10.1007/s10584-024-03786-3. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10584-024-03786-3
Berardelli, Jeff (May 16, 2019). "Does the term "climate change" need a makeover? Some think so — here's why". CBS News. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/does-the-term-climate-change-need-a-makeover-some-think-so-heres-why/
Yoder, Kate (April 29, 2019). "Why your brain doesn't register the words 'climate change'". Grist. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. https://grist.org/article/why-your-brain-doesnt-register-the-words-climate-change/
Berardelli, Jeff (May 16, 2019). "Does the term "climate change" need a makeover? Some think so — here's why". CBS News. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/does-the-term-climate-change-need-a-makeover-some-think-so-heres-why/
Berardelli, Jeff (May 16, 2019). "Does the term "climate change" need a makeover? Some think so — here's why". CBS News. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/does-the-term-climate-change-need-a-makeover-some-think-so-heres-why/
Berardelli, Jeff (May 16, 2019). "Does the term "climate change" need a makeover? Some think so — here's why". CBS News. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/does-the-term-climate-change-need-a-makeover-some-think-so-heres-why/
Yoder, Kate (April 29, 2019). "Why your brain doesn't register the words 'climate change'". Grist. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. https://grist.org/article/why-your-brain-doesnt-register-the-words-climate-change/
Yoder, Kate (April 29, 2019). "Why your brain doesn't register the words 'climate change'". Grist. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. https://grist.org/article/why-your-brain-doesnt-register-the-words-climate-change/
"Words That (Don't) Matter: An Exploratory Study of Four Climate Change Names in Environmental Discourse / Investigating the Best Term for Global Warming". naaee.org. North American Association for Environmental Education. 2013. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. https://naaee.org/eepro/research/library/words-dont-matter-exploratory-study-four
Rigby, Sara (January 3, 2020). "Climate change: should we change the terminology?". BBC Science Focus. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/climate-change-should-we-change-the-terminology/
Following dates are not necessarily the first use of such terms.
Yulsman, Tom (December 8, 2023). "As Weather Extremes Increase in 2023, Global Weirding Becomes a Better Term". Discover. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/as-weather-extremes-increase-in-2023-global-weirding-becomes-a-better-term
"Climate Change: The Facts". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC Australia). August 2019. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. https://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/climate-change-the-facts/
Flanagan, Richard (January 3, 2020). "Australia Is Committing Climate Suicide". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/opinion/australia-fires-climate-change.html
Baloch, Shah Meer (August 28, 2022). "Pakistan declares floods a 'climate catastrophe' as death toll tops 1,000". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/28/pakistans-south-braces-for-deluge-as-death-toll-from-floods-tops-1000
"Tackling Threats That Impact the Earth". World Wildlife Fund. 2019. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats
Kalmus, Peter (August 29, 2018). "Stop saying 'climate change' and start saying 'climate breakdown.'". @ClimateHuman on Twitter. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. https://twitter.com/ClimateHuman/status/1034993858243743744
Shannon, Noah Gallagher (April 10, 2019). "Climate Chaos Is Coming — and the Pinkertons Are Ready". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 5, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/10/magazine/climate-change-pinkertons.html
Kormann, Carolyn (July 11, 2019). "The Case for Declaring a National Climate Emergency". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on October 6, 2019. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-case-for-declaring-a-national-climate-emergency
Rigby, Sara (January 3, 2020). "Climate change: should we change the terminology?". BBC Science Focus. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/climate-change-should-we-change-the-terminology/
Kormann, Carolyn (July 11, 2019). "The Case for Declaring a National Climate Emergency". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on October 6, 2019. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-case-for-declaring-a-national-climate-emergency
Watts, Jonathan (December 16, 2018). "Global warming should be called global heating, says key scientist". Grist. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. https://grist.org/article/global-warming-should-be-called-global-heating-says-key-scientist/
"Letter to Major Networks: Call it a Climate Crisis – and Cover it Like One". citizen.org. Public Citizen. June 6, 2019. Archived from the original on October 17, 2019. https://www.citizen.org/article/letter-to-major-networks-call-it-a-climate-crisis-and-cover-it-like-one/
Ripple, William J.; Wolf, Christopher; Newsome, Thomas M.; Barnard, Phoebe; Moomaw, William R. (January 1, 2020). "World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency". BioScience. 70 (1): 8–12. doi:10.1093/biosci/biz088. hdl:2445/151800. ISSN 0006-3568. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2020. https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/70/1/8/5610806
Ryan, Jackson (November 5, 2019). "'Climate emergency': Over 11,000 scientists sound thunderous warning / The dire words are a call to action". CNET. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. https://www.cnet.com/news/climate-emergency-over-11000-scientists-sound-thunderous-warning/
McGinn, Miyo (November 5, 2019). "11,000 scientists say that the 'climate emergency' is here". Grist. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. https://grist.org/article/11000-scientists-say-that-the-climate-emergency-is-here/
Vickers, Emma (September 17, 2019). "When Is Change a 'Crisis'? Why Climate Terms Matter". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-17/when-is-change-a-crisis-why-climate-terms-matter-quicktake
Hickman, Leo (May 17, 2019). "The Guardian's editor has just issued this new guidance to all staff on language to use when writing about climate change and the environment..." Journalist Leo Hickman on Twitter. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2019. https://twitter.com/LeoHickman/status/1129322707110236160
Picazo, Mario (May 13, 2019). "Should we reconsider the term 'climate change'?". The Weather Network (CA). Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. includes link to Thunberg's tweet: ● Thunberg, Greta (May 4, 2019). "It's 2019. Can we all now please stop saying 'climate change' and instead call it what it is". twitter.com/GretaThunberg. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2019. https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/term-climate-change-global-warming-greta-thunberg
Rigby, Sara (January 3, 2020). "Climate change: should we change the terminology?". BBC Science Focus. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/climate-change-should-we-change-the-terminology/
Goldrick, Geoff (December 19, 2019). "2019 has been a year of climate disaster. Yet still our leaders procrastinate". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/20/2019-has-been-a-year-of-climate-disaster-yet-still-our-leaders-procrastinate
Anna, Cara (September 27, 2020). "Leaders to UN: If virus doesn't kill us, climate change will". Associated Press News. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. https://apnews.com/article/climate-climate-change-oceans-environment-united-nations-general-assembly-d073896990db973a3e45db26787d6a18
Roth, Sammy (July 28, 2022). "August is coming. Prepare for climate calamity". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2022-07-28/august-is-coming-prepare-for-climate-calamity-boiling-point
Sengupta, Somini (September 27, 2022). "Who pays for climate havoc?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/27/climate/climate-imf-world-bank.html
Yoder, Kate (September 29, 2022). "'It makes climate change real': How carbon emissions got rebranded as 'pollution'". Grist. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220929173123/https://grist.org/health/how-carbon-emissions-got-rebranded-climate-pollution-ira/
"Secretary-General's opening remarks at press conference on climate". UN.org. United Nations. July 27, 2023. Archived from the original on July 29, 2023. https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2023-07-27/secretary-generals-opening-remarks-press-conference-climate
Mackintosh, Stuart P. M. (August 22, 2023). "We need better strategies for the approaching climate breaking point". The Hill. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/4162840-we-need-better-strategies-for-the-approaching-climate-breaking-point/
Carrington, Damian; Lakhani, Nina; Milman, Oliver; Morton, Adam; Niranjan, Ajit; Watts, Johathan (August 28, 2023). "'Off-the-charts records': has humanity finally broken the climate?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230829072326/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/28/crazy-off-the-charts-records-has-humanity-finally-broken-the-climate
Carrington, Demian (May 9, 2024). "'The stakes could not be higher': world is on edge of climate abyss, UN warns". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/09/world-is-on-verge-of-climate-abyss-un-warns
"There is an exit off 'the highway to climate hell', Guterres insists". United Nations. June 5, 2024. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/06/1150661
"Words That (Don't) Matter: An Exploratory Study of Four Climate Change Names in Environmental Discourse / Investigating the Best Term for Global Warming". naaee.org. North American Association for Environmental Education. 2013. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. https://naaee.org/eepro/research/library/words-dont-matter-exploratory-study-four
Yoder, Kate (April 29, 2019). "Why your brain doesn't register the words 'climate change'". Grist. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019. https://grist.org/article/why-your-brain-doesnt-register-the-words-climate-change/
Hess, Amanda (February 3, 2022). "Apocalypse When? Global Warming's Endless Scroll". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. the climate crisis is outpacing our emotional capacity to describe it.(subscription required) https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/03/arts/climate-change-doomsday-culture.html