The importance of preciseness in language is crucial in everyday life, but no more so than in matters of governmental regulation. Although a phrase or a few words may seem like a small change, omitting or changing terminology can have effects on how projects and causes are discussed, perceived and even funded. An article in The Walrus examines this idea through the lens of disaster response and what happens when we normalize the idea of climate change as “the new normal”.
“’The new normal’ once again refers most frequently to climate disasters, which, over the past five years, have demonstrated a staying power few other emergencies can dream of,” writes Arno Kopecky in The Walrus. “With a new El Niño bearing down and civilization burning more fossil fuel than ever, the coming years are going to test our imagination like never before. The temptation to say, ‘the new normal’ will grow with each catastrophe, but every time we use them, those words mean a little less.”
In using this cliché when it comes to catastrophic events meant to be shocking, Kopecky argues that we, as a society, become inured to the damage these events cause.
“That’s why seemingly innocuous phrases like “the new normal” matter. Language matters,” writes Kopecky. “It guides our attention, inspires certain courses of action while preventing others.”
Source:
https://thewalrus.ca/stop-calling-each-new-disaster-the-new-normal/
