{"id":1428,"date":"2021-08-26T09:37:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-26T16:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/climate-change-challenge-terminology-used-by-scientists-confounds-public\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T21:46:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T04:46:49","slug":"terminology-of-climate-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                                    \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3539-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3539-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Words used by scientists when writing about or discussing climate science can easily confound the public, according to a study convened by USC Dornsife\u2019s Public Exchange. (Image Source: iStock.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=faculty\">Faculty<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  \u201cIt sounds like you\u2019re talking over people,\u201d said one study participant in a USC\/United Nations Foundation study. Participants offered helpful suggestions for improving climate language. <strong>[4\u00bd min read]<\/strong>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Lance Ignon<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">August 26, 2021<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 1.058837 1.0874543 2.51831502 1.6884158 4.03502747 1.6884158 1.44087681 0 2.80427251-.5423678 3.86936601-1.5289606l.1656615-.1594552 2.2321428-2.2321428-1.6311813-1.6311813-2.2321429 2.26076c-.6581959.658196-1.5167124 1.0016026-2.43246332 1.0016026s-1.7742674-.3434066-2.43246337-1.0016026c-.65819597-.6581959-1.00160257-1.5167124-1.00160257-2.4324633 0-.8547009.2991453-1.6595442.87416905-2.2981957l.12743352-.1342677 2.23214286-2.2321429zm6.88661855-.40736607-5.26116068 5.26116075 1.61881868 1.6188186 5.2611607-5.2611607zm1.3837569-5.54501488c-1.4408768 0-2.8042725.54236779-3.869366 1.52896062l-.1656615.15945513-2.23214282 2.23214286 1.63118132 1.63118132 2.2321429-2.23214286c.6581959-.65819597 1.5167124-1.00160256 2.4324633-1.00160256s1.7742674.34340659 2.4324634 1.00160256 1.0016026 1.51671246 1.0016026 2.43246337c0 .85470089-.2991453 1.65954419-.8741691 2.29819559l-.1274335.1342678-2.2321429 2.2321428 1.5739469 1.5739469 2.2321429-2.2321428c1.0874542-1.058837 1.6884157-2.5183151 1.6884157-4.03502751 0-1.51671245-.6009615-2.94757326-1.6884157-4.03502747-1.058837-1.08745421-2.518315-1.68841575-4.0350275-1.68841575z\" transform=\"translate(-3 -3)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Copy Link<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_facebook\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#facebook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Facebook\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_facebook\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m23.9512 6h-16.9024c-.57923625 0-1.0488.46956375-1.0488 1.0488v16.9024c0 .5792362.46956375 1.0488 1.0488 1.0488h9.10024v-7.34768h-2.46772v-2.87584h2.46772v-2.11508c0-2.45404 1.49872-3.79012 3.68828-3.79012.7389668-.00263323 1.4775241.03516995 2.21236.11324v2.56348h-1.51392c-1.18788 0-1.4174.56544-1.4174 1.39612v1.8316h2.84772l-.37088 2.87584h-2.47684v7.34844h4.83284c.5792362 0 1.0488-.4695638 1.0488-1.0488v-16.9024c0-.57923625-.4695638-1.0488-1.0488-1.0488z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Facebook<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_twitter\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#twitter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"X\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_twitter\">\n              <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\"\n\t y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 30 30\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 30 30\" xml:space=\"preserve\" width=\"19\" height=\"19\">\n<path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M14.5,16.2l-0.8-1.1l-6.3-9h2.7l5.1,7.3l0.8,1.1\n\tl6.6,9.4h-2.7L14.5,16.2L14.5,16.2z M16.9,13.4l7.4-8.7h-1.8l-6.5,7.5L11,4.8H5l7.8,11.4L5,25.2h1.8l6.8-7.9l5.5,7.9h6L16.9,13.4\n\tL16.9,13.4z\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">X<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_linkedin\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#linkedin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Linkedin\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_linkedin\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m25 21.4220779c0 1.974026-1.6038961 3.5779221-3.5779221 3.5779221h-11.84415582c-1.97402598 0-3.57792208-1.6038961-3.57792208-3.5779221v-11.84415582c0-1.97402598 1.6038961-3.57792208 3.57792208-3.57792208h11.84415582c1.974026 0 3.5779221 1.6038961 3.5779221 3.57792208zm-14.5584416-12.21428569c-.98701295 0-1.60389606.61688311-1.60389606 1.48051949-.12337663.8636364.49350649 1.4805195 1.48051946 1.4805195.987013 0 1.6038961-.6168831 1.6038961-1.4805195 0-.86363638-.6168831-1.48051949-1.4805195-1.48051949zm1.3571429 12.70779219v-8.6363636h-2.83766234v8.6363636zm10.2402597 0v-4.9350649c0-2.5909091-1.3571428-3.8246753-3.3311688-3.8246753-1.4805195 0-2.0974026.8636363-2.4675325 1.4805194v-1.2337662h-2.8376623v8.6363636h2.8376623v-4.9350649c0-.2467532 0-.4935065.1233767-.7402597.1233766-.4935065.6168831-.987013 1.4805194-.987013.987013 0 1.4805195.7402597 1.4805195 1.974026v4.564935z\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">LinkedIn<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_bluesky\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#bluesky\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Bluesky\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_bluesky\">\n              <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                <path fill=\"#00000\" d=\"M12 10.8c-1.087-2.114-4.046-6.053-6.798-7.995C2.566.944 1.561 1.266.902 1.565C.139 1.908 0 3.08 0 3.768c0 .69.378 5.65.624 6.479c.815 2.736 3.713 3.66 6.383 3.364c.136-.02.275-.039.415-.056c-.138.022-.276.04-.415.056c-3.912.58-7.387 2.005-2.83 7.078c5.013 5.19 6.87-1.113 7.823-4.308c.953 3.195 2.05 9.271 7.733 4.308c4.267-4.308 1.172-6.498-2.74-7.078a8.741 8.741 0 0 1-.415-.056c.14.017.279.036.415.056c2.67.297 5.568-.628 6.383-3.364c.246-.828.624-5.79.624-6.478c0-.69-.139-1.861-.902-2.206c-.659-.298-1.664-.62-4.3 1.24C16.046 4.748 13.087 8.687 12 10.8\"  fill-rule=\"evenodd\" \/>\n              <\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Bluesky<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_email\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#email\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"E-mail\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_print\">\n              <svg height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 12\" width=\"18\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>There\u2019s plenty of information available about climate change.\u00a0The question is whether it&#8217;s understandable.<\/p>\n<p>A\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/epdf\/10.1007\/s10584-021-03183-0?sharing_token=BjiYaOYTk1LQCEBJljE8wve4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY6P53CJY43T-w-_jBBFxNif-xumfesTbuTZxqSw7p0Uwws7HXQFIz9N4arWkWZcrqE80CVYHsVYlyjrpICyLXsF3Wco-Y3S0PIIGr2CJ6TnLrJdh3MAaAqWep0r0o4qMnI%3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">new study<\/a>\u00a0finds that U.S. residents struggle to understand terms frequently used by scientists to describe climate change. Study participants said some of the terms were too complex to understand. Other terms were misunderstood in the context of climate change. Participants suggested simpler, alternative language.<\/p>\n<p>The study was published in a special edition of the journal\u00a0<i>Climatic Change<\/i>\u00a0titled\u00a0<i>Climate Change Communication and the IPCC.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne survey respondent summed it up nicely when saying, \u2018It sounds like you\u2019re talking over people,\u2019\u201d said\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/priceschool.usc.edu\/people\/wandi-bruine-de-bruin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">W\u00e4ndi Bruine de Bruin<\/a>, the study\u2019s lead author and Provost Professor of Public Policy,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\">Psychology<\/a>, and Behavioral Sciences at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/priceschool.usc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USC Price School of Public Policy<\/a>. \u201cScientists need to replace jargon with everyday language to be understood by a lay audience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The study was convened by the USC Dornsife\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/publicexchange.usc.edu\/\">Public Exchange<\/a>\u00a0and included a team of USC researchers as well as personnel from the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/unfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">United Nations Foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to get better at communicating the dire threat from climate change if we expect to build support for more forceful action to stop it,\u201d said Pete Ogden, vice president for energy, climate and the environment at the UN Foundation. \u201cWe need to start by using language that anyone can understand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Study participants were asked to rate how easy or hard it was to understand eight terms drawn from publicly available reports written by the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change<\/a>. (The documents used for the study did not include the IPCC\u2019s latest report, which was released to the public on Aug. 9.) The UN Foundation chose the terms through informal consultation with the IPCC.<\/p>\n<div class=\"news-image-full\">\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/assets\/sites\/1\/imgs\/Communication\/PX_ClimateLanguage-01.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/migration-uploads\/PX_ClimateLanguage-01-3539.jpg\" alt=\"Graph depicting ease of understanding for various terms. Mitigation was ranked the least easy to understand, with abrupt change the easiest.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1029\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Study participants were asked to rate the difficulty of understanding eight terms on a scale of 1 (\u201cnot easy at all\u201d) to 5 (\u201cvery easy\u201d). (Graphic: Letty Avila.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Coming to terms<\/h2>\n<p>The eight terms\u00a0were \u201cmitigation,\u201d \u201ccarbon neutral,\u201d \u201cunprecedented transition,\u201d \u201ctipping point,\u201d \u201csustainable development,\u201d \u201ccarbon dioxide removal,\u201d \u201cadaptation\u201d and \u201cabrupt change.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Participants said the word \u201cmitigation\u201d was the most difficult to understand. Mitigation, in the context of climate change, refers to actions to reduce the rate of climate change. More than half of the respondents referred to the word in the context of the law or insurance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo me, personally, it means mitigating costs, keeping costs low. \u2026 To prevent the expenditure of filing a lawsuit,\u201d one respondent said. Mitigation was also commonly confused with mediation or \u201cdiscussions with peers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The term \u201csustainable development\u201d was in the middle of the pack. Among climate scientists, the term is used to describe economic growth that leaves a livable world for future generations. While participants generally said they understood the word \u201csustainable,\u201d 65% of them interpreted \u201cdevelopment\u201d as referring to housing and infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>Participants said \u201cabrupt change\u201d was the easiest to understand. In the context of climate change, the term refers to a change that is so rapid and unexpected that humans have a hard time adapting to it. (There are\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/ocp.ldeo.columbia.edu\/res\/div\/ocp\/arch\/definition.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more complex definitions<\/a>, as well.)<\/p>\n<p>Although participants had heard of \u201cabrupt\u201d and \u201cchange,\u201d they\u00a0were not necessarily aware of the terms being used together or their meaning in the climate context. Some defined it in terms of personal action, rather than broad changes to the environment.\u00a0As one person put it: \u201c\u2026 you can make an abrupt change to change what nature is already doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, participants were surprised to learn that \u201cabrupt change\u201d in the climate context may occur over centuries.<\/p>\n<h2>Plainspoken ideas<\/h2>\n<p>Participants were also asked to provide suggestions for alternative language. In general, they advised using simpler terms and using them in the context of climate change.<\/p>\n<p>For example, for the term \u201cunprecedented transition\u201d, which the IPCC\u00a0defines as \u201crapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society,\u201d participants suggested: \u201ca change not seen before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For \u201ctipping point,\u201d which the IPCC defines as \u201can irreversible change in the climate system,\u201d one respondent offered:\u00a0\u201ctoo late to fix anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn several cases, the respondents proposed simple, elegant alternatives to existing language,\u201d Bruine de Bruin said. \u201cIt reminded us that, even though climate change may be a complex issue, there is no need to make it even more complex by using complicated words.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Existing science communication literature also recommends simplifying language to increase comprehension by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Limiting sentences to 16 to 20 words and using words with no more than two syllables, whenever possible\u00a0(<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=1dbODwAAQBAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PP1&amp;ots=oM9wIQnNY3&amp;sig=8u2jaBRUCKkRRXzqjGglo3k3tJQ#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cutts 2013<\/a>;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/chapter\/10.1007\/978-3-030-49282-3_18\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kadayat and Eika 2020<\/a>;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/readabilityformulas.com\/smog-readability-formula.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">McLaughlin 1969<\/a>);<\/li>\n<li>Writing for the public at the level of a reader who is 12 or 13 years old, equivalent to U.S. grade level 6 to 7 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S030142151300712X?casa_token=4kWnzODp4d8AAAAA:lvY8OaWtOwwRxWlPfMbfZrN0YAFFR4-y3LZgVWA2leUOYt38CCbxLPaLchDT4jbEBgqlgHeN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wong-Parodi et al. 2013<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Survey Design<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cesr.usc.edu\/people\/staff\/lilarabi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lila Rabinovich<\/a>, a qualitative researcher from USC Dornsife\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cesr.usc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Center for Economic and Social Research<\/a>, posed the terms to 20 participants with a variety of backgrounds and views about climate change.\u00a0The participants were drawn from USC Dornsife\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/uasdata.usc.edu\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Understanding America Study<\/a>\u00a0for their varying views about climate change and diversity in terms of age, race, gender and education.<\/p>\n<p>In a qualitative study such as this one, a sample of 20 is large enough to\u00a0find terms that are likely to be misunderstood\u00a0<a href=\"file:\/\/\/Users\/ignon\/Downloads\/Morganetal.-2002-OurMentalModelsApproach.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">(Morgan et al. 2002).<\/a>\u00a0Indeed, 88% of the misunderstandings in this study were raised in the first 10 interviews. After 17 interviews, no new misunderstandings were raised.\u00a0A follow-up survey would be needed to examine how often misunderstandings occur or who is most likely to experience them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/shade-la-winning-design-giving-shade-for-metro-during-world-cup\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Student-designed shade structure debuts at Metro station ahead of World Cup 2026<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/how-climate-finance-to-help-poor-countries-became-a-global-shell-game-donors-have-counted-fossil-fuel-projects-airports-and-even-ice-cream-shops\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >How climate finance to help poor countries became a global shell game<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/two-iconic-coral-species-are-now-functionally-extinct-off-florida-study-finds\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >2 iconic coral species are now functionally extinct off Florida, study finds \u2013 we witnessed the reef\u2019s bleaching and\u00a0devastation<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cIt sounds like you\u2019re talking over people,\u201d said one study participant in a USC\/United Nations Foundation study. Participants offered helpful suggestions for improving climate language. <strong>[4\u00bd min read]<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":1431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,24,15],"tags":[70,64,66,143,80,59,249],"class_list":["post-1428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","category-social-impact","category-sustainability","tag-academy-in-the-public-square","tag-center-for-economic-and-social-research","tag-climate-change","tag-faculty","tag-public-exchange","tag-understanding-america-study","tag-wandi-bruine-de-bruin"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cIt sounds like you\u2019re talking over people,\u201d said one study participant in a USC\/United Nations Foundation study.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cIt sounds like you\u2019re talking over people,\u201d said one study participant in a USC\/United Nations Foundation study.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"USC Dornsife News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-08-26T16:37:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-22T04:46:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3539.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"780\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Margaret Crable\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/terminology-of-climate-science\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/terminology-of-climate-science\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Margaret Crable\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/079941d34348eaa3a2f145191f66290c\"},\"headline\":\"Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-26T16:37:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-22T04:46:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/terminology-of-climate-science\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":9,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/terminology-of-climate-science\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/story-3539.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"academy in the public square\",\"center for economic and social research\",\"climate change\",\"faculty\",\"public exchange\",\"understanding america study\",\"wandi bruine de bruin\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Faculty\",\"Social Impact\",\"Sustainability\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/terminology-of-climate-science\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/terminology-of-climate-science\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/terminology-of-climate-science\\\/\",\"name\":\"Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/terminology-of-climate-science\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/terminology-of-climate-science\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/story-3539.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-26T16:37:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-22T04:46:49+00:00\",\"description\":\"\u201cIt sounds like you\u2019re talking over people,\u201d said one study participant in a USC\\\/United Nations Foundation study.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/terminology-of-climate-science\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/terminology-of-climate-science\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/terminology-of-climate-science\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/story-3539.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/story-3539.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":780,\"caption\":\"Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/terminology-of-climate-science\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"description\":\"USC Dornsife news and events\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":330,\"caption\":\"USC Dornsife News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/uscdornsife\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/USCCollege\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/school\\\/uscdornsife\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/079941d34348eaa3a2f145191f66290c\",\"name\":\"Margaret Crable\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6791ff163203ae7627b9daae41a5c65889c50dd161b0f2d259103ec9db9e64e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6791ff163203ae7627b9daae41a5c65889c50dd161b0f2d259103ec9db9e64e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6791ff163203ae7627b9daae41a5c65889c50dd161b0f2d259103ec9db9e64e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Margaret Crable\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/author\\\/mcrable\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public","description":"\u201cIt sounds like you\u2019re talking over people,\u201d said one study participant in a USC\/United Nations Foundation study.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public","og_description":"\u201cIt sounds like you\u2019re talking over people,\u201d said one study participant in a USC\/United Nations Foundation study.","og_url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/","og_site_name":"USC Dornsife News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","article_published_time":"2021-08-26T16:37:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-22T04:46:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":780,"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3539.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Margaret Crable","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uscdornsife","twitter_site":"@uscdornsife","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/"},"author":{"name":"Margaret Crable","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/079941d34348eaa3a2f145191f66290c"},"headline":"Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public","datePublished":"2021-08-26T16:37:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-22T04:46:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/"},"wordCount":9,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3539.jpg","keywords":["academy in the public square","center for economic and social research","climate change","faculty","public exchange","understanding america study","wandi bruine de bruin"],"articleSection":["Faculty","Social Impact","Sustainability"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/","name":"Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3539.jpg","datePublished":"2021-08-26T16:37:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-22T04:46:49+00:00","description":"\u201cIt sounds like you\u2019re talking over people,\u201d said one study participant in a USC\/United Nations Foundation study.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3539.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3539.jpg","width":1200,"height":780,"caption":"Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/terminology-of-climate-science\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Climate change challenge: Terminology used by scientists confounds public"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","name":"USC Dornsife News","description":"USC Dornsife news and events","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization","name":"USC Dornsife News","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","width":1000,"height":330,"caption":"USC Dornsife News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/x.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uscdornsife\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/USCCollege","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/uscdornsife"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/079941d34348eaa3a2f145191f66290c","name":"Margaret Crable","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6791ff163203ae7627b9daae41a5c65889c50dd161b0f2d259103ec9db9e64e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6791ff163203ae7627b9daae41a5c65889c50dd161b0f2d259103ec9db9e64e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6791ff163203ae7627b9daae41a5c65889c50dd161b0f2d259103ec9db9e64e4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Margaret Crable"},"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/author\/mcrable\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/52"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1428"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27757,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1428\/revisions\/27757"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}